#Burnout

[dreamtigress]

Oof. Friendos... you have. You have absolutely worked hard enough. As someone who is still struggling with the burnout cycle, you absolutely have worked hard enough. Rest. Recover. You need it. Moreover, you deserve it.

see the THING IS I don't feel like I ever worked hard enough to have "earned" the burnout, which is. probably how we got here.

[imrisah]

You know how people say "draw every day, train your body to miss it".

Used to be a big believer of that and felt like shit because I was completely unable to stick to it for more than a few days in a row (ADD orz). It ate away at my confidence and made me feel like I was a fraud.

Now that I've gone through a massive burnout lasting about 4 years, and as a professional artist, I can tell you that the only way to get out of it for me was to unlearn that shit.

So here's my honest, hard-earned take:

(disclaimer: this applies to people that can afford to take breaks from doing art. If you're a professional artist or going to art school and you're burnt out from that, I feel for you and I don't have good advice, I'm sorry. I hope it gets better soon ❤️)

If you have the personality to stick to it, if you get joy from the consistency, if you FEEL GOOD doing it, then it's the right approach for you. Have at it, go nuts.

Although if you feel like shit at the idea of sticking to something like Inktober, or doing anything for more than 2 days in a row makes you start questioning if it's even worth it

Listen to me.

Stop doing it.

It's ok to stop doing it.

Instead find a subject that you're passionate about ( a fandom, a medium, a type of subject) and every time you feel possessed by that sweet sweet art itch, just do it as much as you possibly can. Cram as much art as you want into a short amount of time and then MOVE ON.

Accept that your brain is satisfied and move on.

If you love it will come back, I promise you.

Now that I feel better and I know how to listen to myself to check what I feel like doing, I have these incredible art sprees that can last any amount of days/weeks/months. It's so much fucking fun guys.

And here's the kicker:

If I let it stew and come up to a boil until I know I will have fun doing it, I find out a lot of the times that sitting on it and just thinking about it made me learn anyway.

Coming back to a medium after months of not having touched it? All the useless info is gone, only the important stuff stuck in my brain. Which means it's a lot less involved to get started and just do things. Less expectations, more fun.

You might not learn at the same pace as someone that does it every day, but you need to be kind to yourself and learn what you can do without breaking.

[churino]

Synthetic sweethearts

[sombernights26]

sometimes all they want, is refuge from the darkness. and ares, he doesn’t know he needs it more than ever until it hits. kid has no understanding of mental health

Refuge.

[smokinghorse]

Burnout is a jockey and he's riding me to death.

[animentality]

[thepeacefulgarden]

[m0thmancore]

yknow it really bothers me that 95% of conversations i've seen about gifted kid burnout are neurotypicals talking about "oh these kids are upset they don't get to feel special anymore"

as opposed to "yeah these kids have severe self-esteem issues because the only thing they were ever praised for as children was how smart they are and how quickly they learn and now they can't do things if they don't know how to do it immediately because they're terrified of failure because their love always felt so conditional on their performance even if it wasn't"

[hithisiszooz]

some ember and her bandmates art :>

[drsteggy]

I was probably a little crispy right before the pandemic but that period between 2020-2022 really put a brick on the accelerator for me. It was awful

I got shingles in the summer of 2021 and I got it so bad I was out of work for 3 months and working limited hours for like another 3. I am very, very lucky that I am in a position in my life where I could semi retire.

Even cutting back it took a solid six months to start to feel like a person again and probably another two years to get back to a baseline I consider normal.

I have been compromised for like a quarter century because I put something ahead of myself and I’m fortunate to still be here on the other side. And taking care of yourself has gotten exponentially more difficult.

Take time for you, even if it’s just a minute. You need rest, you need joy, you need friends. The world will still be here doing its bullshit while you recharge.

Something I made while dealing with my own stuff and hoping drawing this would pick me up somehow. Maybe it worked.

FT my cat. His name is Mischief

[snowballseal]

Sleepy Affection

Sylus X Reader

Summary: You're tired. Sylus is the best cuddle partner. Lots of soft love here. That's it.

Word Count: 1061

Note: Self indulgent really, I have a hard time with burnout and sleeping in general, but I know cuddling with this man would solve all of that. Sorry if I overused adjectives.

---

Days as a hunter are long. It’s a part of the job, always being alert, always willing to help when the need arises. And you love it. You love being awake before the sun rises, and the exhaustion in your limbs as you walk home. It satisfies the restlessness in your bones.

But still, it’s hard to not hit burnout eventually.

You can feel it weighing down your body as you step out of headquarters. The sun is just rising over Linkon, and you narrow your eyes up at the sky. Of course you worked through the night. It was that or let your paperwork drag into your weekend. Maybe not the best decision. You sigh, rolling your shoulders. Every muscle in your body aches for sleep.

You don’t want to go home, though. It would be too quiet, too empty. If anything, you would probably end up staring at your ceiling, impossibly restless despite how tired you are. And that sounds absolutely awful.

Before you can think too hard about it, your feet are carrying you towards the transit center. To the one place where you feel safe, despite all the reasons you shouldn’t.

