Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski

Should you buy this book? Look down. Do you have breasts? A vagina? Do you identify as female? 

Buy this book.

I wrote earlier about the book and it was amazing from the beginning because from page 1 it's truth bomb after truth bomb with truly feminine/feminist sensibilities. Some of the negative reviews on Amazon center around the dislike of the feminist side of the book but I think that's what makes it stand out. Without understanding how the patriarchy (ugh) influences our lives, we can't live wholly and fully as ourselves.

There's no miracle cure. What there is comes to understanding how our bodies function best and how to bypass the "human giver syndrome" to claim the rest and self care we need to not just survive but to live.

There's just too many thoughts and truths to make a sensible review for me. But reasons I want every woman alive to read this book:

1. It explains how stress works and has no magic bullet to rid your life of stress. Instead it explains how stress works as a cycle so if you can complete the cycle, your mind and body can move on and not keep functioning in stress mode.
2. "Human Giver Syndrome". I've heard it with many names but it's a HUGE part of women's lives. We're caretakers for the world (and our families, friends, co-workers...) We are expected to give as much of ourselves as possible and even when it sickens us or makes us weak we should never be selfish enough to think self-care matters.
3. The madwoman in the attic. I like this phrase. It's an explanation of that voice in your head that says you're not enough, you don't deserve love, bad things happen to you because you deserve them... you know: too fat, too unlovable, too loud. Who is the madwoman in your attic?
4. Rest. We don't get enough sleep. Or rest. (Okay Carolyn, you might not relate to everything in the book.)
5. The game is rigged. It's 100% rigged against women.  

I don't know if I can express how amazing this book is. Really. It just seemed to fit into so much of what I have and still do experience, and overall made me feel seen. And honestly, to have someone tell you that yes, no matter how much you do it will never be enough so why not do as much as you want/can and then go get a manicure and a nap...

If you have the spare $$ get this book. It might not change your life but it will help you feel not quite so alone in it.