This blog was originally sent as an email to my subscribers on January 17, 2024. This is an archive, so it’s possible some links are missing or expired. If you want me to deliver these emails directly to your inbox, click here to join my email list.
Subject: bought you this friendship necklace.
My heart fluttered like a butterfly trapped in my chest. I gripped the edge of the mattress to stop my hands from shaking, willing myself to stay calm as anticipation coursed through my body.
I knew this moment would change everything.
Heat flushed my cheeks as Emily turned around, extending a small purple box toward me. My breath caught as I spotted the word CLAIRE’S stamped in bold white letters across the surface.
I reached out, taking the box from her with a small smile.
“You’re sure about this?” I asked quietly. “Yes,” she laughed, “I’m sure. Open it already!”
I shimmied the top off the cardboard box and gasped at the necklace resting delicately atop a piece of white tissue paper. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I lifted the black ribbon—up and up and up until the half-heart pendant was exposed to the light, illuminating the letters BF embossed across the center.
“Oh, Emily, it’s so beautiful!” I jumped up from the mattress, throwing my arms around my newly minted Best Friend as we shrieked and cried in her boy band-themed bedroom.
She grinned and dipped her hand under the collar of her shirt, revealing the other half of the friendship necklace. Her pendant said FE, and at that moment, I knew we would be Best Friends ForEver. ❤️
As young people, we instinctively organize our lives around relationships. We understand that friendships are a vital ingredient for a happy life! Sadly, as we enter adulthood and begin amassing responsibilities, we move away from friendships to make more time for productivity.
The busier we get, the less time we have to nurture our friendships.
The cycle looks something like this 👇
I am stressed and busy → I have less energy to tend to my friendships → I start feeling disconnected from my friends → I notice I’m feeling lonely → I pour more fuel into my business to try to fill the gaping hole in my heart.
And on and on, the cycle perpetuates until we have no friends at all.
Burnout thrives in social isolation.
We’re told the solution to burnout is to fix our business—hire support, use a Pomodoro timer, get more organized—solutions that lead to more stress and pressure to make more money.
The best advice for recovering from burnout comes from our inner 12-year-old: forget about your homework and hang out with your best friend! Friendships offer the validation, empathy, laughter, and honest feedback we need to heal from and protect ourselves against burnout.
Friendships are magical medicine!
With compassion, ask yourself the following questions:
→ Do you feel connected to your friends?
→ When was the last time you belly laughed with friends?
→ How have you shown up for your friends recently?
→ Which of your friends know how you’re really doing right now?
Do you give your friends the best of you, or do they get your leftovers when if you finish working, cleaning, cooking, etc.? No judgment. Friendship leftovers are a real symptom of burnout!
In addition to regular friends, you can also have business friends, people you like personally who are also business owners. They understand your unique position and can provide you with laughter and strategic brainstorming. I give these relationships a big thumbs up!
We can become so committed to running our businesses that we neglect the simple things that make our lives worth living—like friendships.
Repeat after me: I do not have to suffer in the name of service. I do not have to burn myself to a crisp to be financially stable. I do not have to neglect my basic needs for connection to make a difference in the world.
Say that over and over again until you believe it.
Let your inner adolescent remind you that friendships are a life source. Then, allow your present-day grown-up self to honor that intuitive knowing by making time to nurture your friendships.
Your presence is the best fertilizer for your friendships. Your friendships contain the antidote for burnout. Treat these relationships with the reverence they deserve.
My invitation for you today is to send a simple text to one business friend and one non-business friend.
There’s no need to write a novel about why you haven’t been in touch lately. Just say, “Hello, I’m thinking about you today!” and let the rest unfold organically.
If this task feels too daunting, hit reply and say hello to me instead. I’ll be back from sabbatical next week and would love to return to your replies!
Warmly,
Maegan
