Running on Empty? 3 Real Ways to Beat ID Burnout and Get Ideas Flowing Again

Burnout in instructional design rarely comes from “too much work” alone. IDs burn out from too many half-starts, endless reviews, and the pressure to be creative on command. 

When your brain’s fried and inspiration runs dry, try these three practices. They’re small, actionable, and repeatable, built to lower the cognitive load and spark better ideas.

Do less, better: run 90-minute “constraint sprints”

When you’re burned out, building an entire course from scratch may sound impossibly hard. Shrink the problem on purpose. A good way to do it is to run a 90-minute “constraint sprint” for a single goal, like creating an outline or planning an assessment structure. Constraints reduce decision fatigue and help you gain creative momentum.

How to run a constraint sprint:

1. Pick one micro-outcome (e.g., “Identify phishing emails” instead of the whole Cybersecurity 101 course).
2. Limit the format and deliverables. For example, create five slides or one scroll page.
3. Use a simple flow. Start with the goal/title, show a quick demo, let learners try it, then point to the next step. Keep it tight with no side tracks.
4. Define “good enough.” Set realistic quality standards (e.g., content is clear and easy to scan, includes one interaction and one knowledge check).
5. Set a hard time limit. Break your 90 minutes (or another period) into segments: 60 min to build the core, 20 min to polish, 10 min to present, etc. When the timer ends, stop.

Constraints force focus and protect energy. You’ll still create value, and you’ll get a clean prototype that invites specific feedback. When you’re burned out, fewer decisions and quick wins lower cognitive load and make the work feel doable again.

Keep learning without feeling overwhelmed 

Learning is a great way to build skills and keep your creative juices flowing, but it can contribute to burnout if you treat it like another big project or chore. 

To avoid this pitfall, you can build a short, achievable learning routine that takes little time but still gives you space for discovering something new in the field and addressing your skill gaps.

Start by naming a specific challenge in your current ID skillset or approach. It can be a problem with creating effective branching scenarios or weak assessments. Once you’ve named the weak spot, focus on learning just that and nothing else.

If you don’t have time to look for high-quality educational materials yourself, use iSpring’s curated lists of resources for instructional designers:

• A roundup of instructional design books. Scan the tables of contents and jump straight to the chapter that fits your gap.
• A list of the best instructional design courses, paid and free. Pick a course or even a single module on the skill you’re fixing today.

Once again, keep it tight. Read one chapter or take one lesson, and apply one change to your live project (one slide, one question, or one branch). Make notes on what improves later. That’s the kind of learning that relieves burnout instead of adding to it.

Build your professional community

Burnout grows in isolation. What helps is creating and expanding a small, deliberate community of expert voices you trust. It could be a couple of L&D pros who share their workflows, a person from a neighboring field like UX writing, one thoughtful ID skeptic — you name it. Follow the people who inspire you, cover hot eLearning trends, and give real tips on course creation you can apply to your routine. 

• Follow and connect with thought leaders on LinkedIn. You can find them through simple role-based search or via large ID communities. Here are some ideas on the top eLearning experts to follow. 

• Join one live Q&A each month. Pick a community session (Learning Guild, TLDC, eLearning Industry, or local meetups). Bring up one real problem you experience as an ID or simply listen to others to take away the best ideas.

• Contribute to articles, post your own insights, and share knowledge. You can become a person who inspires others too! Why not start a little posting routine on your social media and see how your fellow ID might relate to your own experiences (even those of professional burnout). For example, check out iSpring Learning Exchange – a group of digital learning experts and enthusiasts with lively discussions and knowledge-sharing initiatives. 

Why invest your time connecting with peers? Community is a renewable resource — it helps you stay up to date with industry trends, find unexpected inspiration, and just feel that you’re not alone. Overall, it’s a solid way to move out of burnout if you’re already deep in it.

Final word

Maybe you don’t need a sabbatical. What you might need is a new professional routine with small practices and rituals that restore energy and focus on your ID work. 

Give yourself one light week: complete a small task with a 90-minute constraint sprint, pick one topic and learn more about it, then share a micro-update in a niche community. That’s it: make, learn, connect. These three small moves prevent overwhelm and create visible progress. By Friday, you’ll have a working slice, a specific improvement, and a bit of outside energy — the best antidote to burnout.

Anastasia Popova

Anastasia is a marketing writer at iSpring. She follows eLearning trends, explores the best digital learning strategies, and shares her insights on the iSpring Learning Blog.