For many creators, the mental challenges are as tough as the technical ones. And the YouTubers who make it aren’t the ones who grind the hardest; it’s the ones who’ve figured out how to keep themselves mentally stable. So, what do successful YouTubers do differently to keep on going without burning out? Let’s break it down.
Before we dive deep into the topic, let us underline that we aren’t psych experts; we are YouTube experts. In all our years of working with YouTubers side by side, we have come to understand the importance of mental health. However, if you feel like YouTube or other things in your life have taken a serious toll on your mental health, it’s better to reach out to professionals who can provide you with relevant care.
With that being said, let us begin.
1. Setting Realistic Expectations
Perfection isn’t the goal of a YouTube career. That’s how you get yourself into a very dangerous zone of ‘soon-to-be a burnout’. While YouTube and its algorithms often promote a ‘more content, more success’ mentality, creators who last on the platform know they must temper their expectations and create at a pace that’s most comfortable for them.
Sometimes, the pressure to upload consistently and daily can feel intense, especially when the algorithm rewards those things. But chasing perfection by constantly comparing yourself to others who seem to be posting every day is a recipe for disaster. You might be a team of one, and those who upload daily might have a whole crew behind them.
You don’t have to post every single day. In fact, be realistic about what you can produce and don’t overextend yourself chasing an unrealistic goal. Instead of pushing yourself to post daily or even weekly if it’s not feasible for you, focus on quality output and consistency over time.
Give yourself a buffer between uploads, and try not to obsess over perfection.
Some YouTubers, like PewDiePie, learned that lesson the hard way.
As CoryxKenshin said in one of his videos:
“You wake up (I get up at around 10), and then start recording. One video (that’s two hours), editing (that’s another two hours), and then you do it again. And that’s about eight hours a day. [...] You just get so behind with life, and it’s hard to catch up if you do this daily.”
Source: CoryxKenshin
2. Setting Up Personal Boundaries
We all know that social media can be toxic. As soon as a YouTuber (or an influencer in general) gains enough followers, the hate comments and trolling start pouring in. It’s inevitable. It’s hard to be a public figure without at least some amount of haters. For many creators, this in itself becomes a constant source of mental strain. And this is why setting boundaries is crucial.
When a person becomes successful enough, many people forget that even behind all the fancy equipment and YouTube personality, there’s still a human on the other side of the screen. So, successful YouTubers like Casey Neistat, Emma Chamberlain, and so many others have started setting boundaries when it comes to their social media. They don’t engage with every comment or tweet (because there are so many of those, and they just can’t go over each and every one daily), and they set limits on just how much of their personal lives they’d show to their audience.
As CinnamonToastKen once said:
“[about his depression] …anything you’re gonna say in the comments, you’re not gonna fix it. If you think you’re gonna go into someone else’s video with them talking about their depression like that, and you think you’re gonna leave a comment to make them feel better, all you’re doing is making yourself feel better.”
All he did was set up a boundary. He shared some of his struggles, but reminded his fans not to give unwarranted advice because, most of the time, it’s not as helpful as some might think.
We know how tempting it is to overshare, make content out of your personal life, and how easy it is to fall into the pit of constant interactions with your fans. However, think of the long-term effects. Clear boundaries between personal time/life and public time/life can be life-saving in some cases. This might mean turning off notifications, using tools to manage comment sections, or even hiring community managers to handle fan interaction.
Start by setting aside specific times each day or week for social media engagement. This can help you disconnect from the constant pull of your phone. If possible, automate or delegate interactions to trusted team members. And if you get non-constructive negative ‘feedback’, don’t engage. Block and move on, or just move on.
Source: Michelle McDaniel
3. Building a Support System
There’s a point in a YouTube career (usually after gaining a substantial amount of followers) when it stops being a solo endeavor. Successful creators usually build teams: a manager, editor, personal assistant, translator, and so on. It helps them stay focused on content creation while also not drowning in necessary administrative tasks.
Start by building a small, reliable team. Don’t feel the need to do everything by yourself, because your mental health and your content will improve if you have someone else look at it from an outside perspective.
If you need help building a team, you can always reach out to us. At AIR Media-Tech, we help creators build sustainable systems that pay off. If you need translations, management, or help with the design, we’ll gladly assist and lessen the load on your shoulders.
It’s also a common thread not only for top creators, but for everyone struggling with mental health, to surround themselves with a strong support system. Creators like Lilly Singh have repeatedly vocalized how important it is to have people they trust around them. It can be team members, yes, but it can also be friends, family members, loved ones, or even other creators.
Having that support helps to ease that mental burden from the creators and allows them to build something healthier. It becomes easier to create when you have someone who always has your back in your corner.
