Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Dr. Brittnee Fisher
Since 2020, I've been very interested in wellness reads. Specifically, books that will help me stay afloat during these seemingly never-ending trying times. Some of the books I've read have been well-meaning but unhelpful, and some have been truly inspirational. This one falls somewhere in between.
I was attracted to this book because it is about women's stress. Now, I'm not saying that men's stress isn't an important issue. I am saying that I have the impression that women and men may experience stress differently. I want to know how I can help me. The Nagoski sisters, a researcher and a musician, tackle complex notions of women's stress by informing readers about the stress cycle and how it is fed by the "Bikini Industrial Complex." The BIC and other patriarchal systems in place in our society make self-love and compassion more difficult for women and heighten our stress.
Having read Jane Eyre for the first time very recently, I was entertained by their reference to the "madwoman in the attic." This is their illustration of all women's internal stress monitor. The authors recommend that each woman personalize her own stress monitor and work together to manage stress instead of working against it. So, when you've become stressed, don't think, "I'm out of control for feeling this way," think instead, "why am I reacting this way?" Getting to the root of the problem is crucial in rethinking and resolving stress.
I appreciated that the authors provided practical tips for "closing the stress cycle." Most of these ideas are not new or groundbreaking, but I need to read them repeatedly to remember to do them. I have incorporated some of their more out-of-the-box tactics, and dare I say, I'm having a bit of fun with them. Who knew I could easily fit "smashing the patriarchy" into my daily schedule?
Burnout : the secret to unlocking the stress cycle by Emily Nagoski; Amelia Nagoski
ISBN: 9781984818324
Publication Date: 2020-01-07
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "This book is a gift! I've been practicing their strategies, and it's a total game-changer."--Brené Brown, PhD, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dare to Lead This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men--and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life. Burnout. Many women in America have experienced it. What's expected of women and what it's really like to be a woman in today's world are two very different things--and women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between them. How can you "love your body" when every magazine cover has ten diet tips for becoming "your best self"? How do you "lean in" at work when you're already operating at 110 percent and aren't recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a sexist world that is constantly telling you you're too fat, too needy, too noisy, and too selfish? Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, they explain with compassion and optimism what we're up against--and show us how to fight back. In these pages you'll learn * what you can do to complete the biological stress cycle--and return your body to a state of relaxation * how to manage the "monitor" in your brain that regulates the emotion of frustration * how the Bikini Industrial Complex makes it difficult for women to love their bodies--and how to defend yourself against it * why rest, human connection, and befriending your inner critic are keys to recovering and preventing burnout With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in these pages--and will be empowered to create positive change. Emily and Amelia aren't here to preach the broad platitudes of expensive self-care or insist that we strive for the impossible goal of "having it all." Instead, they tell us that we are enough, just as we are--and that wellness, true wellness, is within our reach. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BOOKRIOT "Burnout is the gold standard of self-help books, delivering cutting-edge science with energy, empathy, and wit. The authors know exactly what's going on inside your frazzled brain and body, and exactly what you can do to fix it. . . . Truly life-changing."--Sarah Knight, New York Times bestselling author of Calm the F*ck Down
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