Beating Poshmark Seller Burnout
Business may be booming, but if you're exhausted and overwhelmed, it's hard to feel good about it. Here are few things we're trying to keep burnout at bay during arguably the biggest shopping season of the year.
Have an "Off" Point, and a Transition Activity to Get There
Maybe it's your end of the day trip to the post office, or it's dinner time. Maybe it's an evening yoga class. But choose a set point at which you'll be "done" with Poshmark for the day, and then make it feel real by leaving your work space, changing clothes, etc. You can even fake a commute if you work from completely home by heading out for a quick walk at the end of your day. The point is to get a sense that you've left work behind, and you're reentering personal life mode.
This also works in reverse: I like to put on classical music while I list, so just putting the music primes me to get into "work mode" quicker, while shutting it off helps me transition back out.
Try Active Recovery vs. Vegging During Your Off Time
It sounds counterintuitive, but working a little harder at relaxing can have a bigger mental peace payoff.
If you have a hard time turning off at the end of the day (ie. having your phone pried from your hands), try signing up for a scheduled activity, like a group workout or hobby class. The social pressure is helpful for staying present and staying off the Poshmark app for during your down time (key for truly unwinding). Bonus: paying in advance is a great way to up the odds you'll actually follow through with doing the activity instead of a few more hours of listing (whoops).
Extra points are awarded if you have to change your clothes and/or environment to do your activity. You'll be amazed at how different you feel when you emerge from a different space in gym or Going Outside clothes. Ah, to be a real person again!
Follow the 80/20 Rule
If you're overwhelmed, start looking for things to cut from your workflow that aren't absolutely necessary. Maybe it's omitting thank-you cards from your orders until you catch up on them. Maybe it's settling for listings with condition and measurements info, but no punchy sales copy. Ask yourself which activities generate the most business or best results for you, and prioritize those. Put the rest on the back burner. Which brings us to...
Embrace Mediocrity
This is a bit in the spirit of 80/20, but takes aim specifically at perfectionism. Ever find yourself lint rolling the same item a third time, or refolding an order to get the corners just right? Maybe you take an excessive number of photos just in case, or get stuck in research mode with an item while listing and lose 20 minutes of precious time. I challenge you to ask yourself: what would a mediocre version of what I'm doing right now look like? Then do it.
I think you'll amaze yourself with 1. how much faster you work, 2. how the end result is usually 80-95% as good as your perfectionist results, and 3. how well your "mediocre" result is received by your audience. Convinced you have to get the tissue paper perfectly crisp on an order to earn 5 stars? Challenge that belief and do a perfectly average job of folding the corners instead. You'll feel a lot less stressed, work faster, and you'll probably get your 5 star rating anyway.
And if you don't? Well, better a few 4-start reviews than a pile of terrifying unshipped orders. Done>Perfect.
Finally: Remember: Urgent Does Not Equal Important.
While offers, sales and orders feel super pressing now, opportunities to be present with family and friends are what you'll remember about this time years from now. Don't get so caught up in the flurry of transactions that you forget to live your best, fullest life right now.
What are you doing to stay mentally and emotionally healthy this season? Share your tips below!
Love and magic,
ClosetWitch
Read More:
Cathy Vandewater
Cathy Vandewater