Hi friend,
This week’s Ember is a quiet one. Not the kind that crackles loudly or demands attention; more the steady glow that reminds you there’s still warmth here, even if you’re tired.
Burnout Bingo (A Gentle Check-In)
Burnout Bingo exists for one simple reason: burnout rarely shows up wearing a name tag. It sneaks in disguised as “just one more thing,” chronic brain fog, irritability at tiny inconveniences, or the strange exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix.
Burnout Bingo isn’t about productivity or self-improvement. It’s about recognition. Seeing your experience reflected back at you and realizing, oh… it’s not just me. No winning. No fixing. Just noticing, and giving yourself a little more compassion than usual.
If you’ve already peeked at the board, consider this your permission slip to do so without judgment.
One Tiny Productivity Tip (Burnout-Safe)
When energy is low, stop asking “What should I finish?” Ask instead: “What would make tomorrow easier?”
One email drafted. One surface cleared. One decision removed from Future You’s plate.
Progress doesn’t always look like motion. Sometimes it looks like mercy.
A Note From Me
I want to be honest with you.
I didn’t create Burnout Bingo from a place of mastery; I created it from the middle of it. From that strange liminal space where you’re still functioning, still showing up, but something inside feels… dimmer.
There were days this week when I stared at my screen knowing what I wanted to say, but couldn’t find the door into the words. If that sounds familiar, you’re not behind. You’re human.
If all you do this week is rest a little more honestly, that counts. If all you do is name what’s heavy, that counts. If all you do is keep the ember alive instead of forcing a flame, that absolutely counts.
I’m really glad you’re here.
Warmly (as possible with Fern over top of us),
Katie
P.S. You don’t have to be “better” to be worthy of gentleness. Read that again if you need to.
