Mindful emotional processing
When awareness lands hard, the next step isn’t always action. It is often sitting with what we’ve seen. Sometimes an awareness activity, like the Two circle check-in I shared before, brings clarity we weren’t quite ready for. If you’ve done the activity, maybe you filled the “Energy out” circle without effort – it spilled onto the page. And the “Energy in” side? Sparse. Uncertain. Maybe even blank.
Two circle check-in: A simple activity for burnout prevention
In this blog post, I share a simple check-in activity that serves as a gentle self-audit. Checking in helps us become more aware of the the impact of our activities on our emotional and physical wellbeing. This is the first step to feeling better.
Burnout: When rest doesn’t feel like enough
I’ve come to understand burnout as not just a “mental health issue,” but a full-body, life-wide disconnection from sustainability and meaning. Here I share 5 strategies to try if you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and in need of a pause.
When you’ve given too much for too long: Naming burnout for what it is
I didn’t recognise it at first.
Burnout doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it sneaks in, disguised as forgetfulness, irritation, or that creeping sense of “I just don’t care anymore.” For me, it was a strange blend of exhaustion and detachment. I was doing all the right things: working in a field I loved, helping people, keeping it together, but inside, I was frayed.
If you’re reading this, you might know that feeling too.
Let the page hold it
Hello and welcome! I’m Annika, an occupational therapist, coach, and someone who knows what it feels like to care deeply, carry too much, and hit a wall. More than once.
This blog is a space for stories; the kind you don’t always get to tell at work, or in the car, or while doing the dishes. Stories of burnout, of breakthroughs, of the quiet victories we rarely celebrate. Stories of learning how to hold space for yourself while holding so much for everyone else.