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Shake Shack just dropped new Trolls Band Together-themed shakes! Sorry — I tried to be excited about the Trolls part but… I can’t say I am. I’m not nine. Or six. Or whatever age Trolls is for. Also, I don’t know much about the Trolls cinematic universe (are we calling it that?).

Sadly (for me), I do know some things. That’s just how culture moves these days. You wake up one morning glad to know absolutely nothing about a franchise and then somehow that franchise creeps into your consciousness with a combination of advertising, celebrity alignment, and brand tie-ins before you hit the sheets that night. Here’s the sum of my Trolls knowledge, without using Google:

• Somehow there is not one, but three Trolls movies.
• Justin Timberlake is involved.
• There’s a Trolls soundtrack that is quite successful. So I suppose that these trolls sing. Or are sung to.
• Oh and also these all descend from an 80s-era toy with hair you could style and wow what a change of fortunes that toy has had, huh?

While I’m no Trolls expert, I do know fast food milkshakes. So when Shake Shack announced it was launching three new holiday milkshakes, I was pumped — IP be damned!

That said, I was significantly less pumped that I’d have to say to a living person, “Can I please get Poppy’s Sugar Cookie Shake,” or “One Brach’s Chocolate Peppermint Shake, please.” So I ordered from the app, instead. With all three shakes in hand, I set out to review them and rank them from least essential to the one you need to order ASAP.

Viva’s Cinnamon Roll Shake

Thoughts and Tasting Notes:

Sorry to Viva but I’m going to declare this one the least essential of the three new shakes. Viva’s Cinnamon Roll Shake features a cinnamon roll-flavored custard base mixed with glittering gold frosting and topped with whipped cream and gold confetti.

The flavor is very similar to a cinnamon roll’s icing, it’s milky and vanilla-forward but, sadly, I’m not tasting very much of the cinnamon. I think an easy opportunity to get more cinnamon here would’ve been to dust the shake with real cinnamon rather than gold frosting. Compared to the other three shakes, this one also lacks texture.

It’s not bad by any means… but it feels way less inventive than the other two.

The Bottom Line:

A lack of cinnamon and a textural element hold this shake back from what it could’ve been.

Branch’s Chocolate Peppermint Shake

Thoughts and Tasting Notes:

This shake didn’t need a Troll’s tie-in to sell — it would be a winner regardless of the branding. Branch’s Chocolate Peppermint Shake is a holiday classic — it is a mix of vanilla and chocolate custard mixed with mint fudge and topped with whipped cream and crunchy peppermint sugar shards.

Each sip is a mix of heavy chocolate and mint notes, with the slightest hint of vanilla that keeps it from becoming too rich. The peppermint candies will likely never find their way up your straw but if you’re the type that likes to dip your straw in, mix, and scoop, they add a nice textural element to the experience.

Overall It has a cool and refreshing quality to it, while simultaneously being warm and comforting. The jump-up in quality and flavor from the previous shake is huge.

The Bottom Line:

Even though this isn’t our number one choice, this is a must-order if you like the chocolate peppermint flavor profile. It’s textural, rich, sweet, and satisfying.

Poppy’s Sugar Cookie Shake

Thoughts and Tasting Notes:

Poppy is that girl! Based on the look and description, I was certain this would be my least favorite shake of the three. Poppy’s Sugar Cookie shake consists of a sugar cookie flavored custard mixed with cookie dough candy topped with whipped cream and cotton candy. It sounds objectively like the sweetest thing you’ll ever taste in your life.

And don’t get me wrong it is sweet. But this flavor just works.

Imagine the flavor of the best sugar cookie you’ve ever had coming up a straw with every sip. The flavor is a mix of sweet and creamy butter and vanilla with the occasional burst of cookie dough flavor. As you drink the shake the cotton candy will start to melt adding another dimension of sweetness to the mix, or you can just pull some pieces off the top and eat it on the side. I did this once and I prefer the cotton candy to melt into the shake — but you do you!

