Being a webcam model or adult content creator can be an extraordinarily different experience from regular “vanilla” jobs for individuals that struggle with the effects of mental illness because of the freedom that comes with setting your own schedule and working on your own terms. While this freedom is a great perk to working within the independent adult industry; there also comes the down-side of learning to manage your mental struggles in a way that does not negatively impact your brand or cause down time for your brand when you need moments to focus on your mental health. It’s important to utilize the tools at your disposal to ensure you’re making the most out of the freedom that streaming and creating content provides without the negatives that can come with taking time off.

Utilize Queuing Features on Your Websites

If you create adult video content, photos, or audio then it does not require you to be live and in action for the release of this content which means you have the ability to make as much content as you are comfortable with during times when you have the energy to do so. Once you create the content you can then utilize queuing features to schedule your posts on your clip sites and adult fan club sites ahead of time to add some ease to your upcoming schedule. In addition to queuing out content that you’ve created, you can also upcycle your old content with social media promotion to reinvigorate the traffic that it receives. The super awesome thing about video and photo content is that it is always there and never goes away unless you decide to delete it so if you’re having a particularly tough time finding the time to create new content then you can still promote content that has already been posted by queuing advertisements for it.

Give Yourself Time Off

This seems obvious to some people but scheduling time off for yourself is very important and it can be something that is tough for performers that struggle with their mental health because quite often they’ll find themselves thinking “I’m not doing enough” or “I could be making money right now.” If you get into a headspace where you are mentally punishing yourself for taking time off from working then you will create a negative cycle of constantly feeling bad even when you are supposed to be relaxing and taking time to recuperate your body and mind. It’s important to set a standard with yourself regarding the time you will be taking off, whether it’s a certain amount of days per week or setting “business hours” with yourself to push yourself to work during X time slot throughout the day. Being firm with your working hours will help give your mind and body time to relax and recover on the designated off time while also giving you a schedule that you can adjust to over time.

Reflect on the Positives

In an industry that relies heavily on earnings, looks, and recognition; it can be very easy to get wrapped up in thoughts and feelings about your career growth. It’s important to regularly check in with yourself and appreciate the growth that you’ve made within your career. It can be as simple as rewarding yourself for something within your control like sticking to a set amount of hours you want to accomplish or publicly celebrating certain milestones you’ve met. Everyone grows at different speeds and works toward different goals in sex work and it’s important that you take the time to pat yourself on the back for your achievements.

Don’t Become a Victim of Comparison

Within the adult industry there are thousands of performers working in the same spaces and hustling towards similar goals and occasionally you may find yourself struggling with comparing your own growth and success to someone else. It’s totally normal to feel jealousy when you see someone achieving things that you would like to achieve but try to utilize those feelings as motivation and inspiration rather than comparing yourself to that person in a negative way. There is no limit to the things that you can accomplish when you can learn to admire and appreciate someone else’s success rather than harboring negative feelings regarding it.

Utilize Mental Health Resources

If your depression or other mental health difficulties become too hard to manage on your own then it may be worthwhile to take advantage of resources that are available to the adult community. Pineapple Support is an amazing platform that is dedicated to connecting sex workers with adult friendly therapists to provide a safe and comfortable space where performers can be themselves and not worry about discrimination in therapy. They also offer various webinars and groups that allow you to work on your mental health without the commitment of attending therapy.

Use Your Positive Mindset Efficiently

With depression and mental struggles there are ups and downs; if you can learn to efficiently utilize your “up time” by doing things that are productive for your career like queuing, marketing, content creation, and customer retention then you can typically outweigh or even eliminate the effects that the down time may have. There are many models who take days off because they are too depressed or unmotivated to perform but you’d never know they aren’t around because of how efficiently they’ve queued out content and marketing posts. Use your energy and up time to set yourself up for the future. The up time in your mood can also be a good time to get on webcam and find new customers because your happiness and the vibe you bring to your cam room can have a big impact on customer conversions.

Lean into the Community

Many people struggle with mental health whether they are performers or fans and feeling like you have to hide your mental health struggles can do more harm than good when it makes you take extended absences without saying anything. Don’t be scared to be honest about your mental health within your community; privately with your friends or even on social media. There are plenty of people who understand what you are going through and will provide supporting words to you if you are struggling and being honest about your feelings can also help your customers understand why you may be less active than usual. While in a perfect world nobody would experience depression; it unfortunately happens and oftentimes we have to work through it but it doesn’t mean you have to pretend it isn’t there.

Pour Love into Yourself

Never forget to appreciate yourself and all of the amazing things that you have accomplished. Make sure you take some moments every day to acknowledge your efforts and reward yourself for what you manage to get done. Loving yourself and taking time to appreciate who you are, how hard you’ve worked, and where you plan to go will put you in a more positive headspace to approach your work.