You're scrolling through social media. Someone from high school just got promoted. Another friend is buying their second home. Your cousin just had her third baby. You close the app and stare at the ceiling, thinking: 'I'm so behind.' But here's the truth—you're not behind. You're on your own timeline.

You don't have a motivation problem—you have a permission problem. Motivation culture wants you to believe you're failing because you're not pushing hard enough. But the real issue? You've never given yourself permission to want what you actually want, rest when you need to, or live differently.

People-pleasing, perfectionism, and emotional labor aren't personality traits—they're survival strategies you learned to stay safe and loved. If you're exhausted from performing, that's not failure. It's a sign you're ready for something different: authenticity.

People-pleasing, perfectionism, and emotional labor aren't personality traits—they're survival strategies you learned to stay safe and loved. If you're exhausted from performing, that's not failure. It's a sign you're ready for something different: authenticity.

Burnout isn't a personal failure—it's what happens when capitalism rewards overwork, patriarchy exploits unpaid labor, and systems are designed to extract everything from you. Self-care won't fix this. We need systemic change and collective care.

The myth of the 'good' feminist says you must be perfect—read all the right books, attend every protest, never make mistakes. But perfectionism is a tool of oppression designed to keep us small and burnt out. Real feminism is messy, imperfect, and liberating.

Political stress isn't theoretical—it's a legitimate response to real threats. If you're exhausted from caring, anxious about the future, or feeling crushed by the weight of it all, you're not alone. Here's how to protect your mental health while staying engaged in the fight.

Traditional New Year's resolutions are designed to make you feel inadequate. They reinforce perfectionism, hustle culture, and comparison that keep you striving for impossible standards. This year, try a feminist approach to goal-setting that actually honors your humanity and values.