The Bottom Line:

Don’t let the candy-colored look of this shake dissuade you, this sugar cookie shake hands-down Shake Shack’s best holiday shake. It’s super sweet and indulgent but in all the best ways.

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

Things are moving quickly for Noah Hawley‘s heavily anticipated Alien series that’s heading to FX. Taking place in the sci-fi universe that first introduced the Xenomorphs in the 1979 film of the same name, Alien will serve as a prequel to the classic films while also showing a new kind of conflict with the Xenomorph. Hawley has also hinted that the series will explore the concept of AI as shown in the prequel films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming series:

Plot

While plot details for Alien are being kept closely under wraps, Hawley opened up to Vanity Fair back in July 2021 about when the FX series takes place in the franchise and why it will be set on Earth. According to Hawley, the series will be set 70 years before the first Alien film featuring Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, a character the showrunner will not be touching.

“She’s one of the great characters of all time, and I think the story has been told pretty perfectly, and I don’t want to mess with it,” Hawley told Vanity Fair before revealing that his series will focus on a Xenomorph infestation on Earth.

“The alien stories are always trapped,” Hawley said. “Trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of ‘What happens if you can’t contain it?’ are more immediate.”

Cast

Timothy Olyphant was recently added to the growing cast of Alien and was quickly followed by Fargo Season 5 star Daniel Rysdahl. Here’s Deadline with the details:

Rysdahl joins a cast that includes Sydney Chandler as the meta-human Wendy, Alex Lawther as soldier CJ, Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier, a CEO, Essie Davis as Dame Silvia, Adarsh Gourav as Slightly, and Kit Young as Tootles. Announced as joining prior to Rysdahl was Timothy Olyphant, and while his role has not been confirmed, Deadline hears he’ll be playing Kirsh, a synth who acts as a mentor and trainer for Wendy, a character with the body of an adult, but the brain and consciousness of a child.

Release Date

Alien is currently aiming for an early 2025 release date. After being shut down by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, production is set to resume in January 2024.

Trailer

Considering Alien only shot a small amount of footage before the strikes, there is little in the way of promotional material as of this writing. Look for a trailer to possibly hit sometime in 2024. You can be sure we’ll update you whenever it drops.

(Via Deadline, Vanity Fair)

The length of time between The Simpsons premiering on Fox and The Simpsons Movie is only slightly longer (18 years) than the gap between The Simpsons Movie and now (16 years). Behold, the ravages of age, indeed. There’s been talk of a sequel pretty much since the U.S. Government borrowed Tom Hanks’ credibility, although nothing official. Is this about to change?

In The InSneider newsletter, Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider questioned why 20th Century Studios agreed to finance James L. Brooks’ upcoming film, Ella McKay. “Emma Mackey (Barbie) will star as the title character — an idealistic young politician who juggles work and family while preparing to replace her mentor as the state governor. Mackey may be a rising talent, but I’m not sure I see the 27-year-old actress as the governor of any state — even Florida — and she’s not a big star like the leads of Brooks’ past films,” he wrote.

One theory: Brooks has made the company billions from The Simpsons; also, he directed Broadcast News, As Good as It Gets, and Best Picture winner Terms of Endearment. He should be able to direct any film he wants.

Sneider pitched another possibility.

The studio wants Brooks to mount a sequel to The Simpsons Movie along with creator Matt Groening and the show’s talented writing staff. This is just a hot rumor for now — the first half of a “We’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch ours” deal, the likes of which have powered Hollywood for decades. But it makes sense… The key is convincing Brooks, who produced The Simpsons Movie in addition to being one of 11 screenwriters credited.

If a Simpsons Movie sequel is going to get made with the original cast, it needs to happen soon. Harry Shearer is almost 80 years old, and who knows how much longer Julie Kavner will be able to do the Marge voice. But it’s a major time commitment for a writing staff that still puts out 22 episodes a year, every year, and Disney (which owns 20th Century Studios) might not be interested in releasing a 2D animated movie into theaters anymore.

