Toasted by the Pandemic Blues?

When life gives you lemons. And then adds vinegar.

Jul 09, 2021

Dear friends,

I’m definitely feeling the effects of Pandemic Burnout as Malaysia plods through yet another lockdown. I’ve lost count of how many we’ve endured. With the Malaysian government’s fondness for indecipherable acronyms (MCOS, FMCOS, EMCOs) my fatigued brain just can’t keep up.

On top of this, I recently received difficult news regarding a loved one; it’s one of those moments where your life is split into “before the news” and “after the news”.

On the day I got the news, I was like, “Really, 2021? Like you don’t suck enough already?”

Then the cold, wearying weight of grief/acceptance settled in.

I’m longing for an end to the four walls. Unsplash pic.

It has driven home to me how precious, precious and precarious life is, and how quickly things can go south. It is important to bear in mind that minimalism principles and good personal finance habits can help mitigate some of that pain, but it will never eliminate it entirely.

To safeguard my mental health, I’ve been very careful about my information diet; I’m cutting my news consumption and avoiding the anger and fear on Twitter. I’m sleeping more instead of driving myself to be more productive. I’m talking to friends. Eating better.

If you’re dealing with burnout or being knocked down during these Pandemic Times, I hear you. Please don’t be hard on yourself. Take care of yourself. If you can’t keep up with your usual practices (say, tracking your expenses or paying your debt down fast enough etc) or meet your financial goals, so be it. Take time to take care of yourself.

Some articles I have written about burnout:

On to the letter…

What they said

“Live in a way today that can help you thrive tomorrow.” — Carey Nieuwhof

🗞️ 5 reads to inspire

Carey Nieuwhof’s classic article, How I recovered from burnout, is something I rearead again and again. He’s releasing a book about this issue in September and I can’t wait to get it.
Carey also has a good burnout quiz for you — how burned out are you?
Let’s give ourselves permission to unfollow people on social media that trigger bad feelings in us — even if they are awesome, good people in real life.
Toxic money mindsets: “Once people start making a lot of money, they begin to think they’re doing worse in life because they become obsessed with comparing themselves to those who are richer.” 👀
Hey, how about taking vacation from home?

What I’m reading

Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism and Erica Layne’s The Minimalist Way. With a dash of historical romances here and there.

What I’m watching

Oh, nothing too angsty and dark, please! The world is awful enough. So, I’m really enjoying the simplicity of the Chinese drama Under the Power. Two ancient detectives solve crimes together while falling in love with each other (but of course!)