Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking The Stress Cycle

By Emily Nagoski, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA. Ballatine Books, 2019.

The tagline for this book is that it's for "anyone who has felt overwhelmed and exhausted by everything she has to do, and yet still worried she was not doing enough." Much like the people this book is written for, this book is doing a *lot*, especially considering its length. Clocking in at 232 pages, it explores the gender-based and systemic factors that create the perfect storm for burnout that is twenty-first century living, looking at the external and internal factors that contribute to people being unable to experience and process their emotions, and then walks through strategies to help people move past those blocks. I say people, but the book is fairly explicitly addressed to women, as many of the systemic factors that are explored are examined through the lens of how they impact women, other gender minorities, and people of colour. All in 232 pages!

Because of how much ground this book is covering, it can feel a bit dense at times, but it is extremely applicable and actionable guidance. If some of the ideas feel a bit hard to pin down on first reading, sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski created a podcast, the Feminist Survival Project 2020 which explains all the concepts in the book. It has a "sitting at the kitchen table with two wise and wise-cracking sisters" feeling, which I highly recommend. Though, as a content note, as the title suggests, it was created in 2020, so Covid is pretty explicitly discussed in some episodes (and not mentioned at all in others). I mention that because some people have strong and unprocessed feelings about the pandemic, and I want you to go in with all the information. Episodes where Covid is discussed are flagged, so you can skip around and consume what feels safe for you.

Find out more about the book (and its accompanying workbook!) here.