For now, the closest The Simpsons will come to the big screen is the Disney+ shorts. Which Disney character will Hans Moleman meet next? I hope it’s Sassy from Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey!

(Via The InSneider)

These days, you have teen shows like Stranger Things and Wednesday that follow groups of kids solving various supernatural mysteries and battling demons and such, but back in 2007, teen soaps were about real issues, like going to high school in Orange County, California, and everything that entails. Yeah, the teens on The O.C. never battled Vecna, but they did have Julie Cooper, who slept with her daughter’s ex-boyfriend while also dating her best friend’s dad (before he died of a heart attack) before getting back together with her ex-husband who also dated her best friend. This is what television should be.

The O.C. had its fair share of drama, and a lot of it was encouraged by Kaitlin Cooper, Julie Cooper’s youngest, portrayed by Willa Holland. But, as with most television shows, there were a lot of girls in the running to be Mini Coop. “We saw quite a few people for that,” executive producer Stephanie Savage recalled in the new book, Welcome To The O.C.: The Oral History, written by Alan Sepinwall.

This was the second time Marissa’s little sister Kaitlin had to be cast on the show. In the first season of the show, a young Shailene Woodley portrayed the character, though she did not appear in season two (the classic “boarding school” excuse was used). When season three rolled around and Kaitlin became more of a central character, she was recast. And it was almost Emma Stone.

“We saw Hayden Panettiere, we saw Britt Robertson. Lily Collins,” she added. Just think how the world would have turned out if we had Emily in The O.C. instead of Emily in Paris. Schwartz then revealed, “We had a meeting with Emma Stone,” which obviously didn’t end up happening, though Savage did agree that Stone looked a lot like her would-be TV mom, Melinda Clarke.

Holland ended up playing Kaitlin until the end of the series and then had a guest spot on Gossip Girl before leaving the teen soap circuit and moving on the the young adult superhero demographic with Arrow. And Emma Stone didn’t do too bad either, so it worked out for them both!

(Via EW)

Next year’s music festival season is lining up to be yet another goodie. Today (November 28), the official roster for the 2024 Shaky Knees Festival was unveiled. Across the events billed dates of May 3 through 5 next year, Noah Kahan, Weezer, Queens Of The Stone Age, and Foo Fighters will serve as headliners.

How much are tickets for the 2024 Shaky Knees Festival?

Prices start at $310 and go upwards to $5,660. The 3-day general admission bundle will run you just above $310. Then, the 3-day general admission plus (GA+) starts at $515, followed by the 3-day VIP offerings (VIP at $800, platinum at $1,600, and ultimate at $5,660). Each 3-day pass has its own unique perks, so be sure to read through the ticket’s description for further details.

Single-day passes are up for sale as well. For single-day general admission passes, the price starts at $165, GA+ begins at $310, VIP for $490, and platinum is around $1,030 per ticket.

The 2024 Shaky Knees Festival will take place on May 3 to 5, 2024, at Central Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The presale begins on Thursday, November 30, at 10 a.m. ET. Based on remaining availability, a public sale will take place afterward. Find more information here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sadly, a lot of men go out of their way to avoid learning anything about a woman’s period.

(That could be why throughout most of the United States — where the majority of lawmakers are men — feminine hygiene products are subject to sales tax.)

So we should give some love to the guys who make an effort to learn a bit about the menstrual cycle so they can help their family members when they’re in desperate need of feminine hygiene products.

Personally, as a guy, the feminine hygiene aisle can be a little intimidating. There are multiple brands, styles of products, scents, absorbency levels, and they are all color-coded.

What do the colors mean?

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Knowing there’s a lot I don’t know, I take a picture on my phone of the box I’m about to purchase and send it to my wife, asking, “Is this the right one?”

A dad in the U.K. is getting some love on social media for the hilarious way he navigated the world of feminine hygiene products while showing how much he loved his daughter in the process.

It all began when Tia Savva sent her dad to Tesco, a popular U.K. drug store, to pick up some tampons.

