They say that if you love your job, you never work a day in your life. Clearly, the person who made up that phrase has never met a content creator. Being a creator is fun, rewarding, and stimulating in a whole manner of ways, but Coldplay is right. Nobody said it was easy. Creator stress is a serious issue.
To be a creator, you must be a jack of all trades. For instance, as creator Imani Evans puts it, “we’re models, creative directors, editors, social engagers and negotiators.” Creators must also navigate the complexities of various social media platforms, monetization, brand deals, and all kinds of admin.
But now, it’s time to slow down. April is Stress Awareness Month, and it’s time for all you creators to start taking care of yourselves. This year’s Stress Awareness Month theme is #LeadWithLove. That doesn’t just mean being compassionate towards others, but towards ourselves as well.
It’s something we often neglect as we get lost in the grind. But remember: if you want to produce the best work, you have to make sure that you’re your best self. Don’t know where to start? That’s fine — we’ve gathered the insight of various creators to see how they manage stress.
If you’re looking to embrace your inner (and outer) peace, you’ve come to the right place.
How Do Professional Creators Battle Stress?
Nick Nocturne – YouTuber
For Nick Nocturne, who runs the Night Mind YouTube channel, the key to dealing with creator stress is planning. “The easiest way to come down from any situation and ground is to make a plan about what I’m going to do, and to be sure that it excites me and makes sense,” he said.
The YouTuber also said that he likes to meditate on his successes as a creator, adding: “There’s no use in unwinding under stress when a similar situation has been experienced and you did find solutions and things turned out great.”
Suraj Choudry of The Normies – YouTuber
For Suraj Choudry, who is part of a troupe of reaction creators called The Normies, the best stress management is to take a break.
“It could be the gym, videogames, going for a walk, or just listening to music,” he said. “Doing box breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, are some great physical things you can do, especially if you’re right about to go on stage to give a speech or performance.”
Imani Evans – Fashion and Beauty Creator
Echoing Choudry’s sentiments, Imani Evans goes one step further by going completely screen-free. “We’re living in a time where there are screens absolutely everywhere. That’s all fun and dandy until you realise you might be missing so much of the beauty in life,” she says. “To calm my stresses, I love connecting with nature or connecting with myself by journaling or doing something fun and random like painting, even though I’m terrible at it!”
Shira Lazar – Online Personality
Finally, TV and online personality Shira Lazar recommends that creators struggling with stress take it slow. “One of the most important things I’ve learned is to recognize when my emotional regulation is off and give myself permission to slow down,” she said. “That might mean taking a day off, having a quiet morning, or just letting myself feel what’s coming up instead of pushing through.”
“In those moments, it’s important to step back and simplify,” she adds. “What’s the next step—not five steps ahead, but right now? What can I actually control? Moving through stress one step at a time makes it feel less overwhelming, and reminds me that anxiety is usually temporary.”
Nyome Nicholas-Williams – Activist
Similarly, model, creator, and activist Nyome Nicholas-Williams says that being well-organized is paramount. “One of the key ways I deal with this is by building systems that keep me organised—whether that’s time blocking or delegating tasks to my manager when I know my energy is better spent on content creation,” she explained. “It might sound simple, but it has been really effective and is quick to apply to your life.”
