Emotional burnout

[Beawaresweety]

Hi forum!
Long story short, I've been facing an emotional burnout lately which is pretty common in this industry.
That's not a surprise for me because I've been around for 3 years and it would happen anyway.
Sooner or later.

I don't plan to give up on camming in the nearest future. Though, I'm passively looking for other options in the long run.

Finally, I booked an appointment with a psychotherapist (my personal observation: LGBT-friendly therapists are SW-friendly too in most cases). Our first meetup will happen soon enough but I still want to hear from other models.
If you experience/experienced the same, what do/did you do to get on cam when it's really, unbelievably hard?

I assume that it's noticeable for members. If any members are gonna reply, please, tell if you always notice/feel when model doesn't want to be there. And how do you detect it?

I don't want to spread any kind of negativity and I don't want to make people feel bad about me or themselves. I do understand that depressed model isn't the best model to visit and deal with.
But I just can't get my shit together and pretend like there's nothing wrong with me. Though, I actually try to smile and be positive when I get online.
But my attempts are making the whole situation even worse for everyone.
Because it no longer is genuine and because I start feeling absolutely exhausted as soon as I log off, no matter how many hours I've broadcasted today, one or six. That's all on the same level of tiredness.

And I realize that the best solution would be taking a break and sorting my shit out. But hey, we all have to pay our bills. So do I.

So I'd really appreciate a recommendation if you have any.

 

[Rai]

Hi Bea,

I'm sorry you're going through this. I actually do not have a lot of insight to give you as i'm new in the camming world (less than 4 months).

But i understand. I used to feel that way in the first 2 months of camming since there was a lot to take in, to learn, adjust to, a new sleeping routine plus the anxiety that came with all that.

As much sleep i would took it wasn't enough.

In my case though i did that to myself for all the work i took at once in too little time, lots of websites to test out, taking pictures, creating content, updating my social media etc.

It was really too much but things got better once i decided to make a selection and stick to only a few things. I also closed all my social media accounts and kept only one.

I've found a cam girls forum and looked for like minded people to find my own kind of support.

On top of this, what i would do is slowly trying to stick to my new camming routine while taking 2 days off the internet to enjoy my life, the passions i had outside the web, doing a lot of exercise, spend time with my puppers, cook, paint. Basically just disconnect from it all.

Things changed after that.

So maybe you need some pampering, simple things that you enjoy doing outside of the camming where you can unwind and recharge?

I know that usually when the mind is tired, the body has a way of taking charge into helping you to relax.

I'm a hedonist so anything body pleasure wise does wonders.

I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Ivyspencer]

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I can’t say I have suffered from emotional burnout because I am fairly new to the industry but I have experienced similar-ish issues that have affected cam. I’m sure you will find/get far better advice than I can give but I just wanted you to know you’re on your own .

I empathise with what you say about members noticing, this has happened to me twice I think. And both times I felt awful about it. It’s a bit of a cycle I guess. You feel bad, they notice, they feel bad that you feel bad, which makes you feel even worse. But for the most part, they just care. Especially if they’ve been watching you for a while.

I do first and foremost think you need to look after you and trust your gut instinct. But I understand it’s not always that easy, we’ve all got to earn money. Would it be possible to change your shows a little to make them less draining? Maybe have hang outs or Q&A’s depending on what sort of audience you have.

Maybe lay out comfy clothes, a hot water bottle, blanket, bubble bath, whatever makes you feel most comforted when you come offline so you don’t have to think. It’s all there for you. Things like meal planning in advance might help to not make the tiredness any worse.

I’m not too sure what to offer with how to get on cam when it’s really hard. All I can tell you is what I do, which is mentally break my day down. Instead of daunting myself with ‘okay I have to do eight hours or earn however much’ I tell myself, ‘do an hour, I can do it for an hour’. More often than not something in chat distracts my attention so I completely forget about the time and sometimes not. But the concept helps me not feel overwhelmed before I’ve even begun.

I’m sorry if any of this a little off the mark. I really hope you feel better soon x

 

[AudriTwo]

Getting help was the best thing I could ever do. My mental health was effecting my ability to function on cam and causing me to have a bad burnout. I couldn't handle staying online long enough without breaking down.

Sometimes your emotions can be a symptom of another underlying issue. My high anxiety and weight fluctuation was because of a hyperactive thyroid. My weight going down was triggering my bdd hard. It's been about almost a year since I started my medication to get my levels somewhat balanced, and it's been a journey.

Pick up the book thriving in sexwork by Lola Davina. She just released an audiobook version too and it is also available on Kindle. Probably the best help book I have ever purchased that has helped me so much.

 

[EdenUk]

I’m sorry to hear your facing burnout, very common as you said and something I’ve personally experienced.

My burnout lasted pretty long. But here are some helpful suggestions for you.

1. Take time out, a break of a few weeks up to 1 month is needed to rejuvenate. I attempted to not do this at first and I NEEDED it.

2. After much needed step one is done, attempt to make a few changes to make things fun and interesting for YOU again, you having fun is important to not feeling burnout.

3. Learn to work smarter and not harder. Sitting around on a dead shift will increase burnout. Sometimes we have to call it quits some days.

4. If you don’t have a set routine, consistency, regular time off and breaks then you seriously need to change those areas. It’s about maintaining a healthy work life balance.

5. Consider making part of your income passive by selling and creating more content.

6. Meditation helps allot.