For all the guys out there that need a solid primer on what goes on in the feminine hygiene product aisle, this quick tutorial from Mel magazine does a pretty great job.

This article originally appeared on July 2, 2019

One of the most interesting things about traveling the world is noticing how people from your country are a bit different from the place you’re visiting. In America, you’re mostly around fellow countrymen so it’s hard to notice the things that make us stand out.

But when you travel abroad, you quickly notice that no matter how hard you try to blend in, there are a lot of dead giveaways that show people you’re from the states that go way beyond your accent.

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A Reddit user named ILoveTallWomen asked the online forum “Non-Americans of Reddit, what is a dead giveaway that somebody is American?” to see what they think makes us stand out. “I’m not American and am curious about what other foreigners think,” they added.

There was one answer that people in the thread repeated over and over again—Americans are very friendly people. Countless commenters noted that Americans will approach anyone and start up a conversation. As a person from the U.S., I think that’s a positive stereotype. There’s nothing wrong with being overly friendly.

​People also noted that Americans tend to carry themselves with a lot of confidence and have an abundance of infectious enthusiasm.

On the negative side of things, a lot of people also noted that Americans are loud and have questionable fashion sense. We stand out abroad because we love staying comfortable by wearing white socks and sneakers on just about any occasion.

Maybe we’re happy because our feet don’t hurt?

Here are 17 of the best responses to the dead giveaways that someone is American.

Upworthy Podcast: Dead Giveaways Someone is American

On a recent episode of Upworthy Weekly, hosts Alison Rosen and Tod Perry discuss the internet’s hottest, most uplifting and most amusing topics – including d…

1.

The most popular poster shared a list:

• Wearing sneakers with anything
• Big smiles, firm handshakes
• Lots of Northface products
• Renting Segways for sightseeing tours (sometimes using those on cobblestone)
• Using big adjectives generously (“Wow, your aunt’s kidney stones sound awesome!”, “This Euroshopper beer tastes great!”)
• Clapping and cheering
• Telling one’s whole life story within 15 minutes of meeting them
• Loving stories and narratives in general (which makes them fun companions) — [Deleted]

2.

“Apart from the accent? Mostly its the ‘prepared for anything’ look they have about them (fanny pack, backpack, bottled water, camera pouch) compared to various other tourists – Asians tend to herd together for safety, while Europeans vary between blend-right-in Scandinavian to designer-brands-everywhere French and traffic-laws-are-for-others Italian. But Americans are the only ones who seem to view a perfectly civilised, modern city like some kind of uncharted jungle that doesn’t have places to shelter in the rain or buy cheap bottled water.” — Yorkshire_Pudden

3.

“Incredibly loud but incredibly friendly.” — kevio17

4.

“I asked my wife (Japanese) she said ‘In Japan I can spot Americans by the way they dress. Compared to Europeans, Americans tend to lack fashion sense.'” — RegionFree

5.

“When you can hear them before you see them.” — C1t!zen_Erased

6.

“‘On the streets they are instantly recognizable. They walk in an ugly indifferent manner, usually with their hands in their pockets. Or they’re leaning against a pole or wall with a newspaper in their hand and gum in their mouth. According to the people who met them they are more human than the English, for example, whenever someone needs help they do it quicker and better than the English.’ — My Grandpa in the Netherlands. In a letter to his sister. June 4th 1945.” — MidnightWineRed

7.

“North Face jackets. I went to college in the US (I’m not American) and when I went home for my first winter break wearing my brand new North Face jacket my friend asked me if I was given American citizenship with the purchase.” — merbonobo

8.

“I’m English, but I’ve lived here for 14 years. It’s pretty obvious just from your demeanour. Americans generally are more confident in the way they present themselves, most other countries tend to be more reserved. Walk into a room full of different nationalities, I guarantee the American person will be the first to introduce themselves. It’s a confidence thing, and I admire it.” — zerbey

9.

