In a forum a t-shirt quilt maker mentioned she just didn’t feel like making t-shirt quilts. She wasn’t excited and did not have the desire to cut out t-shirts and sew them together.
Burnout-the B word! It happens to us all. Unfortunately most of us are on schedules that we have to keep moving forward or the B word turns from burnout to Behind. Here are some ideas to overcome burnout:
- Switch gears. I also make patchwork quilts and napkins so if I cannot bring myself to look at t-shirts I switch gears. Even though every t-shirt quilt is different it is easy to get in a rut. Have you been putting your own quilting aside to work on customers quilts? Working on your own quilts will sometimes snap you out of burnout.
- Change the scenery. After I finish a huge quilt I HAVE to get out of the shop. A walk around the block or pulling weeds out of the flower bed. They both do the trick of helping me refocus.
- Clean. Give your sewing machines the spa treatment. Organize fabric, thread and shipping supplies. Throw out the scraps of batting that are too small to use.
- Social media. There is always posts to be written or messages you need to reply to.
- Get plenty of rest. Burnout seems to happen to me when I am tired. I have pushed myself to meet deadlines and have neglected sleep.
- Grace. Give yourself a little grace. Just sit on the porch and do nothing. Watch Snapped on tv or listen to podcast. Call a friend and catch up.
Burnout happens to all of us. Join our group to get inspiration on how to manage your business and keep it fun!
