I wrote an article a while back sharing the idea of redefining “the cool girl”. The idea actually came from a conversation I had with my management team a while back while we were trying to workshop my personal brand on social media. That sounds a bit egotistical but essentially we were talking about how I could bring together my love for fashion and beauty as well as the personal growth and wellness topics I talk about. After the call, I also thought about the women I find incredibly cool.
Yes, they dress well and have great style, but more importantly they are driven, ambitious women who are deeply invested in their personal growth, their relationships, and making a positive impact in their communities. They prioritize their well-being while pursuing their goals, and they do it all with grace and authenticity.
So to apply our new definition of cool to a topic that I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about, here’s a cool girl’s guide to stress and burnout.
For the modern cool girl, managing stress and burnout isn't about following rigid self-help rules or completely disconnecting from her ambitions. Instead, it's about finding that sweet spot between working towards her goals while still maintaining her sanity (aka what I’m working on currently). Think of it as the art of being both ambitious and mindful—wearing the power suit while having a meditation app on standby if you will.
The cool girl approach to stress management is refreshingly realistic—sometimes it's about the morning yoga session, and other times it's about acknowledging that ordering takeout and watching Netflix is exactly what your mental health needs. It's about understanding that taking care of yourself isn't a sign of weakness, but rather the ultimate power move in building a sustainable, fulfilling life.
Over the years I’ve learned that burnout looks different for different people. There are also different levels to burning out. Just because I haven’t completely crashed out (yet), doesn’t mean I’m not on my way. (I’ve coined that phenomenon “edging burnout”.)
I swear I’ve been edging burnout since 2020 and only JUST got it under control.
Here are some key physical symptoms that might indicate you're heading towards burnout:
Pay special attention if you experience several of these symptoms consistently over time. Your body often signals burnout before your mind fully recognizes it.
There are also emotional signs that can point to an oncoming burnout. Mind, body, soul sounds woo woo sometimes when I say it aloud, but those 3 aspects of your health are deeply intertwined and each tries to communicate with you when something isn’t right.
Some emotional and mental signs that might indicate burnout: