
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This book is a gift! I’ve been practicing their strategies, and it’s a total game changer.”—Brené Brown, PhD, author of Dare to Lead
“A primer on how to stop letting the world dictate how you live and what we think of ourselves, Burnout is essential reading [and] . . . excels in its intersectionality.”—Bustle
This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men—and provides a roadmap to minimizing stress, managing emotions, and living more joyfully.
Burnout. You, like most American women, have probably experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to exist as a woman in today’s world are two different things—and we exhaust ourselves trying to close the gap. Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the all-too-familiar cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. They compassionately explain the obstacles and societal pressures we face—and how we can fight back.
You’ll learn
• what you can do to complete the biological stress cycle
• how to manage the “monitor” in your brain that regulates the emotion of frustration
• how the Bikini Industrial Complex makes it difficult for women to love their bodies—and how to defend yourself against it
• why rest, human connection, and befriending your inner critic are keys to recovering from and preventing burnout
With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in Burnout—and will be empowered to create positive change.
A BOOKRIOT BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
From the Publisher






![Sarah Knight says, “[T]he gold standard for self-help books… Truly life-changing.”](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media-library-service-media/f5556df8-7218-4edc-a13a-29b4f46713dd.__CR0,0,300,300_PT0_SX300_V1___.jpg)
![Peggy Orenstein says, “[I]t made me cry with gratitude and relief. The book is that revolutionary.”](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media-library-service-media/36f643da-d472-420b-8200-f8556742ef27.__CR0,0,300,300_PT0_SX300_V1___.jpg)
Publisher : Ballantine Books
Publication date : January 7, 2020
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1984818325
ISBN-13 : 978-1984818324
Item Weight : 8 ounces
Dimensions : 5 x 0.62 x 7.71 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #8,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #12 in General Women’s Health #18 in Stress Management Self-Help #39 in Sociology Reference
Customer Reviews: 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (8,801) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
10 reviews for Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
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Original price was: $17.00.$8.09Current price is: $8.09.


Veronica S. –
Great read!
I really enjoyed the book, it’s interesting, full of science based information and written in a fun way.It shed light on many concepts and ideas that were new to me. One of the most useful was the difference between stress and the stressor, and that you can tackle them separately with different strategies. I always thought that I needed to fix the cause of stress and that would be enough, but knowing the importance of completing the cycle had been a game changer.I also like that there are several practical exercises that can help you move from theory to action, grounding the concepts with what’s going on in your specific case.Thanks to the Nagoski twins for such a needed breath of fresh air.
SBD –
Burnt out? Start here.
This book changed my life. Seriously. First as a burnout clergywoman and then as a clergy coach working with people existing in systems with expectations that have to be adjusted. So, so good! If you’re looking for an accessible read on the science and some very practical ideas, this is where you want to begin.
Amazon Customer –
Best book you’ll read as an adult woman
This book is everything. I’ve recommended it to every woman I’ve come across in my daily life that I think might benefit from reading it (translation: every woman I’ve come across in my daily life). I read it in under a week because it was really enjoyable and I made the time to do so (I was disappointed when it ended!!). I’ve reread it a second time and keep it on my desk as a constant reference and reminder of the topics addressed.The writing is approachable, fun, and relatable. They make the science-y bits easily digestible, the philosophy bits graspable, and the patriarchy (ugh) bits smashable. The topics covered are so universal for women in the 21st century that you really feel like they get it; it’s so nice to have your suspicions about some of your interpersonal interactions and society as a whole validated.This was my first experience of “self-help” book, and I loved it so much that I have read everything else Emily Nagoski has written (Come as You Are is a game changer and her fiction under the pen name Emily Foster is really great). Can’t recommend this book enough to anyone and everyone. It should be required reading for all women entering the workforce or any higher education; and honestly they should make it a requisite for girls to read before receiving their high school diploma or GED equivalency. Start ’em young so they can spot this stuff along the way and learn to deal with their stress before addressing their stressors!
R. Jones –
Makes me angry
I got this book because I keep getting myself into situations where I am doing too much. This book helps me understand why, but it also gets me angry and it’s a little cheesy sometimes. Overall, it’s good, but it’s bit overhyped.What I want is to stop caring and to feel secure enough to stop constantly trying to prove myself.Instead of helping me reflect on my behaviors, this book blames the patriarchy. Yeah, that is part of the problem, but I can’t control that piece.
Nancy –
I’m Grateful I Found This When I Did
I reached a point where I was restless, fatigued, and irritated by little things I would normally be patient about. My stress levels were so high that even my sleep metrics showed I was under constant stress overnight—my body simply wasn’t recovering. I felt like I was in pain all the time, dragging myself out of bed each morning when all I wanted to do was stay under the covers.That’s when it hit me: maybe I was burned out. And, as I usually do when facing a problem, I turned to books for answers. That’s how I found this one, and it truly felt like a blessing.While reading, I realized I had every symptom of burnout. But more importantly, I learned what caused it, how to recognize my triggers, and practical ways to manage my stress. This book didn’t just give me understanding—it gave me tools to both recover and prevent myself from falling into burnout again.I highly recommend it to any woman who feels stressed, exhausted, overwhelmed, desperate, or sad. This book isn’t just helpful; it’s a life changer—maybe even a life saver.
Gigi –
After a promising start, the book becomes extremely dull, repetitive, ideological, and goes off the track in unintended direction. it then keep on complaining about things that have nothing to do with self improvement. This book wil probably not help anyone.
Jackie –
This book spoke directly to me. Recommended reading for women especially, at anytime in one’s life– not only when feeling tired and burntout.
Alyce Blyth –
Easy to read, easy to understand, mind blowing realisations
Maria A Acuna Arreaza –
A real life changer.
Alejandra –
It helps me a lot to understand my self and my current mood. I can put my feeling in real context and accept my self with compassion and love. Thanks for writing this book.