Rekindling with Julie Squires:

The simple act of putting pen to paper has enormous benefits to one's mental and emotional health. So why do we all fight it so much?

Many animal workers are conflict avoidant. We have deep-seated fears about conflict and therefore avoid it at all costs.

We all want to be liked but few of us really understand what we stand to lose when we prioritize wanting to be liked over being who we are.

There's a name for grief we don't feel like we're allowed to have or that is not acknowledged by society, it's called disenfranchised grief.

I believe social media should come with a warning similar to what alcohol and cigarettes do. CAUTION: Engaging with this could be harmful to your mental health. Especially when we are already feeling vulnerable due to burnout and compassion fatigue that comes with your work of helping animals.

In this age of hustle culture, overwhelm and anxiety, it's no wonder we're burning out in record numbers. We've equated being "productive" with success. I've got news for you, the two have nothing to do with each other!