---

The N109 Zone is strangely quiet in the early morning gloom. The streets are nearly empty, the only sound coming from the electric buzz of the overhead wires and the snuffling of a stray dog on the corner. For a fleeting moment, you wonder if being a criminal makes you allergic to the day. Or maybe they’re all vampires. An amused hum dances past your lips at the thought. Perhaps they’re not after the aether core in your heart, but your blood.

One man seems to be at least.

By the time you reach Sylus’ place, it feels like you're walking through a light fog. Or stepping into a dream. The home greets you with a pleasant warmth that eases the tension in your muscles. Music drifts through the halls, distant and fuzzy with that old quality that vinyl has. Like a siren song, it draws you deeper into the dark comfort of the manor.

Right to your sleeping dragon.

Even while he’s sleeping, Sylus looks…dignified. Ethereal even. The soft light peaking through his curtains casts a glow on his features, dancing across his white lashes, making them almost look like snowflakes. Your eyes trail over the relaxed line of his jaw, the contours of his chest and shoulders. He lies so still, you could almost believe he’s a statue, if not for the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He just looks so…perfect.

It’s hard to believe that this is Onychinus’ feared leader. 

Toeing off your boots, you tread carefully to the edge of the bed. The mattress dips under your weight, the sheets soft and silky under your fingers. Sylus lets out a low sigh at the movement, red eyes flickering open ever so slightly before falling back shut. Without a word, he shifts and lifts the sheets for you to crawl in next to him.

His warmth draws you in, just like his wispy, old music. You can’t resist it, not that you want to. It’s all the invitation you need to tuck yourself as close as possible, like an exhausted little kitten looking for a safe place to sleep. Sylus immediately draws your leg over his hip, long fingers kneading lazily at your thigh. Every part of you presses against his addicting warmth, drawing a content hum from your lips, completely pliant under his touch. He could do anything to you right now and you wouldn’t complain. But there’s an almost reverent feeling to the way he holds you, the way he traces shapes along your skin and presses gingerly into your wound up muscles.

It’s a rare moment of pure gentleness. No teasing quips. No haughty smirk. Just you and Sylus, the air between you thick with something so incredibly tender. You stay like that for what feels like forever, time lost to soft touches and quiet sighs. Neither of you are willing to break whatever spell has fallen over the room. 

Soon enough, though, the weight of your eyelids becomes too difficult to fight. You tuck your face into the curve of his throat, the scent of his cologne washing over your senses. It’s spicy and warm, like worn leather and rum, just so perfectly Sylus.

You wish you could stay like this forever, floating pleasantly on the edge of sleep with him. Just with him. An indescribable fondness curls somewhere deep in your chest.

“I missed you,” you admit into the crook of his neck, your voice thick with sleep and something vulnerable.

“Mmmm, I was wondering why you crawled into my bed in the middle of the morning.” 

He wasn’t, really. You both feel it whenever you can’t see each other for too long. It’s like the worst feeling of homesickness. He won’t admit to it, but you can feel it in the way his arms curl possessively around your waist, like he never wants to let you go. You slide a hand up to his chest, savoring the warmth of his skin, the steady thrum of his heart under your palm. You’ve missed this. Sylus shivers at your teasing touch, those red eyes finally flickering open again to look down at you, half-lidded and unfocused. You hold his gaze, trying to memorize every detail, every fleck of color, the dark gleam of fondness in their depths, matching your own. This is the real Sylus. Gentle and kind, passion burning just below the surface. The one only you get to see. And you love him more than you’ll ever be able to explain.

You curl your arms around his narrow waist, forehead pressing against his chest, “Is it okay that I came?”

You already know the answer. Still, Sylus humors you.

“I would have it no other way,” he rumbles lowly, lips brushing against your hair. “Now rest, sweetheart, I can tell how tired you are. We can talk in the evening.”

You hum, eyes finally falling shut, “Promise?”

“I promise.”

And just like that, you find it impossible to stay awake any longer, lulled by his words and the sound of his breathing. Every nerve, every worry, washes away, leaving you to fall into the darkness you’ve been craving, dreaming of the weekend you can spend together.

---

Honestly took so long to write. I wanted to moment to feel soft and more drawn out, don't know if it worked. But I hope y'all liked it :)

[baskeigh-ball]

That’s probably fine.

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[itsaspectrumcomic]

It's OK to rest

[liberaljane]

Are you heading for a burnout without even realizing it? For neurodivergent folks, the warning signs of burnout may look different and be harder to recongize. 

Neurodivergent or not, we all need to understand our limits and boundaries. When you’re neurodivergent, you may not know you pushed yourself too far - until it’s too late!

Need help with some of the terms in this post?

😎 “Masking” or “Camouflaging": a coping strategy that many neurodivergent people use to suppress aspects of themselves to appear neurotypical. It’s important to note that social masking is a tool many neurospicy folks use to keep themselves safe, and usually starts in childhood. 🥄 “Spoons” refers to Spoon Theory, which is a metaphor describing the amount of physical or mental energy that a person has for daily activities and tasks. It is a helpful tool for disabled and neurodivergent folks to describe their energy. 👋 “Stim” short for "self-stimulation" is a term used to describe repetitive behaviors or movements that people may engage in to help cope with emotions. It may include rocking, flapping hands or twirling. 

If any of this resonates with you, try letting the “mask” slip a little! 

[cupcakeshakesnake]

Stay