🍞 PART 1: Burnt Toast Feelings – Butter’s Been Cooked

Friends, I’m tired. Like, existentially, cosmically, deep-in-my-marrow tired. In the last 24 hours, I’ve ping-ponged across cities like I’m on a world tour (without the private jet or the fan base), wrapped up a week that felt like three rolled into one, and to top it off—guess who didn’t get to take a single day off?

Yep. Butter, served hot and overwhelmed.

I wanted to ghost everyone, including myself. But that’s not an option—I’ve got work, bills, a brain that won’t quit spinning, and zero clones (tragic, I know). So instead of collapsing into a dramatic heap (tempting), I decided to do something wild: manage my burnout without torching my life or quitting everything.

Here’s what’s working for me so far, and I pinky promise these are all backed by science and Butter-approved.

🧈 PART 2: Buttering the Burn – Real Stuff That’s Actually Helping

1. Micropause Like Your Life Depends on It
   ✨ Science says: Short breaks (even 1–5 minutes) reduce cortisol, help regulate breathing and heart rate, and improve concentration.
   🧠 Butter says: I literally set a timer and stare at a tree. Or my tea. Or a wall. Whatever. Just five minutes of not doing. It’s like a CTRL+ALT+DEL for your brain.
2. Body Before Brain, Always
   ✨ Science says: Physical exhaustion fuels mental burnout. 15–20 minutes of low-impact movement (yoga, stretching, a walk that’s less doom and more stroll) boosts endorphins.
   🧠 Butter says: I now treat stretching like brushing my teeth—non-negotiable. It’s also the only time I remember I have hamstrings.
3. The “No-List”
   ✨ Science says: Cognitive overload = burnout. Writing down things you won’t do helps prioritize and reduce decision fatigue.
   🧠 Butter says: My no-list has gems like “No emails after 8pm,” “No skipping meals,” and “No being nice to calendar invites I hate.” I need boundaries more than I need caffeine (and I really need caffeine).
4. Zoom Out to Zoom In
   ✨ Science says: Journaling or even a 1-sentence reflection daily helps reduce burnout by reframing stress and reactivating purpose.
   🧠 Butter says: I ask myself one thing every night: “What made today suck less?” It helps me see the flickers of joy—even if it was just a perfect egg or a good meme.
5. Lean on Your Loaf (a.k.a. People)
   ✨ Science says: Social connection combats burnout and boosts oxytocin (your stress-busting hormone friend).
   🧠 Butter says: I’ve started texting one friend a day just to say something random like “Remember when we thought adulthood would be fun?” It reminds me I’m not doing this solo. Neither are you.

🍯 PART 3: Toast Isn’t a Failure – It’s a Reminder

Here’s the wild truth I had to swallow: burnout isn’t proof that I’m weak or broken. It’s proof that I’ve been trying—maybe a little too hard, maybe without enough support, but always with heart.

I can’t promise I won’t hit the edge again, but I can promise I’ll keep choosing to pause, to breathe, to ask for help, and to stop glamorizing being a human pressure cooker.

If you’re reading this with tired eyes and an even more tired soul, I hope you do something gentle today—drink water like it’s magic, tell someone how you feel, and sit still for one full, glorious minute. You’re not behind. You’re just a little crispy. Like me.

💬 Tell me, friend—what’s your go-to burnout balm? Let’s build our own recipe for restoration, one tired toast at a time.