Hello. Come in. Welcome to the burnout rebellion.
Thank you for being here.
The community we are building here really is something.
Here you will find a summary of what to expect. If you have been hanging around with me since the beginning, thanks for sticking with me on this topsy turvy journey.
It is fair to say that life has been pulling me through a hedge backwards for quite some time, but a while ago I released my grip, and instead of resisting, I fell into an empowered surrender. And that’s when the magic began to unfold…..
The top 3 things you should know about me;
I wake up every morning and walk barefoot on the grass, watching the sunrise as often as I can, before surrendering my plans to the universe. I spend at least 5 minutes in ecstatic dance because why not? Life is a trip. Every morning I want to remember that joy exists. (Kudaushe by Afriquoi always gets me dancing).
In the last 18 months I have been hit hard in the face by grief. You can read more about this here on my other Substack. I turn my grief into wild happiness and heartbreak, breathing in the bittersweetness of every moment.
I’m rebelling against burnout culture by releasing human me (the overachiever) and embracing soul me (the creative). I’m finding that the key to adult life is rediscovering your inner child. Returning to their hopes and dreams and sheer enthusiasm for life. Life has got too heavy. If this is my only chance, in this form, to experience the world I’m going for it. Want to join me?
You’ll find a lot of spirituality here.
I sometimes find that people balk at the word spirituality as if those saying it are trying to hoodwink you into some kind of cult. No hoodwinking here I assure you.
Spirituality to me is feeling the depths of emotion, watching the world in slow motion, feeling the Earth beneath my feet. Magic does exist but we just call it nature or astronomy or love. For me, now is the time to savour. Taste. Sense. Dance. Be in this life fully.
My spirituality has led me here.
Still reading? I’m so pleased…..let’s really get to know one another.
What is Tides and Seasons?
If Tides and Seasons was to sit in a category it would sit firmly on the intersection between Nature and Spirituality (still secretly hoping
gives us a nature category pronto).In the last 4 years, burnout has been slowly creeping up on me. In the shadows of tiredness, the brain fog, the lack of alignment between my values and those of my outside world. Momentary relief was provided every time I found myself on the tideline at sunrise, or I embodied the seasons in my soul. Often tracking them through my photography. When my burnout and grief took over, it was my writing and my time in nature that saved me hence the name, Tides and Seasons.
So who I am?
A quitter! I quit my stable job of 13 years in July this year with no plan and no idea of what was coming next. How exciting is that?
A Psychology Master (almost). I’ve been working on my Masters in Psychology for the last 24 months. I thought I was headed in the Clinical Psychology direction, but instead something rather beautiful has happened. My first love, biology, has re-entered the equation, and biological psychology has become the name of the game.
The Inquisitor. In my masters (and hopefully beyond), I’ve been researching social bonds across taxa; how they are formed, their purpose, what can disrupt them, and at what point a bond leads to cooperation. I’ve looked at everything from dolphins to mongooses, guppies to primates, and am now applying this in a competitive context in humans. One of my lecturers said that studying biological psychology was a way of getting closer to understanding the meaning of life, and sometimes it really does feel like that. Science and spirituality, to me, are ultimately the same thing, most of us just don’t know it yet.
Ceremony holder. I am a trained yoga teacher who specialises in ceremony, working with the earth, the universe, and the seasons as we perceive them. Working with them as a way to reignite our connection with ourselves and ultimately something bigger.
A wannabe grower. Working in a community garden, has made me realise I have absolutely no clue what I am doing when it comes to gardening. I have a long held dream of growing my own food, making my own herbal teas and just getting closer to that cyclical connection we all have with the Earth.
So, what does Tides and Seasons mean for you?
I want this to be a place where we (the burnout/career changer/starting over again/nature loving generation) can gather, talk, support and lift each other, as we hear one another’s stories and grow together.
The overall aim is that this Substack will bring together all the different essences of who I am; my love of nature, my desire to rebel in this burn out generation, the art of slow living, learning to live as part of the Earth again, ceremony, soulful exploration and my Scientific research. There’s a beautiful golden thread that runs through all of this and I get to share that with you.
I’m hoping that by taking these steps I will find others out there, and we can continue to inspire and champion each other as we move from a life of burn out to a life of purpose.
I have found many writers to be medicine for my soul, and I hope that for some of you, my writing will touch you in someway. A wonderful butterfly effect that will continue spreading in our lives and around Substack.
Some wonderful comments from readers.
What a gorgeous read.
Sat with my eyes closed in my own garden, listening, you’ve transported me to your own sense of wonderment.
Helluva debut. 👊 This will stick with me for a while I think.
What a wonderful and thought provoking article, thank you so much for sharing. Tammy (Tamlyn de Nobrega)
How joyful it is to see your Substack Anna - I know I'm going to look forward to this each week.
The main categories of my work are below;
Deep dives into nature - Often longer pieces of writing on spectacular interactions I have had in nature, and the magic and myth behind them. My hope is that we realise that all interactions are purposeful and give a sense of meaning to our lives. Check this one out, on my absolute favourite….The Fox.
Notes from the garden - In order for me to live more seasonally, I am learning how to tend to the land. Here I will share updates on my progress in the community garden as a complete novice, what I learn and any tips that may be helpful. Right now I am focussing on two main projects; the self sustaining Hügelkultur and the forest garden.
Earth’s medicine - I am learning how we can use the great wisdom of plants, ritual, history, our ancestors, breath and wisdom to heal ourselves. Here you will find an amalgamation of these teachings, and the stories of how these are being weaved into my life with helpful tips and resources for you to use too. Check out this article on the magnificent Yew Tree. The next one on' ‘ritualising your life’ is set to be super jam packed with not only resources but how this can get us closer to nature. These will all be paywalled for paid subscribers only.
Collaborations; I love a good collaboration. I am in the midst of 4 at the moment, and its been so wonderful to interact, build friendships and a shared vision with others. I have others in the pipeline.
and I discussed one a while ago as two newbies in our relative fields that perfectly seem to mesh. If you would like to collaborate with me let me know, I’d really love to. Scroll on down because there may just be a few opportunities that might catch your eye below.
What to become a paid subscriber? I adore you ❤️.
Most of my work is free. Posts become archived after 4 or 5 months, and remain behind the paywall so you’ll need to be a paying subscriber to access them.
The following is included as a paid subscriber;
Join the burnout rebellion squad; access to posts on Earth's medicine, supporting you to live a life closer to nature. These will not only be on the theme of the month, but also include useful I have found that support search for meaning, spirituality and getting closer to nature.
Interviews with fellow members of the burnout rebellion. If you like to be interviewed for this please do fill out this google form here. The post will be a collaboration, and can appear on your Substack if you want it to. It will require you to fill out the questions in the google form, and agree to a 30 minute zoom interview that will help me to really feel into you answers.
Podcasts and video content (coming in November 2024) on returning to nature. Include how to videos, behind the scenes shots Tides and Seasons, and special guests.
If you’d like to pay for a subscription, at a cost of a coffee or slice of a cake a month, you’d make me super happy. It will help to fund not only my time to write, but future projects such as workshops, how to/watch a beginner videos and a podcast (all of these are possible collaboration opportunities too so do message me if you’re interested!).
Some of these projects will automatically go behind the paywall but you’ll know when this is the case.
You and me
I would love to hear from you. So do introduce yourself in the comments below, whether its your own story of burnout, reconnection with nature, or why you're here.
What would you like to see?
I would love to make this a collaborative space, and to provide you with what you need. Have a vote in the poll below for what you would like to see more of.
Interactive workshops; focussed on working with the seasons, the moon, astrology, meditation, yin and our spirituality.
Gardening, growing and cooking; more notes from the garden, videos and walk throughs in the garden, cooking as a novice using the seasonal produce.
Collaborations; working with others on Substack, crossing different areas including podcasts, writing, videos, workshops.
Earth’s medicine; more about working with our ancestors, breathwork and meditation for connection, using plants as medicine.
How to’s; beginners guides on everything from creating a seasonal alter, to beginner skills in the garden that I’m learning as I go etc. These are likely to take both written and video form.
If there’s anything specific, do pop your thoughts in the comments below too.
That’s all for now. I hope you have found this useful. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart for joining this space, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. If you do have any questions don’t hesitate to ask them.
Lots of love,
Anna Rose xxx
p.s This post will update periodically but will always remain pinned if you ever need it!
I am writing this essay as part of the 24 essays club (this is number 12) with the wonderful
you can read more about the essay club below.
Love this post! Perfect introduction! There's an art to these hero posts and it feels like you nailed it 🥰 💜
Bravo! 👏 👏 What a fantastic bloody post, Anna. I’m really, REALLY excited for this new phase for you. You couldn’t have conjured up a better title, either!
I love your wordcraft - so I’m looking forward to following your journey
(Thank you for the little mention, too!)
M x