How To Overcome Mental Exhaustion As A Content Creator

“I often find myself feeling drained and tired–Physically, mentally, emotionally…Life seems to be more and more exhausting and I can’t seem to shake it off.”

You’re not alone my friend.

While having the good fortune of living in this day and age of entrepreneurship and the powerful tool of the internet, we also have seemed to have painted ourselves in a corner mentally.

I’ve seen it in myself and other content creators.

On the outside, your life may look put together, but on the inside, you may feel slightly empty.

A little depressed even.

The never ending hustle culture the creator economy often portrays is draining for all of us, yet we continue the cycle trying to keep up with everyone else.

And to numb ourselves to the stress we are feeling, we turn to binge watching and endless scrolling to distract ourselves from the reality we find ourselves in.

You see the problem?

Instead of “filling up our cup” in our downtime, we more often than not drain ourselves mentally by consuming someone else’s life on camera.

If I were to ask you what percentage of your daily life is spent in front of a screen or paired to headphones, what would you say?

When was the last time you intentionally disconnected yourself and truly felt present in the moment–In your reality?

Some things I enjoy doing to clear my mind and fill my cup is:

• Going for a walk (in nature if possible)

• Going out to lunch with a good friend or family member

• Meditating and focusing on my breath

• Physically removing myself from the situation and reminding myself to enjoy the journey

• Snuggling/spending time with my kids

• Trying new date activities with my wife

• Spontaneously serving someone

What do all of these things have in common?

I’m either spending time connecting with another human being in-person, or I’m removing myself from the “noise” and pressure of the world.

So yes, life is hard and draining at times and that’s sometimes just how it is.

But instead of reacting to everything that is thrown at you, be intentional about setting aside time to “fill up your cup”.

When we intentionally choose to be present in the moment, we’ll have greater clarity to see others who may need our help as well.

We’re in this together👊🏻

-Landon

PS - Joey Schweitzer’s video was the inspiration behind this week’s topic. You can check out the full YouTube video HERE.

YouTube Channel Film Riot released their review on Nikon’s Z8 camera this last week, while also admitting they’ve never once reviewed a Nikon camera on their channel before.

With Nikon’s recent acquisition of RED, will we continue to see Nikon become more favorable in the eyes of content creators?

With the Z8’s compact yet powerful build, boasting the same processor and full-frame sensor as its pricier counterpart, (the Z9) you can’t help but be impressed with it's ability to shoot internal 8K 12-bit RAW at up to 60 frames per second.

With a plethora of codec options, including ProRes and H.265, coupled with impressive image stabilization and autofocus capabilities, the Nikon Z8 proves to be a versatile tool for content creators of all levels.

You can check out the full review HERE.

CREATOR SPOTLIGHT

From Street Magician To Six-Figure Filmmakers

The story of Stanley & Allie

We're Stanley & Allie, both born & raised in Brooklyn, NY. I'm 22 (Stanley) and Allie is 23. We both discovered filmmaking much later in our lives and did not grow up doing any sort of camera work. Originally we got our first camera right before Covid hit to have Allie film me performing street magic in the streets of NYC for YouTube.

Then NYC became a ghost town during covid. I started learning my way around a camera from YouTube and learned to take pictures and videos and started making YouTube videos from home. At one point I was buying so much gear and Allie gave me an intervention and told me that I'm not making any money at all from this and shouldn't be spending so much on all of it. I started looking into how to make money with a camera and would get ads from Full Time Filmmaker. I told my grandma about it and she offered to pay for it.

Fast forward to watching and implementing everything from the course into real life in 2021, I would go from booking free birthday parties, to second shooting weddings to eventually lead shooting for other companies. I would bring Allie along to second shoot and teach her the ropes. Then we started booking our own weddings in 2022. Since starting our official wedding film brand we have been making 6 figures every year the past 2 years. Mid 2023 we rebranded as a wedding film & photo company. 

Also at the end of 2022, I was going through a funk, and rewatched the entire course. And a part where Parker mentioned you can't be wealthy without putting health first really made a big impact on me. Ever since I have been living a healthier lifestyle and lost 50 pounds since!

What advice would you give to someone getting started?

Advice I would give someone getting started in filmmaking is to really invest in your education in filmmaking AND business skills. Yes, you can find stuff for free on YouTube, but you're essentially paying down a time tax where you don't have to have as much experience and search for everything. You can find the skills that need to be learned from people who have experienced it and just get where you want to get that much faster.

Check out Stanley and Allie’s website HERE and their Instagram HERE.