When I tell you that I had myself convinced (with Tarot cards to back it up) that 2024 30 - was going to be “My” year - I mean it.
But then, it wasn’t.
The fact of the matter is that this was a year where:
My partner (the one with the steady paycheck) also became an entrepreneur. #stress
I lived, ate, worked, and slept in ONE room of our house in a very small town with no co-working spots or coffee shops within less than a 30-minute drive.
We didn’t have a proper kitchen, laundry, or a way to shower at our own house for the majority of 2024, and I don’t have any family of my own close by to lean on (although my partner's family is a godsend in so many ways it’s just not the same).
Although I know that 40-year-old Catie will be happy that we could buy our first home before 30 and that when we do eventually finish and sell this house in a few more years, it will be paid off, and we will be debt-free.
The currently 30-year-old Catie has been over here in a messy AF construction zone trying to create and share while the roof is leaking next to my desk.
Meanwhile, my IG friends and peers are recording reels mixing their matcha lattes into cute little glasses and I’m washing one of two coffee cups that aren’t still packed up in my bathroom sink.
I was 30, but not flirty, and not really feeling like I was thriving.
All the while - I was doing my best to find clarity on where my expertise lies and where I wanted to take my business (because I can honestly figure out most things, I'm scrappy as hell and will make it work if that wasn’t already clear in this newsletter).
The point is - there’s been a lot of plates spinning and a lot of discomforts in my “real life” that left me feeling really disconnected from the online world that all seemed to be making more money and having shinier prettier, more instagramably (not a word but I am making it one) aesthetic lives than me.
Then came the Holidays (which can be a hard time for me emotionally - I’m talking, this is the first time I have willingly put up a tree in years), and bam, little ol’ me decides to promote a workshop right out of the gate (with little left in my tank).
It hit me hard when I didn’t come CLOSE to my goal for that workshop.
It made me question… a lot.
And in the last couple of weeks - all of the above, all of the expectations I had have all kinda landed on me at once - not to mention that directly after that workshop, I had a sick man at home (the worst), my period, and the inauguration chaos ensued.
The world feels heavy and uncertain.
And although my life is actually more comfy than it has been since we moved out of our apartment in August of 23 (I’m talking, we finally have a shower, a living room, moved my desk out of our bedroom, laundry in the house, and the kitchen sink) - burnout really set in this month.
And i’m not talking I need a day to rot burnout, i’m talking physically ill with no real explanation burnout.
Something I have struggled with on and off for the last 10 years.
Something that 100% can get in the way of things in the short term, like sending my newsletter “on time,” but also - can really impact long-term goals.
I’m not telling you this for pity or because I think my “problems” or “stress” are anything more or less than anyone else’s in this world right now.
I’m telling you this because I know how easy it is to get burnt out by your business.
I am an empathetic human who feels all my feels (hiii Cancer sun - Aries moon) and protecting my own energy while working in the online world can be really hard sometimes.
I think that is a pretty universal experience at the moment, regardless of your astrology or anything else for that matter.
So now that I am on the tail end of my latest bout of burnout (something I can confidently say I have gotten better at noticing and nipping in the but).
I wanted to take this newsletter to share some of the things that have worked well for me in the past (and present) to help me continue to put one foot forward and clock into my business as someone who makes a living as a creative communicator (something I can't do when I’m in burnout mode).
If you are someone who is feeling burnt out by:
News Cycles
Life in general
Being the only FT employee for your brand (aka. most if not all of us)
Feeling like your lifestyle ATM doesn’t fit the mold of a “successful entrepreneur”
A flopped (for lack of a better term) launch
Or any combination of the above…
This one is for you kid ↓
Before I really dig into the “tips” section of this newsletter, I want to set a couple of things straight.
What works for me - might not work for you.
This lil' post from Studio Ipsum was a perfect example because although I am wholeheartedly cheering Riley on - her initial hook is literally the opposite of what I preach.
But she is a different brain in a different season, with a different way of doing things - and chances are you are to.
There is no lack of opinions or tips on the internet,t so as always, take what you will, and if it doesn’t work for yo,u feel free to leave the rest boo.
#1 - Being a little anti-social
Let’s start with one I am pretty sure we can all relate to right now: limiting time on social media - especially when it comes to the doom scroll.
This weekend was the first time in a while that I actually deleted Instagram from my phone for the weekend.
In the past, I have logged out of my biz account and into my personal on the weekend, and if it weren't for the ease of creating via my phone for stories, I would consider just having the app on my iPad (since I am not quite cool enough for two phones yet).
If you immediately hear this in your head when thinking about having two phones - ur my people 😂
Instead, I am opting to consume more long-form content like Substack articles and podcasts - and not to open up my business account UNLESS I am creating or connecting :)
#2 Being super freaking realistic with myself
If there is one thing that Catie in her 30s learned from Catie in her 20s, it's that getting out of burnout does not mean implementing a 10-step morning routine right out of the gate (my personal development books are mostly packed up for this season of life and I am A-okay with that).
For example - I know my ass needs some fresh air and to get outside and walk around, basic human nature stuff.
But I also know that I live in one of the coldest areas in the US (#3 to be exact I googled it), and if it feels like NEGATIVE TEENS outside (like it has more than once in Jan and will continue to until the end of March), I don’t need to go for a walk just because all the girls on Instagram (and my 75-year-old neighbor bless her heart) are doing it.
Chances are you can’t relate to that exact scenario - but there is someplace in your life right now where being realistic with yourself and easing into your goals is going to be a much better bet for your nervous system.
#3 Consciously inviting good energy in
My go-to, when I am feeling burnt out, is to isolate; my Dad and brother jokingly refer to this as my going “ghost protocol” cuz if there is anything I have learned as a divorcee kid, it is how to compartmentalize and protect my energy, to a fault.
But I already feel sorta isolated in my town of 4,000 with 2 traffic lights and no biz besties around, so I’ve learned to actively invite the good energy in and reach out to the people whose values and mindset align with my own, not necessarily for support but just to tell them that I am thinking about them.
If I can leave you with one universal tip for battling burnout - it’s to zero in on what has worked for you in the past and what isn’t working right now.
During my physically ill 3 days spent on the couch, I binged “Younger”(a bit of a silly show, but I grew up idolizing Hillary Duff, so it was good sick TV).
In one specific episode, the characters go to a self-help conference where the animated thought leader asks the audience members, “What would make you happy”?
The initial answer would be surface level - and then the more she asked, “What would really make you happy,” the audience member would suddenly come to clarity and state the THING that is actually in their way.
And although life isn’t always that easy. When you think about it - you can probably pinpoint some of the things that made you feel so burnt out in the first place.
And since you are a solopreneur who can make their own rules without having to report or ask anyone for permission (a blessing), you get to decide what will help.
For me, that means dedicating February to “feeling good,” switching up my weekly planning system, tracking less time, and deleting an ENTIRE beta launch off my calendar for Q1.
You can read more about my plans for a “Feel Good February,” how my brand roadmap comes into play, and what I’m working on for clients behind the scenes in my latest article on Substack (aka. my creative junk drawer & just for a fun place to explore in 2025).
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