Posted by Julia | 5 min read
Last month I realized I hadn't genuinely
enjoyed an appointment in weeks. That scared me.
When you start dreading work instead of
looking forward to it, something's wrong. But I kept booking clients anyway
because I needed the money.
Bad idea. Really bad idea.
Burnout in escort work is different from
regular job burnout. You can't just phone it in or have off days. Clients can
tell when you're not into it.
And when you're providing intimate services
while feeling emotionally exhausted, it affects everything. Your safety, your
mental health, your ability to connect with people.
I was going through the motions but notreally present. Clients started noticing. A few asked if I was okay. One
regular seemed disappointed and didn't book again.
That's when I knew I needed a break.
But taking time off in this work means
losing income immediately. No paid vacation days or sick leave. Just no money
coming in.
I was scared to stop working even though I
desperately needed rest. What if clients moved on to other providers? What if I
couldn't get my business back?
Finally my friend Maya basically forced me
to take a week off. "You're gonna crash completely if you don't
rest," she said.
She was right. That week away from work
helped me remember why I'd started doing this in the first place.
The flexibility, the money, the interesting
people I meet. When I'm not burned out, I actually enjoy parts of this job.
But I'd been working too much, saying yes
to too many appointments, not taking care of myself properly.
Coming back after the break felt different.
I was more selective about bookings, raised my rates slightly, and started
scheduling fewer appointments per week.
Better to work less and actually enjoy it
than work constantly and hate every minute.
The financial pressure makes it hard to
recognize burnout until it's really bad. You think you need to maximize income
while you can.
But burned-out providers don't make as much
money anyway. Clients prefer enthusiastic service over quantity of
appointments.
I've learned to watch for warning signs
now. When work starts feeling like drudgery instead of choice, that's time for
a break.
Even if it means less money short-term,
rest prevents the kind of crash that could end your career entirely.