Source: Ad Council
4. Scheduled Breaks
This is where YouTube creators often falter. They get caught in the hustle of pushing themselves to stay ahead of the curve with constant uploads, live streams, and work. Burnout happens quickly when creators don’t take time off to recharge.
As Jacksepticeye said in one of his videos:
“I struggled a lot with my identity. I realized that I’ve been doing YouTube so vigorously for so long that I was starting to get burned out a bit, and I needed to take some more breaks for myself.”
Some of the best creators who’ve been on YouTube for over a decade schedule breaks into their calendar. Markiplier, in particular, has openly talked about how he takes scheduled mental health breaks and vacations. These planned pauses from work give him the space to refresh, which is essential for being on YouTube for a while.
Even if some don’t consider it work, it’s still work. And every person needs a vacation away from the constant grind to stay sane. The mental fatigue of constantly being ‘on’ can destroy both motivation and the spark of creativity. By taking breaks, you can avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed. This also somewhat reduces the pressure to be constantly actively producing or thinking about content. Taking care of yourself is important.
To quote Jacksepticeye again:
“In doing so, in taking breaks, you stop the treadmill that you’ve been on. A lot of people have been watching me because they’ve done it all the time, and when you kind of put a stop to that, they realize that they don’t want to watch this anymore. [...] For me, as a person, I didn’t really know how to deal with any of that. I didn’t know how to take breaks.”
Try to make ‘breaks’ part of your workflow. Plan time off during less busy months, schedule creative retreats, or even step away for a bit from content creation altogether. YouTube will still be there when you return, and you’ll come back stronger, with more fresh ideas, and less burnt out. Don’t let the fear of losing momentum keep you from prioritizing your mental health.
Source: jacksepticeye
5. Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life Balance
This one is often easier said than done. Again, oftentimes, YouTubers have this trap of a mindset that every moment spent away from work is a lost opportunity. But it’s not so. Real life needs to be prioritized just as much as the content you’re putting out there as a creator. Maintaining work-life balance is key to mental wellness.
In one of her videos, JaidenAnimations said something worth thinking about: “If a friend came up to you and said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go run 50 miles and refuse to eat, sleep, or take care of myself until I’m done,’ you’d be like ‘no, you doof, that’s a horrible idea!’”
Concentrating all your life and efforts on content is great in theory, but horrible in practice. Sometimes, just taking a small break away from the computer, or doing something purely for yourself, not for content, can mean all the difference between good balance and burnout.
“I was, and still am, struggling with a mindset of ‘if I’m not working, I’m being lazy, ’ and the fact that I work for myself in my own home and am my own boss doesn’t help at all. Taking a break to play games? Man, but I could be working. Eating dinner? But I could be working. Sleeping? I could be working. Working? But I could be working… HARDER!” shares Jaiden in one of her videos.
It’s okay to take personal time for yourself. If you only eat one thing at a time, say, chocolate, you will get nauseous. Same with working. Sometimes, implementing boundaries around your work hours is a must. Don’t let work invade your personal time. Schedule regular breaks, family time, or hobbies that don’t involve YouTube or social media.
Source: JaidenAnimations
6. Mental Health and Therapy
Perhaps the most important (and positive) shift in the YouTube space has been the growing normalization of serious mental health conversations. Successful creators have been open about their struggles, some big names like Felipe Neto, Jacksepticeye, and many others leading the charge.
In an industry where vulnerability can be a double-edged sword, talking about struggles helps to destigmatize mental health issues, which inspires others to seek help if they need it. Many creators now publicly speak about their therapy sessions, burnouts, and strategies to maintain their sanity.
“I admitted myself to a mental hospital at the age of 21. And I’m so glad I did. [...] And if I hadn’t admitted myself back then, I would not be alive today,” shares illymation in one of her videos.
Mental health conversations and admitting to using therapy can feel hard, sometimes impossible even, but it can not only help you, but also so many others who look up to you.
“Random people online, as well as some fellow creators, were doubtful of my story, and they’ve made their opinions about me very loud and clear. [...] Becoming a YouTuber was supposed to be a time of celebration, but my depression was worse than ever, and I felt so guilty that I wasn’t happy,” illymation continues, sharing the story of her mental struggles.
If you’re struggling mentally, you’re not alone. Seeking therapy, talking to a mentor, or even joining a creator support group can make a significant difference. Mental health should be treated as seriously as physical health, and it’s essential to have a support network to help you through the ups and downs of the YouTube grind.
Source: illymation
The mental stability of YouTubers hinges on how they manage the pressures that come with this high-stakes, high-visibility career. Successful creators focus on balance over hustle and burnout.
In a space that rewards constant content output, it’s easy to forget that sustainability is the true path to success. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how much content you can push out, it’s about how long you can thrive in the game.
