The Invisible Exhaustion: Understanding Mental Burnout

-

The Invisible Exhaustion: Understanding Mental Burnout

...and How Reading Helped Me Find My Way Back

Burnout doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes, it looks like functioning on autopilot, doing everything you’re supposed to do, but feeling numb the whole time.

For a long time, I didn’t know I was burned out. I just thought I was bad at life, lazy, unmotivated, ungrateful. But I wasn’t lazy. I was exhausted in a way that sleep couldn’t fix.

What helped me start healing wasn’t a big vacation or a dramatic life change. It was sitting down with a book, quietly, gently, privately at a time when everything else felt too loud.

 What Burnout Really Feels Like

  • You wake up tired, no matter how much you sleep

  • You stop looking forward to anything

  • You feel emotionally detached or numb

  • You push through your days just to survive them

  • You feel guilty for resting but too tired to keep going

Reading became a way to slow down my nervous system and reconnect with myself, without the pressure of doing something productive. Some books validated how I felt. Others gave me tools. All of them made me feel less alone.

3 Books That Helped Me Recover from Burnout

Here are three books I deeply recommend if you're feeling burned out or emotionally drained. Each one is gentle, affirming, and healing in its own way.

1. “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” by Emily & Amelia Nagoski

🛍️ Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking The Stress Cycle
This book was a game-changer. It explains why burnout happens—especially in women—and offers real, science-based strategies to complete the “stress cycle.” It’s practical but never overwhelming.

2. “Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” by Katherine May

🛍️ Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

A beautifully written reminder that it’s okay to slow down. This book treats exhaustion not as a failure, but as a natural part of life. It's poetic, reflective, and perfect for reading during quiet moments.

3. “The Mountain Is You” by Brianna Wiest

🛍️ The Mountain Is You
This one helped me confront the deeper emotional patterns that contributed to my burnout—like people-pleasing, perfectionism, and self-sabotage. It’s both compassionate and empowering.

Final Thoughts

If you’re feeling burned out, try turning to books—not as an escape, but as a soft landing place. Let yourself be reminded, page by page, that you are allowed to rest. You are not behind. And healing doesn’t have to be loud to be real.

Take what you need. Leave the rest. And trust that you’re not alone on this path.


If this spoke to you, you’re not alone. I share more honest stories, gentle reminders, and real talk about mental health, self-worth, and finding peace at your own pace.

Follow me for more! let’s grow together, one step at a time.

Location: Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Loved on The Womind Journal

When Love Becomes Control: The Mental Health Toll of a Manipulative Partner

-
Image
When Love Becomes Control: The Mental Health Toll of a Manipulative Partner We all want love that feels safe, love that nurtures, respects, and uplifts. But what happens when love starts to feel like a trap? When words meant to comfort slowly confuse, and affection becomes a tool for control? Many people find themselves in relationships where manipulation is disguised as love. It can be subtle at first—so subtle you might even question if it’s real. But over time, this emotional manipulation can deeply damage your mental health and sense of self. What Is a Manipulative Partner? A manipulative partner isn’t always loud or aggressive. They might be charming in public, attentive in small ways, or even act like a victim to guilt you into staying. But their patterns tell the truth: They twist your words. They make you feel like you’re always wrong. They isolate you from people who care. They gaslight you, denying things they clearly did. They use love as a reward system: ...
Read more

The Silent Weight I Carried: My Journey Working Abroad and Searching for Life at 37

-
Image
The Silent Weight I Carried: My Journey Working Abroad and Searching for Life at 37 This is me talking, at 37 years old.  At 36, I made a big decision, I moved to Canada to work and start a new life. I left my career, my mother, my brother, ash & coco, and everything familiar behind, hoping to build something better, something lasting. Now, I’m here in Canada, still fighting to find life for me . For the past 14 years, I’ve lived a life divided between duty and distance. Working abroad, far away from my daughter, I dedicated myself to building a better future for her. I worked hard. I survived. I sacrificed. I endured. But in the process of showing up for everyone else, I stopped showing up for myself. To many, I’m fortunate. I have a decent job. I own a house. I have food, and security. I’m grateful for everything I’ve achieved. But even gratitude doesn’t cancel out the quiet exhaustion that lives in me. The kind that builds slowly over years of loneliness, responsibility,...
Read more

How Journaling Helped Me Heal

-
Image
How Journaling Helped Me Heal: From Chaos to Clarity There was a time in my life when my mind felt like a storm I couldn’t escape. I was in therapy, trying to understand myself, trying to breathe through the weight of emotions I didn’t yet have the tools to manage. That’s when I started journaling—not because I knew what I was doing, but because I needed somewhere to put all the noise. At first, I wrote down everything. Every negative thought, every fear, every spiral that pulled me under. My journal became the place where I could be brutally honest, messy, and completely unfiltered. I wasn’t writing to be wise or poetic—I was writing to survive. Writing Without Judgment I gave myself permission to put anything on the page. No edits. No shame. Even if the thoughts were dark or irrational, they had to come out. Strangely, the more I wrote, the lighter I began to feel. It was like pulling weeds from a garden—I had to see them clearly before I could understand what needed to be cleare...
Read more

"Am I Asking Too Much?”: A Mother’s Silent Pain and the Moment I Broke

-
Image
“Am I Asking Too Much?”: A Mother’s Silent Pain and the Moment I Broke There was once a mother who raised her daughter all alone. She gave up everything, her dreams, her peace, her joy, to make sure her daughter had everything she needed, and more. She put her own happiness on hold so her daughter could build a better life. Now her daughter is standing on the edge of adulthood. But somewhere along the way, something shifted. All the mother ever asked for in return was something simple. Respect. Not money. Not gifts. Just to be spoken to with kindness. Just to be treated like someone who mattered. But instead of respect, she’s often met with pride. Her daughter refuses to apologize, even when she knows she’s in the wrong. Her words are sharp. Her tone is cold. And it hurts in ways no one can see, because it’s not just disrespect, it’s betrayal. Of all the sacrifices. Of all the sleepless nights. Of all the love. One day, the mother broke. Her daughter spoke to her with su...
Read more

When Words Hurt: The Lasting Impact of Panlalait sa Katawan on Confidence and Mental Health

-
Image
When Words Hurt: The Lasting Impact of Panlalait sa Katawan on Confidence and Mental Health “Ang taba mo na.” “Uy, tumaba ka.” “Dati mas payat ka, anong nangyari?” In many Filipino conversations, comments like these are thrown around casually. They're often meant as jokes or observations, harmless, even affectionate. But for the person on the receiving end, these words can cut deep and leave lasting scars. This is “panlalait sa katawan”  a form of body shaming that may be common in daily life, butis never harmless. Let’s talk about how these seemingly small comments affect confidence, mental health, and our relationship with our bodies. 1. Panlalait sa Katawan and the Normalization of Shame In Filipino culture, teasing is often seen as normal or even caring. But when comments revolve around someone’s body, they do more harm than good. They send the message that: You’re only valuable if you fit certain beauty standards. Gaining weight means something’s wrong with yo...
Read more