Burnout & Recovery as a Disabled Maker: Lessons, Boundaries, and Honest Rest

I honestly thought I’d dodged burnout this past holiday season. After a completely unhinged Q4 in 2024 where I released over 30 new items, I promised myself I would never do that again. And technically, I didn’t. I “only” released six new things.

What I did do was run a market almost every weekend from mid-October through mid-December. By the end of that, I was fried. Restocking, being on for customers, packing, prepping, and pretending adrenaline counts as energy left me running on fumes.

Here’s the thing about being autistic: sometimes my body is actively waving the white flag, and my brain is like, “This is probably fine.” I blamed the exhaustion on the usual post-holiday slump and assumed I’d bounce back after two weeks off. I did not. January showed up and I felt like I was dragging myself through molasses every day.

The moment it clicked wasn’t dramatic. I was in The Cabin, Ripley’s Patreon-run Zoom space, listening while Ripley was talking with Gemma from @birdseybelizaire. I wasn’t part of the conversation, but hearing what Gemma was saying made me stop and actually look at my own situation. Once I did, the answer was obvious. I was in burnout. I needed more time.

Oddly enough, I didn’t feel guilty about that. I felt relieved. So I did something radical and actually rested. I slept in every day (sorry to The Staff), played video games in the middle of the afternoon, learned how to box braid my hair, and just… existed. I didn’t rush back to work. I didn’t force myself into deadlines that clearly weren’t working. Giving myself the same grace I offer everyone else turned out to be a lesson I didn’t know I needed.

Looking back, there are things I would absolutely change. I should have asked for help sooner, especially with crochet. I should have listened when friends gently pointed out I was doing too much. And for the record, the world did not end because I missed a sticker sheet launch. Shocking. What actually happened was my brain finally got enough rest to be creative again, instead of just running on autopilot.

There are a lot of lies floating around about burnout. That taking a break means you’re lazy. That you’ll magically bounce back in a week. That pushing through is the price of having a business. No. Stop. That’s not discipline, that’s self-destruction with better branding. If you burn out badly enough, your business doesn’t survive because YOU don’t. Recovery takes time. Sometimes days, sometimes weeks, sometimes longer than anyone wants to admit.

I’m still figuring out what my boundaries need to look like going forward, but ignoring burnout isn’t an option anymore. If you’ve found ways to spot it earlier or set better limits, I’d genuinely love to hear them. And if you’re reading this and feeling that same heavy, dragging exhaustion, please pay attention to it. Be honest with yourself and the people around you.

Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

You’re allowed to pause. Your business and your creativity will still be there when you’re ready.