“When I was visiting Germany in college, a girl said to me, ‘Do you know how I know you’re an American? You wear white socks.’ Needless to say, I haven’t worn white socks since.” — ars3nal

10.

“We (Americans) describe distances in driving time, as opposed to miles or kilometers. My European relatives always make fun of me for having no clue how far away the next town is, but knowing exactly how long it takes to get there.” — hbombs86

11.

“Canadian here…the dead giveaway is when they call me ‘honey’ or ‘sweetie’ or ‘darling.’ I fucking love Americans and I love those terms of endearment!” — AraEnzeru

12.

“Dead giveaway: They’re surprised we can drink a beer (or any alcohol) in public in my country.” — P1r4nha

13.

“European here … there’s a noticeable trend among Americans to wear jeans, t-shirts, and hooded sweaters when they’re abroad. Lots of branded goods too (North Face, A&F, Hollister, Ed Hardy mostly). And in summer, a great percentage of the cargo-shorts-wearers are Americans. But among all that, visible tattoos on otherwise ‘normal-looking’ people (i.e. not looking like street thugs) are a common indicator too. Americans love tats.” — I_AM_A_IDIOT_AMA

14.

“In WWII, my grandpa’s company had a problem with German spies. At night the guards could not tell if intruders were returning patrols or enemy soldiers; especially since the spies spoke with flawless American accents. Before opening the gates, they tried asking questions like “What’s the capital of Nebraska?” but it didn’t always work since the Germans were highly trained and could answer most of the trivia questions. Finally, they stumbled upon a simple but effective test. They would ask them to sing the 4th verse of the Star-Spangled Banner. He told me ‘If they start singing, then you shoot ’em. No American knows the 4th verse.’ Turns out the whole song had been included in one of the German espionage training manuals.” — [Deleted]

15.

“They ask you what you do.” — Askalotl

16.

“They say ‘like’ a lot and seem to start sentences with ‘so’ for no apparent reason. Good bunch, though.” — [Deleted]

17.

“MM/DD/YYYY.” — dusmeyedin

This article originally appeared on 2.20.23

An unsupervised toddler with a pair of scissors is nightmare fuel for parents.

Will you find shredded books, a hole in your new couch, or a pile of lopped off hair when you emerge from your quick trip to the potty?

Toddlers may still be very young, but they are fast and have a knack for getting ahold of unapproved things quickly, inflicting maximum destruction. TikTok user, @designerluxury4you, shared a video of their toddler proudly showing off the haircut she had given herself.

Experiencing your child giving themselves or their siblings a haircut seems to be a rite of passage for parents.

But the way this mom handled the discovery is showing how gentle parenting is changing the game. It’s pretty safe to say that most parents would react in a more expressive way and immediately remove the scissors from the child’s hands. This mom responded in the kindest and most respectful way you can imagine and maybe the internet is a little better for having seen it.

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When the mom walks in to see her daughter holding a pair of child’s scissors, she calmly asks, “What’d you do?” to which the now mullet-sporting toddler explains her actions. The little girl, Max, says, “I cutted all of it off and I put it on here.” While the toddler is finishing her story we get a quick glimpse of the pile of blonde hair sitting on the nightstand. This is the point that seems to divide the commenters because the reaction isn’t anger or even a stern tone. Instead, this shocked mom says, “Oh, wow. You did a really good job, Max.”

The mom asked if her daughter felt better since her hair was no longer in her face, to which Max answered, “Yep.” Max was given several options, including going to the hairdresser to fix it. The video cuts off before we find out the toddler’s choice, but the mom’s reaction was the topic of discussion in the comments.

One person wrote, “Seriously, this is impressive parenting. What a gift you are to her.”

Another said, “Wow, you handled that so well lol she’s so adorable.”

Others were confused and more critical of the mom’s calm reaction and lack of consequences. Someone wrote, “I just can’t with gentle parenting. She lost me when she said no but allowed it anyway.”

A different user expressed confusion, writing, “Not knocking gentle parenting but at the end of the day how does she learn this was wrong and not to do it again?”

