From: Director of Self Love
To: Burnout
Date: 10 August 2025
Subject: Notice of Termination
Dear Burnout,
After a lengthy and exhausting tenure at the Department of Self Love (and its predecessor organisations), I regret to inform you that your services are no longer required.
This decision has not been made lightly. For years, you convinced me that you were essential to productivity—that your long hours, skipped lunches, and constant urgency were signs of dedication. You wore me down and called it “commitment.” You drained me and called it “drive.”
I now see the truth: you were never here to make me better. You were here to make me smaller.
Effective immediately:
- Your access to my calendar has been revoked.
- Your seat at the table has been reassigned to Rest, Play, and Gentle Focus.
- All late-night emails, mental rehearsals of imaginary meetings, and Sunday dread reports will be returned to sender.
Burnout, we will not be holding an exit interview. We both know your answers would be vague and self-justifying.
Instead, I am choosing to invest in energy that nourishes me, work that sustains me, and goals that don’t require me to sacrifice myself to achieve them.
You were a relentless manager, but I am my own Director now.
Consider this your final notice.
Sincerely,
The Director of Self Love
“Courage made this choice. Freedom made it final.”
Department of Self Love 
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