Book Review: Burnout by Emily Nagoksi, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA
A raw, brutal look at burnout in women's lives.
This book was a doozy. I don't usually make a ton of highlights and annotations, but this book got marked up. This is a book written primarily for women, with a feminist view on experiencing burnout as a woman existing in today's world.
"The moral of the story is: We thrive when we have a positive goal to move toward, not just a negative state we're trying to move away from."
I initially picked this up in 2021 - I don't think I really absorbed this book the first time I sort-of read it? It was during an unusually stressful part of my life (trying to sell a house, living with extended family, etc) and honestly didn't remember much about it. I do remember being stressed out and burnt out at the time, though.
I really liked the section on Rest. It's hard to understate how important rest and sleep is. I honestly don't get enough, and it's no wonder I don't get up with my alarm in the morning. I also really enjoyed the sections on finding meaning and joy, and finding ways to release that tension in the form of exercise (which I'm pretty terrible at tbh).
"The problem is not that women don't try. On the contrary, we're trying all the time, to do all and be all the things everyone demands from us."
I loved this book. It was honest, real, and brutal. I definitely took a lot of notes and am planning to make a few changes to my daily routine to prioritize more sleep, more time to daydream, more space for meaningful pursuits, and more physical activity to release some of the stress I carry from day to day.
Rating: ★★★★.5
Book Summary
- Title: Burnout
- Author: Emily Nagoksi, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA
- Genre: Self-Help, Personal Development, Psychology, Non-Fiction
- Who Should Read It? Ladies struggling with burnout, stress, or exhaustion. This one's for you.
Synopsis: Burnout. You, like most American women, have probably experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to exist as a woman in today’s world are two different things—and we exhaust ourselves trying to close the gap. Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the all-too-familiar cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. They compassionately explain the obstacles and societal pressures we face—and how we can fight back.
You’ll learn:
- what you can do to complete the biological stress cycle
- 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 from and preventing burnout
With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in Burnout—and will be empowered to create positive change.
