One of the things we’ve been making sure to do the last several years is to try to end the year with intention and as much calm energy as is possible during this often-stressful time. As we created our HerStory list, we knew we wanted to showcase a book that we’ve read and found helpful, and we hope you do, too.
Burnout, by twin sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski, is the how-to-move- forward-in-a-difficult-world-with-all-of-the-expectations-of-being-a- person-in-that-world manual we all need. The book’s goal is not only to explain the primary cause of emotional exhaustion, but to provide useful and accessible tools to actually process and deal with it. Stressors are an inescapable part of life, and we think it’s safe to say that we all know that existing within a state of stress for long periods will lead to over- exhaustion and a laundry list of problems. Knowing how to break through those cycles is a coping mechanism most of us could use. The sisters provide accessible information and many different paths toward what is the ultimate goal: completing the stress cycle.
We experience emotions in our brains, yes, but we also experience emotions in our body. Even if we feel that we’ve “dealt” with our stress, if we haven’t found a way to exorcise it physically, it’s still there. And it can express itself through all manner of symptoms, both emotional and physical. This book explains how that stress manifests itself, using real-life examples from mostly women in the author’s lives (including themselves), and then provides different ways to, as they say time and time again, complete those cycles. Y’all really should read or listen to the book, because there are so many light bulb moments, but we’ll share a few of our favorite things that these sisters recommend to complete stress cycles: a good cry; a bit of exercise; a 20-second (or longer) hug with a loved one.
As we brainstormed our colorway for Burnout, of course we considered the inspiration of the book cover. It’s vibrant and fun and bright. But then we thought about the goal of all of us reading this book, and it’s to achieve the opposite of burnout. It’s to achieve something cool and comfortable and soothing. So, we decided to dive into the opposite of what the book cover tells us. We used our giggling technique to softly blend blues and teals and greens and whites into a cool and soothing colorway, perfect for the crafting projects you’ll tackle after you’ve completed a stress cycle.
Books by the Nagoski sisters:
• Come as You Are (Emily Nagoski)
Want more like this? Here are some other authors we suggest you read/listen to:
• Glennon Doyle
• Tarana Burke
• Brene Brown
We hope you have enjoyed this year of the HerStory Book Club as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. We are busy working on our 2023 author list (because we can’t just do a Book Club for one year!), so keep your eyes peeled and make some space on your TBR (to be read) list!