There were multiple comments reminding people that even though the girl is a toddler, it’s still her hair and she should get to decide what to do with it.

Watch the video below. Do you think this mom handled this situation well?

@designerluxury4u

Talent #gamimy #kidsoftiktok #girlpower #beautician ##parentsoftiktok

This story originally aired on 1.4.23

New Year’s Eve is often a night filled with celebratory shots and champagne toasts. But as the party night fast approaches, one doctor is gently reminding folks the importance of partying responsibly during the holidays. Really, it’s a piece of advice that’s important all year long.

Dr. Brian Hoeflinger, an Ohio based neurosurgeon with over two decades of experience, has a TikTok channel filled with educational videos and lifestyle tips. But it’s his latest clip explaining just how long it takes our bodies to break down alcohol that has gone viral.

In the video, which was shared on Christmas Day, Dr. Hoeflinger sets the scene of a party where “a lot of drinks are going down” by setting up a bunch of shot glasses filled with water.

“Say you’re having five drinks in the first hour,” he says, taking five fake, water-filled shots. “As you’re taking them, that alcohol is building up in your system fast. [It] goes to your brain within five minutes and starts to affect you.”

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The same can’t be said for other parts of the body. As Dr. Hoeflinger noted, “your liver only metabolizes one ounce of alcohol per hour.” And according to Northwestern Medicine, that process only begins 20 minutes after consumption.

Hoflinger continues, “I’ve got five ounces of liquor in my system right now, and at the end of the hour I’m only going to burn off an ounce…so I’m going to have [four] ounces left in my bloodstream.”

@doctorhoeflinger Knowing this about drinking could save your life! #fyp #party #drinking #alcohol #foryou #holiday #christmas ♬ Storytelling – Adriel

Of course, there are different factors—such as body mass, hormones, medications, etc.—that affect someone’s rate of absorption. And yes, we might be able to form a functional tolerance where behaviorally, we show no signs of intoxication. However, even with all these variables, for the most part all bodies are affected by alcohol similarly. In other words, your blood alcohol level will be more or less the same, and the risks will remain even if you don’t “feel drunk.”

Hoeflinger continues, saying “the party’s rockin’, so we’re gonna have some more,” while taking three more shots and reminding viewers that he still has only burned off one ounce of liquor during the hour that’s passed.

Now he’s had a total of eight ounces of alcohol in two hours. He’s burned off two, but still has six ounces left in his system—meaning that in this scenario, it will take another six hours to completely burn off.

In hour three, Hoefligner takes one shot since the party is “winding down.” This brings him up to a total of nine ounces of alcohol over three hours. His liver has metabolized three ounces, leaving him (still) with six ounces of liquor left in his bloodstream.

“You’re going to be drunk well into the wee hours of the morning, it doesn’t wear off,” he warns, noting the common misconception people have that “they stop drinking an hour or two and can hop in the car and drive.” But in reality, “you can’t do that as you’re still drunk five, six hours down,” he explains.

Dr. Hoeflinger concludes his video by saying:

“For this holiday season the whole point is I really want to tell people that’s how alcohol can stack up in your system easily when you’re drunk and you won’t know it and it won’t wear off for hours and hours down the road.” This is followed by an urge for people to take an Uber or Lyft home to avoid potentially taking their own or another’s life.

The informative clip, which has been viewed over 13 million times, received a flood of praise from viewers online, especially from parents with kids of a drinking age.

“This is the first time I have ever had anyone explain this in this way. I am forwarding this to my son,” wrote one parent.

It also resonated among designated drivers. One person commented “thank you for caring and educating. I’m the sober ride. I’ve seen the devastation from drinking and driving.”

The topic hits Dr. Hoeflinger on a personal level as well. In a previous video, he shared that he lost his 18-year old son, who died nearly a decade ago from drunk driving. Coming from a medical professional, the plea to not drink and drive is important to hear. But as a parent, it hits different. As he shared in the clip, “losing somebody you love is one of the worst experiences you can have in your life.”

