I finished reading Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski this week and I can’t seem to shut up about it. (In fact, I started writing about it earlier this week)
There are some teachers in personal development and happiness who I quote all the time: Gretchen Rubin and Brene’ Brown come up the most. I’m adding the Nagoski sisters to that list.
This science-based book talks about why women experience burnout differently than men and ultimately how to manage stress, feel the feels, and experience joy. And though the audience is clearly and unapologetically women (with a frank discussion on the real enemy: the patriarchy, ugh), I think any human needs to know what is in this book.
The opening chapters about managing our stress and how dealing with your stressor isn’t the same as dealing with your stress was, to me, brand new information. The physiology of completing the stress cycle made so much sense.
This isn’t a book that repeats the same old self-care platitudes. Or if it does, it made me understand them in a different way (exercise, rest, dealing with the mad women in the attic).
“All your body requires of you is that you turn toward it with kindness and compassion, with nonjudgment and plain-vanilla acceptance of all your contradictory emotions, beliefs, and longings.”
This is a book that talks about the dangerous distinction of human givers vs human beings, that talks about diversity and race and privilege, that talks about seeking love and finding connection. This is a book that reminded me to ask for what I need and to ask it of myself.
Read this book. I hope you find it as magical as I did.
With Love,
Natalie