Why Every Photographer Should Take December Off of Work
Seems crazy, but hear me out. 3 reasons I take the whole month of December off & why I think you should, too. 1. Burn out/lack of inspiration.
Burn out is an official medical condition,(*1) and it could devastate any photographer.
Being in such a creative career path, it is so common to get burnt out, to be uninspired & to dread going to shoots, especially after a busy year. If you don’t give your artistic part of your brain a break to get rested, rejuvenated & reinspired, it will devastate your work & your mental health. (*2)
Clients choose us because they love our work. We need breaks so that we can start the new year ready to create beautiful art for our clients. I would argue that on top of a December break, we need to create a better work/life balance throughout the year, but that’s a topic for another discussion! Burnout is inevitable unless you change something.
"Unlike other professions, the creative field is highly volatile, requiring individuals to consistently produce new, original content, often in response to rapidly changing trends. The need to stay on top of shifting consumer preferences, algorithms, and digital platforms can create a never-ending cycle of pressure. If you couple this with increased screen time, working from home and the fact that some people have creative side hustles, you conclude that burnout is inevitable unless something changes" (*3)2. Stressful turn around times.
If you’re still booking in December, you’ll have clients who want to use those photos in their Christmas cards. They’ll be expecting fast turnaround times & that creates so much added stress to your workload after coming out of an already busy season. Taking December off eliminates all that stress. Your clients already have their photos, so they’re free to print all those beautiful cards without you having to receive messages like “Just checking, are our photos almost done? I want to order my Christmas cards & gifts for my family tonight.” Just reading that sentence stresses me out. Eliminating December, eliminates those stressful messages.
3. Spending time with your family.
We’re not living to work, we work to live. It’s ok to absolutely love your job (I do!), but don’t forget who you’re doing it for. Spend that time with your family, it’s such a gift AND it actually helps combat burnout! So it’s a win/win! (*4, *5)
When you take December off, it creates intentional space & time for the people you love most! Do all the Christmas things! I can already hear you screaming, “but I need the income!” I hear you, so do I! When I’m scheduling my clients for the year, I take into account this break of income and plan accordingly. My June-November are more busy so that I can save for that time off.
Have I convinced you?!
Here are some articles that might help if you still need convincing! Go take some time off for you this year!
https://nesslabs.com/creative-burnout
https://minutes.co/avoid-burnout-the-importance-of-taking-time-off-as-a-creative/
https://www.perfectequilibrium.co/insights/employee-burnout-causes-symptom-solutions
Sources:*1 https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/05/28/burnout-official-medical-diagnosis-says-who/1256229001/) *2 https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs*3 (https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/article/why-creative-burnout-is-on-the-rise-and-how-to-stop-it)*4 https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/feeling-burned-out-how-hobbies-laughter-and-enjoying-community-can-help/2024/02*5 https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/4-reasons-friends-and-family-are-good-for-your-health*Cover Photo by the lovely Empowered Photo https://www.empoweredphoto.com/