Pokimane explains her biggest fear about taking breaks on Twitch

After thinking about the “intensive” nature of being a streamer, Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys realized that the “fear of falling off” pressures her into streaming sometimes, and she wants to change that. 

Twitch stars like Pokimane are lucky to make a comfortable living doing what they love. However, it still requires a lot of time and commitment, which can take a toll on the individual, especially if they’re feeling burnt out. Poki enjoyed some time off recently. But it got her thinking about the culture of streaming and how intensive it is, as well as her own struggles to find a healthy work-life balance, and she admitted it could lead to some changes.

When talking about what it’s like to take time off, she said, “There is always a little bit of that sentiment of like, should I stream? I’m playing games off-stream, so should I stream that?” And it gets worse when other streamers go live because she wonders if she should take advantage and join them. “It is just so hard to properly enjoy your time off without thinking that you should or could be doing more, especially with streaming,” she added. “It’s the one thing where there are just about no diminishing returns if you can stream 20 hours a day, every single day.” Ludwig ‘Ludwig’ Ahgren’s record-breaking subathon is a testament to that. But while that level of commitment is “good for your channel,” she conceded it’s not good for the streamer. “Is it what you’re going to be happy about on your deathbed years from now? Probably not.”

• Read More: Pokimane warns xQc not to challenge Olympics ban

In the end, Poki concluded that “viewership isn’t the end-all-be-all of a good life” and admitted she and other streamers often fall victim to “fear of falling off” and the “desire for more.” And from now on, she wants to change that, which could mean more breaks.

Poki’s community is known for supporting her through thick and thin. So, if she does end up deciding to change her schedule to improve her work-life balance, they’ll understand. And perhaps other streamers will follow suit, too.

• Read More: Pokimane slams sexist Twitch donator after “sh**ty” comments

In the meantime, it’s still business as usual for Twitch’s most popular female streamer. At least until she makes a further announcement. But don’t be surprised if you start seeing her stream less frequently than usual.