Podcast Ep 423 - You Don’t Have a Burnout Problem. You Have a Trust Problem

Why It's So Hard to Take Time Off as a Photographer

Have you ever planned to take a day off, only to spend the entire day thinking about work?

Maybe you promised yourself you wouldn't open your laptop. Then you checked one email. That led to another. Before you knew it, your "day off" looked just like any other workday.

Or maybe you stayed away from your computer, but your mind never stopped working. You kept thinking about the clients you needed to reply to, the gallery waiting to be delivered, or the growing to-do list you'd have to face tomorrow.

If you've ever experienced that, you're not alone.

In the first episode of Heather's new coaching series, she sits down with photographer Dave Mayes to help him work through a challenge that many photographers quietly struggle with: taking time off without feeling guilty. What begins as a conversation about work-life balance quickly uncovers something much deeper. 

Dave Mayes is the owner of Instinct Pet Photography in Australia. You can view his incredible work here:
https://instinctpetphoto.com/

Dave explains that the busier his business becomes, the harder it is to step away. Even when he intentionally schedules a day off, his mind convinces him that he should answer one more email, check one more message, or get just a little more work done. It isn't because he doesn't enjoy photography. It's because he genuinely cares about serving his clients well.

At first glance, it sounds like a time management problem.
But Heather helps him realize that it isn't.
The real issue is trust.
That shift changes everything.

Heather asks a simple but powerful question: What does being "off" actually mean?

It's something many of us have never defined. We say we want better balance, but we don't create boundaries that make balance possible. Without a clear definition, our brain fills in the gaps and convinces us that checking one email won't hurt. Then one email becomes five, and suddenly we're back at work.

For Dave, being off meant putting away every electronic device and allowing himself to be fully present with his wife, a book, or whatever he chose to do that day. But even after removing the devices, the work thoughts didn't disappear.

That's because the laptop wasn't the problem.
The thoughts were.

Heather points out that every time Dave worries about falling behind, he's really saying something else:
"I don't trust myself to handle tomorrow."

That's a hard truth, but it's one many business owners can relate to.

How often do we believe our business will fall apart if we aren't constantly available?
How often do we feel responsible for replying immediately because we're afraid of disappointing someone?
The truth is, most of those fears never become reality.

One of the most refreshing moments in the conversation comes when Heather says, "There's no such thing as a photography emergency." It's a gentle reminder that while we care deeply about our clients, we're not performing emergency surgery. Most emails can wait a few hours. Most decisions can wait until tomorrow. And the people we serve are usually far more understanding than we imagine.

That doesn't mean lowering your standards.

It means creating healthy expectations.

Many photographers have clear systems for delivering galleries, scheduling sessions, and communicating timelines. But very few have boundaries around when they're available or how quickly they need to respond. Without those boundaries, work slowly expands into every free moment.

Heather encourages Dave to create two simple protocols.
The first is a physical one: when you're off, you're truly off. No emails. No laptop. No checking messages.
The second is a mental one. When your brain tells you that you should "just quickly" check something, you don't have to obey it. You can acknowledge the thought, thank your brain for trying to protect you, and remind yourself that you've chosen this time off for a reason.

It's such a simple idea, but it's one that can completely change the way you experience your business.

Because real rest isn't just about stepping away from work.
It's about trusting that your business will still be there when you come back.

If you're always thinking about work, always checking your phone, and always feeling like you're one missed email away from disappointing someone, it may be worth asking yourself the same question Heather asked Dave:
"What am I afraid will happen if I stop?"

Sometimes the answer isn't about your clients at all.
Sometimes it's about the story you've been telling yourself.

The beautiful thing about coaching is that it often reveals the real problem hiding underneath the obvious one. Dave thought he needed help learning how to take a day off.

What he really needed was permission to trust himself.

And maybe that's exactly what you need, too.
Because building a successful photography business isn't just about learning how to work hard.

It's also about learning when it's okay to stop.

When you trust yourself, trust your clients, and trust the business you've built, taking time off no longer feels irresponsible.

It becomes part of what allows you to keep showing up at your best.