No matter what industry you are part of there is a familiar foe waiting to reveal itself…burnout! The common denominator for burned out people is our own inability to take care of ourselves.

If you are actively podcasting then, I’m sure you pour your heart into it. We spend our precious time researching, talking, editing, and listening in the hopes of producing the best content we can for our audiences. That's as it should be!

Yet in the midst of refining your work, you can lose yourself if you're not careful. Your identity suddenly is found in your show. What makes a good day is based on how the show went or how many people listened to the latest episode. Before you know it, burnout causes you to lose sight of yourself and why you are doing the podcast in the first place.

So how do you avoid burnout?

Here is the strategy I use to help me stay refreshed:

Implement Personal Times

Whether your podcast structure is daily, weekly, or seasonal it is imperative to have a scheduled time where you can get away from the grind of life. My wife and I have two children both under the age of four. We both work and have other ventures that vie for our time, but one thing we have implemented and guarded is our times for self-care.

There are three ways that we do this:

1. Daily Refreshment 

This happens for 30 minutes to an hour and involves upfront planning, but it can be done. Whether in the early morning or at night when everyone else is sleeping, take some time to watch a tv show, movie, play a game, read a personal book or exercise, but that time is for your personal well-being.

2. Weekly Refreshment

This happens once a week but for a longer period of time. Give yourself a day where you can spend 2 hours of personal time for self. This time is used to reflect on life, assess your goals, take a walk in the park or whatever else takes you away from the noise of life.

3. Seasonal Refreshments 

This is one of my favorites! Have a pre-planned time away for you or your family. Take time off of work, take time away from podcasting and step back from as much busy work as possible. During this time be intentional about building up relationships with family and friends. Catching up on other things you otherwise would have missed.

I understand this is easier said than done and believe me, I am not 100% effective at this, but the key thing to do is try.

Do what works for you as best as you can.

Thus, I leave you with something that was quoted to me, “Self-care is not selfish.”

Happy podcasting!

Ralph Monroe is the podcaster behind Refined and Refreshed, a show about the LORD and how He refines us, refreshes us, grows us in Him holistically (Spiritually, Mentally, Emotionally and Physically). He focuses on personal development through a Biblical lense.