Let’s be honest: digital marketing can (occasionally) feel like you’re running a marathon while juggling flaming bowling balls. But instead of bowling balls, it’s GA4.
Algorithms have the audacity to change overnight, clients want page one results yesterday, and there’s always a new tool, platform, or “urgent” trend to master before you’ve even taken a single sip of your third morning coffee.
Sound familiar? Yeah. We’ve been there too.
At TAL, we love what we do – storytelling, strategy, making brands shine – but what we’re not into is glorifying the grind. The “hustle 24/7” mindset? Nope. Hard pass – especially for me. Because here’s the truth: burnout in digital marketing is real, and pretending it’s not is how good people burn out fast and bright.
So, I’ve made it a point to fight it – loudly, deliberately, and with snacks firmly encouraged. Here’s how.
1. We normalised saying “I’m at capacity”
It sounds small, but this one’s huge. When it comes to my team, I’ve always tried to build a culture where it’s actually okay for people to come to me and say that they’ve got too much on their plate. No guilt. No eye rolls. Just honesty. Because pretending you can do 12 things at once doesn’t make you a hero – it just makes your work worse and your stress higher.
Yes, I’m well aware of the hypocrisy here. Because if I’m not the ‘everything is fine guy’ who sits with his living room on fire, then I don’t appear to thrive.
When someone says, “Hey, I’m at my limit,” we redistribute. Simple as that. (Also, if you’re reading this and your agency makes you feel bad for doing the same – swivel and run.)
2. We encourage taking a real lunch break
Wait, what?! Yes, you heard me right: a real lunch break. Not crisps and chocolate snacked at your desk while answering emails. Not “oh, I’ll just eat this while on a call.” We actually step away, stretch, breathe, and eat without screens.
It sounds minor, but it can be a real game changer. A proper lunch gives your brain a reset and helps you return to work with energy instead of zombie vibes. Plus, we’ve discovered it’s amazing what a short 30-minute break can do for your sanity (and your creativity).
Take your doggo out for a walk, squeeze in a quick yoga break, or heck, do a quick top-up shop or pop in a load of laundry. All I ask is a food-related emoji on your Slack status so I know you’re AFK, and that you’ll be back shortly.
3. We ditched the “always on”
We get it – digital never sleeps. But humans do. So no Slack pings at midnight, no guilt trips for logging off, and no “just a quick check-in” messages on Sundays. If you have the urge to work out of hours or on the weekends – we’ve all been there – just schedule your messages and emails to within normal business hours; that’s not too much to ask!
We trust each other to deliver, and we know that boundaries make the work better. (Crazy concept, right?)
4. We talk about mental health
Not in a “here’s a poster about wellbeing” way. In a real, messy, human way. I schedule monthly one-to-ones with team members where we can talk about absolutely anything you want. Career progress and job performance? Sure! Workload and mental health, and what I can do to help? Absolutely! I’ll talk about your therapy, your stress, about imposter syndrome… And about how everyone hits the wall sometimes.
The more we normalise it, the less scary it feels to say, “I’m struggling.”
5. We celebrate small wins like big ones
Sure, landing a new client is huge. And so is FINALLY landing that highly coveted link in Forbes. But so is finishing that nightmare report, or getting positive feedback from a client who never compliments anyone.
We hype each other up – GIFs, emojis, bad jokes, the works. Because celebrating the little things keeps the big goals from feeling like mountains.
6. We make room for passion projects
Because nothing kills burnout faster than working on things you actually care about. At TAL, we openly allow our team members to explore side projects, experiment with new campaigns, or just tinker with ideas that excite them – even if it’s not client-facing. It may be getting to do that course in leadership and management, or having a last-minute day off because you’ve been invited to do [insert once-in-a-lifetime-side-hustle-opportunity here] at the weekend.
Why? Because creativity isn’t a tap you turn on only during client work. When people can play with ideas that light them up, it fuels everything else they do. Plus, some of our best campaigns have started as “just for fun” experiments.
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It creeps up slowly – in the extra late nights, the skipped lunches, the “I’ll just power through” moments when your to-do list seems just a little too long.
But here’s the good news: it’s completely preventable. With the right culture, real conversations, and a bit of humour, we can do incredible work without losing our spark.
So if you’re a marketer reading this and you’re tired – and I mean really tired – know this: it’s not just you. The work will always be there, and you’re allowed to take a breath.
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Or just pick up the phone and call us, we’re on 03334049888.
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