2 Vital Routines That Recharged My Creativity After Burnout

After nearly 10 years of “thriving in fast-paced environments,” it dawned on me that I wasn’t thriving in fast-paced environments. I enjoy detailed work and indulgent creative processes. I love deep-diving into strategic planning and moving with more curiosity than urgency. But I noticed a lot of sought-after jobs were mainly concerned with pace over depth; how quickly you could adjust to changing priorities and adapt to new demands. Two years after the onset of COVID-19, I was tired of being tested. It wasn’t that I couldn’t “keep up,” I never really wanted to.

What I hadn’t realized was that slowing down after a decade-long sprint in high-velocity work environments requires you to reprogram yourself…which can take a while. At the top of 2023, I took a sabbatical from the workforce, and months went by before a true sense of ease started to settle into my mind and body. These two routines helped me tap out of burnout and into creative liberty. 

👟 Taking Long Solo Walks

Of course, long walks are a great way to get a little exercise and some fresh air, blahzay blah. But with the extra time on my hands after leaving corporate work, I decided to experiment with my mid-day walks and turn them into creative exercises, too. So, I have two simple activities that I routinely do to work my creative muscles while I’m strolling outdoors. 

One is a game I call Color Snap. I choose a color that’s not commonly spotted in nature, like fuchsia or orange, and every time I spot something interesting in that color during my walk, I snap a photo on my phone. It’s like a slightly remixed version of I Spy that also challenges me to keep an eye out for visual details. It’s a friendly reminder that art and inspiration are everywhere. 

The second activity takes place entirely in my head. I pick a current song that I love and spend the whole walk listening to it on repeat and envisioning a music video treatment for it - how I would cast it, style it, the theme I’d depict, etc. Practicing my visual storytelling skills without the aid of Pinterest or other inspo from the Internet right in front of me keeps my imagination sharp and expansive.

☕ Rebranding My Mondays

I knew it was time to make some new choices in my life and career when Sunday nights felt like the Boogeyman. Once I made the switch from corporate to independent, romanticizing my Mondays was like therapy. I still wake up early, but I move slowly. I light incense to mark the start of the day with a sensory cue. I sip a cup of coffee and stare out my window for 30 minutes before opening my inbox.

Most Mondays, I spend at least 4 hours working from my favorite café where I intentionally make space for small talk with staff and strangers. Sunday nights don’t scare the shit out of me anymore, which I’ve noticed has eliminated my anxiety completely. Who knew my relationship to ONE day of the week had such a massive influence on my health. But now that I know, I’ll never forget.

Deciding to step fully into your element and out of your restraints is only the first part of the journey toward creative liberty. The next part is full of unlearning, exploring, and redesigning your reality. Take your time with that, unapologetically.

Bri is the CEO of Heye Frequency. She is a brand strategist, content creator, and designer on a mission to free creatives from stagnancy and self-doubt.