Nicole Ashley | Recognizing & Preventing Burnout as a Creative Business Owner | FloInsider Ep #21

Welcome to the 21st episode of FloInsider – a podcast for photographers and creative business owners who seek inspiration and a fresh perspective on how to run their business, navigate this weird time that we all live in, and find meaning and happiness in their daily routines. 

Today we talk to Nicole Ashley – an amazing portrait and wedding photographer from Canada – about an issue that is important, yet oftentimes overlooked: burnout. Burnout is something that we, as creatives, can very easily fall into without even noticing. We give our whole selves to our work because we adore it and want to spend every waking hour doing it. Yet our bodies and minds weren’t designed to hustle 24/7 and they can easily crash under the weight of a never-ending to do list. That’s why spotting early signs of burnout and knowing how to prevent it is crucial. 

Nicole tells her story of coming face to face with burnout. She shares valuable insights into what helped her overcome it, and gives practical advice that will help you prevent this beast, before it grows big and strong. 

Tune in and enjoy this episode – the things you’re about to learn are VITAL! 

A few cliff notes from our chat with Nicole Ashley:

• Burnout is a slow process, yet very often people don’t acknowledge it until it’s too late. This especially applies to creatives who tend to work 7 days a week and don’t have set hours for rest and unplugged time. They love what they do so much that they fail to notice the early signs of burnout. 

• How to spot a burnout at an early stage? A huge warning sign is when you catch yourself getting annoyed and frustrated with something that you normally enjoy doing. If this happens to you, the best thing is to slow down, take a few days off, and rest properly.

• Incorporate regular breaks into your life and routine. Literally add them to your to do list or block time slots in your calendar. You should get rest every single day, every week, every month. Don’t live for that one holiday a year. Make sure you carve out a lot of small breaks instead.

• Being in constant hustle mode might feel productive, but it’s not. When you’re operating from a burned out place you are not bringing your best self and your best work to the table.

Want to learn more from Nicole Ashley? Connect to her through her website nicoleashley.ca and via her Instagram account: instagram.com/nicoleashley

As always, huge thank you to our lovely host, Nadia Meli, whom you can find via instagram.com/nadiameli and her website: nadiameli.com

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Have you ever experienced burnout? How did you overcome its effects? Do you have any tips or recommendations for those battling it? Or those who want to spot its early signs? Share your story and thoughts with us!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to FloInsider via your favorite platform, for amazing interviews and insightful discussions, just like this one!