1-1-1: what to do in cases of extreme burnout
read about how I tackled my burnout, a week-long social media detox, and my tips for de-stressing.
june, 2023
edition 20.
if you don’t follow me on Instagram, you’re probably wondering why there was no newsletter last week — to be completely honest, I was burnt out. not just a regular burnout this time, but such an extreme burnout that the only thing I could think to do is just get off social media/the internet for the week. so that’s what I did :’)
I’m writing this newsletter in bed because I’m fighting flu-like symptoms (so even my body asked for rest during this period!) but I’ll be back on IG when this newsletter comes out <3 can’t stay away for long!!
you can expect one email from me every week containing:
one quote that has been inspiring me
one journal prompt
one piece of advice*
* = if you want to submit a question for my upcoming emails, you can find the form here.
podcast
no new podcast episode this week — listen to my old episodes here <3
& please consider supporting me to keep this content free — learn how to subscribe to the podcast here.
one quote
“to do:
slow down often
count your blessings
be kind to your heart
believe in new beginnings”
—unknown
one journal prompt
list all of the things you can do (big and small) to relax.
one piece of advice
“how to REALLY decompress from a draining school year.”
firstly, what a topical question! if you didn’t know, I graduated college mid-may and I’m taking this summer as my first actual break in a long time (before I go and start another 12 months of studies, of course) so I’m learning how to take guilt free rest.
second, here are the things I’ve learned from almost a month of decompressing:
rest is only restful if you let yourself slow down or stop completely. if you’re choosing to rest but still allowing your mind to race a million miles an hour, that isn’t rest
in that same vein, allow the people in your life to help you. for me, the one thing I hate is being useless, so I often volunteer to do the dishes or clean up around the house when I’m supposed to be resting (OR I feel guilty that someone else is doing it instead of me) — that’s not productive or healthy. if someone is volunteering to help and pick up extra slack, say thank you and actually rest with that extra time. drop the guilt!
do things that make your inner child happy
for me, that’s reading. a LOT. going to the library. baking new things. watching tv with my parents. browsing in the shopping mall.
sleep!!!! this is so overlooked but I swear I sleep for 10-12 hours a night during the first week. your body needs to catch up on rest, so let it!
take a break from social media
I truly cannot emphasize the benefits of my break from social media enough. the only form of social media I allowed myself was goodreads, and the mental clarity I got from waking up to check my notifications on… goodreads? was incredible. I wasn’t married to my phone immediately after waking up, nor was I obsessively checking social media throughout the day. sometimes the best way is just to go cold turkey.
if you have the mental capacity, connect with your friends! whether that be friends from school (in my case, college) or friends from home (for me this is high school friends), it’s important not to completely isolate yourself when you’re decompressing. a healthy balance is key!
ultimately I hope you take all of this with a grain of salt. these are techniques and tips that have really helped me during this period, and I encourage you to experiment and continue learning other effective ways to decompress — take what resonates, leave what doesn’t!
reading updates
currently reading: soul boom by rainn wilson
finished in the last two weeks:
a court of mist and fury by sarah j. maas
what money can’t buy by michael j. sandel
tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by gabrielle zevin
how beautiful we were by imbolo mbue
britt-marie was here by fredrik backman
the soulmate equation by christina lauren
the cartographers by peng shepherd
if you want to keep up with my reading throughout the week, this is my goodreads :)
enjoyed this edition?
until we meet again,
katie
❤️🔥🙏