Burn out & self care as an artist and as a business owner. 

Let’s talk about it. 

It’s crazy to think that both of these unrelated worlds could suffer from burnout but it is extremely common. 

The best way I avoid burnout as an artist and business owner is by having: Non-negotiables

That might sound silly, maybe  a tad bit restrictive right? Let me tell you a little story about non-negotiables. I first heard this word from my high school best friend a few years ago. 

We had both moved onto college. I went to UC Irvine and she went to UC Davis. I visited her at her house during Winter Break and while we were sitting in the kitchen, we talked about trying to stay sane at college. With a million classes, clubs, finals, home work, and trying to cook more than Ramen Noodles each night, I told her I was going insane. She agreed, but only felt overwhelmed for the first half of the school year.

“Whattt?? What happened in the spring quarter?” 

“You have to set time away for yourself. Things that are non-negotiable. Things that no matter what happens, or what is going on in the day, you make it a point to do.”

And right there, in the afternoon sun it dawned on me to take time for myself. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Duh Summer, self-care is a thing.” And you would be correct, but sometimes when people are EXTREMELY wrapped up in what they are doing, self care and self-destruction get mixed around.

The big question is, “How can you set non-negotiables?”

The best way to incorporate it into your life is pick 1 thing that you are excited to do, and do it for at least 30 minutes. 

This can be anything on your self-care list. Here are my Top 6 Non-Negotiables that I pick from as an artist & business owner:

1. Random photography session

   This means that I do not have to edit the pictures right away, or at all! I will walk around my apartment for about 30 minutes, seeing what I can take a picture of and snap a couple shots. Edit them on LightRoom and call it a day. 

2. Working out

   This non-negotiable has become a habit. I almost never skip a 60 minute weight lifting session. I mean EVER. Something about working out makes me feel so much better and washes away stress -- and not to mention, getting up from working all day is a MUST.

3. Cuddle/watch a movie/make food with my husband

   “Oh boy here we go.” Wait wait, before you run for the hills, and think that I’m going to talk about my married life, waiiittttt. That’s not the case at all! While this is my non-negotiable now, in college, when I wasn’t married (mind you I also never dated anyone, but that’s a story for a different time), I spent every waking moment with my best friend and roommate. Granted, all that time was us doing our own thing across the table from each other, BUT the both of us always made it a non-negotiable to stop what we were doing, cook/get dinner, go grocery shopping, watch a movie (I always fell asleep in the middle of it), or go to the gym. We made it a point not to talk about work, only if it was to vent, and were very present with each other. I would say this, more than anything, was the main non-negotiable that kept me sane while I was a full-time student with a full-time job + 2 internships. 

Feel free to fill in your own blanks: ________ with my _______.
Examples:
- Take a walk with my dog.
- Get some kulfi with my mom
- Watch TV with my hamster.
- Make chai with my friends. (Not that fake Starbucks stuff. Real Chai. If you don’t know what that is, DM your Indian Aunti AKA me!)

Really, the possibilities are endless! 

4. Read a book

While I have my “educational” books that I read for 1 hour out of the day, I will also set aside 30 mins for a “fun” book. (If you want to read about my MUST HAVE TOP 5 business & creative books, click here)

Here are 2 “fun” books I have read so far (Mind you I’m a bit of a journalism nerd, so if you like true crime, you will like these)
- Poisoner's Handbook 
- The Lost City of Z: A Take of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

5. Go outside for a walk

This might sound really boring, but pop on a podcast (may I recommend Kulfi Culture ;) ) and breathe in the fresh air! You might see a bird or two and everyone can use some Vitamin D.

6. Try a new art

Trying new things might sound terrifying to a lot of people, but there’s almost this mystery & adventure laced into trying a new art type. You HAVE to learn how to laugh at yourself, and don’t take it seriously. You won’t be good at it, big whoop. I tried water coloring flowers for the first time last week, and they looked like blobs. But hey, they were my blobs…. That I threw into the trash before my husband could see it haha. The end product isn’t what matters, its regaining excitement in doing something you have never tried before, knowing you're gonna suck, and doing it anyways! I mean, isn't that the core of art and business anyways?

Now that you know some of my non-negotiables, I want to know, what are some of yours? If you don’t have any yet, which one are you excited to try first?