6 Ways to Avoid Burnout when Marketing Your Mental Health Private Practice | Pleasant Media

No matter how much you love your work, marketing can be a challenge—especially when it feels like you’re spinning your wheels with no results. It’s easy to get burnt out when all you see are demands for more content, more leads, and more sales. But with a few simple tweaks, you can avoid burnout while still keeping your marketing efforts fresh. 

But first, let me tell you a story.

Recently, I went into a hole. I was dealing with some serious life altering issues and was just simply unable to maintain any work outside of my immediate basic needs like food, water, and shelter. In addition to my life issues, I found that the amount of content I was absorbing had a direct impact on how I was feeling mentally and emotionally. I felt the need to compare myself to those who were more “successful” than I was so I thought I had to do all the things. In doing that, I completely shut down and avoided everything. Procrastination and avoidance, in my situation, was directly fueled by comparison and feelings of overwhelm. I was plain and simply burnt out. 

It’s time to pick up my chin and remember what makes me happy. This business and providing mental health providers value and assistance offers me great fulfillment. So my message today, above all else, is that it’s okay to take a step back and let some things fall. 

So, here are my top six tips that I have started utilizing for my own mental health – hopefully they will resonate with you as well!

1. Take a break.

Whether you need a few minutes, hours, days, or even weeks – it’s completely normal and necessary to step away from your work for a little while to regain your sense of self and composure. While I was on my break, I really dug deep to rediscover my why. But it doesn’t have to be super big – it can be just a 10 minute walk down the street to breath and take in some Vitamin D. Any break is a worthy break. 

2. Set boundaries with clients and colleagues. 

Another thing that I did was to make myself unavailable sometimes. You don’t always be available to others. You are 100% allowed to say no, back out, decline an invite or partnership, etc… There is no requirement for you to be present in all of the things, all of the time. Not only is it sending a message that you are there at others’ disposal but it’s simply not sustainable. Set working hours and determine when you will not be available at all and use that to your advantage. You can set away messages and emails providing another point of contact. You can add these boundaries to your contracts and mention your working hours in your first session(s) to make it clear. Remember, boundaries are as much for your clients, friends, coworkers, and even family as they are for you. 

3. Delegate tasks whenever possible.

This is a hard one for me, and perhaps you as well. I have to feel in control so delegating tasks to others seemingly takes that feeling of control away. But something that I did was sit down and have a brain dump of everything that I needed to do in a day, week, and month. I then really looked at these and decided which ones I would be okay with delegating to others – specifically the tasks that I simply do not enjoy doing. Things like cooking dinner, checking and sorting mail, cleaning, errands, and laundry. Once those things are freed up from your plate, don’t think about them. Trust that whomever you gave that task to is competent to complete it and move on. This will definitely help lessen the overwhelm. Remember, don’t try to do everything yourself. While it may feel like you need to do it to remain productive, trying to do everything yourself is a fast track to burn out. 

This includes your marketing efforts. Creating content, deciding on where that content will go, when, why, and how often is exhausting – especially for folks who do not have a lot of experience or know-how. You can delegate or automate that as well. Interested in learning more? Let’s talk. 

4. Stick to a simple schedule.

Using the list that you created in your brain dump, prioritize the left over tasks that you did not delegate or automate and create specific times for them. Maybe you create an admin day where you do not see clients and only focus on the business side of your practice. Maybe you’re most alert and productive in the morning, schedule out a few hours a couple times a week in the mornings to get some of these tasks done. Remember to leave wiggle room for breaks, one off tasks, etc…

Also, understand that you’re not perfect and there will be times where you go completely off schedule. Give yourself compassion and grace and jump back whenever you are ready. 

Sticking to a schedule is important to avoid burnout because it is predictable and less overwhelming. You have everything that needs to get done mapped out and you know what is happening next. 

5. Connect with other therapists online and in person.

Networking can help rejuvenate you and put you in a space of likeness with another person. I am going to go out on a limb here and say most therapists or mental health providers experience or are close to experiencing burnout at one point in their career. Connecting with like minded individuals will help you gain inspiration, connection, and a sense of community.  I have a Facebook Group that might help. Let me know if you’re interested.

6. Find an outlet outside of work that relaxes you and makes you happy.

This can be literally anything – whether it’s reading, hiking, or spending time with friends/family, your life does not and should not revolve around your practice and marketing that practice. 

I would like to challenge you to take a few small breaks throughout the day to do something only for you. Evaluate this over the course of 30 days and tell me how you feel. Do you feel less overwhelmed? Happier? I promise that by doing something each day that makes you happy, you set yourself up for peace. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and like you can’t take another step, know that you’re not alone. The good news is that there are things we can do to help avoid marketing burnout and protect our sanity (and our businesses). We just have to be proactive about it. So let’s talk about how I can help you take some of this pressure off with your marketing efforts. As a marketing coach, I can teach you simple tactics to get the best results for your strategy. We can brainstorm solutions that will best work for you. Whatever the case may be, don’t hesitate to reach out. I want to see you succeed both in your life and your practice. Have a wonderful day!