Though Hoeflinger focused on the effect of liquor in his party example, the principle applies to wine and beer as well. Healthline recommends only having one large glass of wine every three hours, and one pint of beer every two hours.

It also gives some best practices to avoid intoxication, including:

• Eat at least 1 hour before drinking.
• Sip your drinks slowly.
• Avoid shots, which you’re likely to down rather than sip.
• Don’t drink more than one standard drink per hour.
• Alternate between alcohol and nonalcoholic drinks, preferably water.
• Limit or avoid carbonated drinks, like champagne, sparkling wine, and cocktails mixed with soda.
• Sit down when drinking, since doing it while standing tends to make people drink faster.

And of course, don’t be afraid to get another ride home. For New Year’s Eve (and beyond), feel free to kick back and have fun. But let’s look out for one another by doing it safely.

This article originally appeared on 12.31.22

If your job makes you feel burned out, you’re not alone. A recent poll of 10,243 workers in 6 countries found that 40% of respondents were burned out. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an “increased mental distance from one’s job,” feelings of depression and negativity.

The people most likely to be experiencing burnout are those ages 18 to 29, and women reported higher levels of burnout (46%) than men (37%).

Gabriela Flax, a self-described burnout coach, says the best prescription for people who feel like they’ve sacrificed their mental health for their job is a hefty dose of boredom. Flax was once a product manager who had to find a better work balance after suffering migraines, panic attacks and constant exhaustion from work.

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Flax believes that people suffering from burnout often enter patterns of self-neglect, all in the name of career success. She adds that by creating new patterns that some would call boring or repetitive, people can regain their sense of self.

Burnt out? Be boring 🤗 

@gabriela_flax

Burnt out? Be boring 🤗 When we are burnt out, the decision making part of our brain is offline. This makes simple decisions like what to eat or wear near impossible & makes us feel even worse. The first thing I do with those I help overcome burnout & regain vitality for life is assess how to make their life BORING! This helps to lessen the immediate overwhelm and create space for deeper healing. #burnout #burnoutrecovery #burnoutrecoverycoach #burnoutcoach #chronicstressrecovery

“When we are experiencing burnout, the part of our brains that make decisions is offline,” Flax says. “Even something as simple as deciding what to wear today, what to have for lunch, what movie to book at the weekend. All of that becomes really, really difficult for our brains to process.”

To help her clients counter the feeling of being disconnected from their needs, Flax tells them to keep things simple. “What we do is we’re like, ‘we’re gonna get three of the same T-shirt, we’re gonna get three of the same pairs of jeans,’” she says. “‘Therefore, you don’t even have to really worry about laundry right now; we’re doing laundry maybe once a week.’”

This “boring” approach to life also extends to people’s diets. She recommends that those who are burned out eat the same things for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “That way, you’re still getting your meals in. You’re fueling yourself, but you don’t have to think about what you’re going to cook.”

​Then, what begins as a series of simple, predictable changes evolves into a new cycle of positivity.

“The repetition and consistency of doing things and proving to yourself that you can get dressed and proving to yourself that you can still feed yourself, it actually starts to build up a little bit of confidence that starts to pull you out of that burnout,” Flax says.

In a recent article published by SWNS, Flax expanded her “boring list” of small changes to make to kickstart a new cycle of confidence. They are designed to cut down on the number of decisions you have to make and tasks to accomplish for a much-needed mental break.

1. Purchase a 10-pack of identical pairs of socks.

2. Organize clothing into two baskets: one for clean items and another for dirty laundry

3. Take photos of things you commonly buy at the grocery store for future reference.

4. Use disposable plates and utensils to make mealtime simple

5. Put your phone on focus mode

6. Put your favorite dishes on delivery apps to make dinner easier

7. Create a group chat group with “need to know” people

8. Acquire an automatic feeder for your dog

9. Buy coordinated outfits to make it easier to get dressed

10. Remove the middle sheet on your bed for easier bed-making