Power through the dreaded Brain Block to be productive again!

Sims 4 burnouts are seriously no joke! They can happen to the most productive of Sims. In fact, they’re extremely likely to happen to productive Sims. Burnouts can stop a Sim in their tracks and make them unable to complete tasks until they’ve had a chance to unwind and relax a little. Just like in real life, our Sims need breaks and a variety of activities to enjoy now, too, in The Sims 4 Growing Together.

Sims 4 Burnouts Warning

Sims who have been hyper focused on either creative activities or mental activities for a long period of time are at risk of experiencing a burnout. You’ll know your Sim is in danger of burning out by their moodlets. If they have a Dazed moodlet from a Mental or Creative Fog, that’s a warning to the player that their Sim needs a break before they experience a full-on burnout.

At this point, there is still time to avoid a burnout. If your Sim is experiencing a Mental Fog, have them do creative activities for a while, instead. If they’re in a Creative Fog, have them focus on some mentally stimulating activities for a bit. You can also just let your Sim take a break from these activities entirely. Send them on a weekend getaway, treat them to a spa day, or just have them do any number of other relaxing activities. If your Sim gets the break they need when they first warn you they’re feeling run down, they can successfully avoid burning out.

But beware! Not heeding this initial warning will result in Sims 4 burnouts! A burned out Sim will struggle with their career performance, promotions, skill gain, and Fun and Energy motive gain. You’ll know your Sim has burned out by an orange notification. It will also show that they’re in the middle of a burnout in their career panel.

Sims who experience Sims 4 burnouts for the first time will get a milestone to reflect this event in their life.

Mental Fog

Sims who spend a lot of time invested in mental tasks will eventually experience a mental burnout if they don’t get breaks now and then. While a Sim is experiencing a mental burnout, they’ll struggle to have Fun, especially when doing mental tasks, their Energy levels will deplete faster, they’ll struggle to improve work performance at work, and they won’t be able to gain promotions. It will be harder for them to build skills, too.

Sims who are in the midst of mental Sims 4 burnouts will recover over time but you can help them recover faster by allowing them to indulge in more creative activities and giving them plenty of down time to relax. Let them unplug from mental pursuits for a while and let them take a break. Your Sim will bounce back to their usual productive selves soon enough.

But if you continue to push your Sim to perform mental tasks while they’re burned out, their condition will worsen. Their burnout will escalate into a full blown Brain Block.

Creative Fog

Sims who spend a lot of their time pursuing creative activities can get burned out, too. If they’ve been doing nothing but creative tasks for too long, eventually, their inspiration will run dry and they’ll lose the will to create. They won’t have Fun doing the creative things they used to love, and their career, skill gain, and Energy will suffer, too. Creatively burned out Sims can’t get promotions, either.

Sims who are experiencing creative Sims 4 burnouts will recover eventually but giving them the opportunity to explore mentally stimulating activities will speed up their recovery significantly. You can also just have them take a step back from everything and just rest and relax for a while. If given more mentally stimulating things to do or given enough time to rest and recuperate, your creative Sims will want to create again.

However, be careful not to push your Sim while having creative Sims 4 burnouts; their burnout could get worse and become a total Brain Block.

Brain Block

If a burned out Sim continues to push themselves without getting a break, their burnout will become a complete and total Brain Block.

A Brain Block is an even worse form of Sims 4 burnouts. It negatively impacts career performance, promotions, Fun gain, Energy gain, and skill gain to an even greater degree. If your Sim has a Brain Block, they are really struggling to function. They desperately need to do different activities and/or relax because they aren’t going to be productive at all in this state.

Conquer Burnouts

The good news is that it’s relatively easy to avoid Sims 4 burnouts! Pay attention to your Sim’s moodlets and when you see that Dazed moodlet from a Creative Fog or a Mental Fog, switch up their activities or give them a break. Your Sim will recover before they ever get to the point of burning out.

If your Sim is already burned out or in a dreaded Brain Block, the same rules apply. Creatively burned out Sims will benefit from mental tasks and mentally burned out Sims will benefit from creative tasks. All burned out Sims will also recover with rest and relaxation, no matter the type of burnout they’re having. It will just take them longer to recover, depending on how bad their burnout has become.

Looking for more ways to challenge yourself with The Sims 4 Growing Together? Why not try playing with our latest Story Starter Kit?