TPE #115: Q4 stress in PPC? Here’s how to manage it

Read time: 3 minutes

GM, Miles here with a special issue of The PPC Edge.

It's Black Friday week: the busiest and most hectic week of the year if you have ecom clients.

Therefore, I’m not sharing an advanced Google Ads tip today like normally.

I want to share something that’s arguably even more important: how to manage stress around Black Friday.

In a week like this, it's important to take good care of yourself so you don't burn out.

But unfortunately, this doesn’t get spoken about nearly enough…

So use these tips to destress, and prevent burnout altogether.

Nothing’s more important than your mental (and physical) health.

Oh, and even if you don’t have ecom clients, this newsletter is still important because working in PPC can be very stressful in general.

Let’s dive right in!

Black Friday week is stressful, here’s what you can do about it.

I have mixed feelings regarding Black Friday week: I love, and I hate it.

I love it because it’s fun to crush performance records.

And I hate it because it can get really stressful:

• Clients are very demanding.
• You’ll have use a lot of brainpower.
• You’ll have to make a lot of last-minute changes.
• Some clients will blame you for bad performance.
• You’ll likely make long days and work on weekends.

Here are 5 things I do to manage stress this week, to make sure I don’t burn out:

1. Focus on (mental) health.
2. Take time off.
3. Seek help on time.
4. Set boundaries.
5. Put everything in perspective: it’s just work.

Hopefully the tips in this newsletter will help you manage the additional stress from this week.

1: Focus on (mental) health.

The best way to deal with work-related stress: focusing on (mental) health and living a healthy lifestyle.

• Eat healthy.
• Sleep well.
• Move and exercise a lot.

That’s how you feel strong and energetic, and are much less sensitive to stressors.

It might feel like you don’t have time to do all of these…

But trust me: by focusing on (mental) wellness, you actually generate the energy you need to operate at the highest level possible.

2: Take time off.

Not taking enough time off from work is the quickest way to burn out.

Do this instead:

2.1: Take frequent walks throughout the day.

Walks are a magical way to get some movement, clear your mind and get mental clarity.

I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice, but trust me — you’ll experience huge benefits from walking frequently throughout the day. Micro breaks are needed to perform at a high level.

2.2: Do something fun after work.

I love to work, but I also understand the importance taking breaks and doing something fun afterwards.

I like to go on long walks/hikes with my girlfriend or play some FIFA or other video games to unwind.

Here’s a pic of when I beat Thomas Eccel with FIFA 25 — sorry Thomas ;-). If anyone wants it just LMK.

It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it’s a fun, relaxing activity you enjoy (either alone or with people you like).

2.3: Take time off after this week.

I don’t normally work on weekends unless I want to, but I make an exception around Black Friday.

Most brands run promotions on Saturday and Sunday too, so I’m constantly analyzing performance, and communicating with my clients to make sure we stay on top of it.

This costs a lot of energy, so I like to take some time off afterwards.

This doesn’t have to be a 2-week vacation.

I like to take 1 or 2 days off to disconnect from the madness. This fully recharges my batteries and I’m ready to rock again as we move towards Christmas.

My advice to you: take 1 or 2 days off to chill, do fun stuff, hang out with people you like, and do something that recharges your energy.

Doing this can be the difference between burning out or not (I know this from my own experience).

3: Seek help on time.

A lot of people feel ashamed about being stressed and don’t want to ask for help.

My advice: seek help on time. Involve your team members/clients to share the workload.

The longer you wait, the more stressful it’s gonna be for you.

Talk to people regularly, not only when it’s too late. Give your manager/boss a headsup when you feel overworked. You’ll do yourself and your company a huge favor.

Seeking help is a sign a strength, not weakness.

I had to learn this the hard way in life.

4: Set boundaries.

People often feel stressed when boundaries get overstepped too often.

Ask yourself: how much are you willing to do for someone, and where is the line?

Use the instant feedback you’re getting from yourself and communicate your boundaries whenever someone crosses them.

Examples where I had to draw a line in the past:

• A client texted me at 2:00 am on Friday evening to fix something.
• Another client wanted me to swap the ads at 8:00 pm on Saturday because they had a last-minute decision to change offer.

I’m always super flexible, but only within the reasonable boundaries I set and communicate with my clients.

I could’ve just done what they asked me when they contacted me, but I pushed them back instead because my boundaries were overstepped.

Only you can decide what your limit is. Be mostly flexible, but firm when needed.

5: Put everything in perspective: it’s just work.

We often make work too big and important, while in reality it’s not.

Be flexible to help your clients the best possible way you can…

And remind yourself that nobody is going to die, even if performance isn’t what you hoped it would be.

Don’t take it too seriously and let work just be work.

Do the best you can — but not at the expense of your (mental) health.

Give it your all this week, and do everything you can to deliver the best possible results for your clients…

But never at the expense of your own mental health.

To recap, here are 5 things you can do to manage stress this week, so you don’t burn out:

1. Focus on (mental) health
2. Take time off
3. Seek help on time
4. Set boundaries
5. Put everything in perspective: it’s just work

Best of luck — I hope you have a fun and exciting week with lots of broken records (without too much stress).

And please, take 1-2 days off after Black Friday to recharge your batteries. I promise you it’ll do wonders.

Speak soon,

Miles (and Bob)