2021 VR Women’s Summit – Keynote with New York Times Bestselling Authors Drs Amelia and Emily Nagoski: BURNOUT: The Secret to Completing the Stress Cycle

Drs Amelia and Emily Nagoski, Bestselling Authors, BURNOUT

Emily Nagoski is the author of Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life. She has a PhD in health behavior with a minor in human sexuality from Indiana University, and a MS in counseling, including a clinical internship at the Kinsey Institute sexual health clinic. She has been a sex educator for twenty years and currently works as the inaugural director of wellness education at Smith College.

Amelia Nagoski is a conductor with a DMA in conducting from the University of Connecticut. An assistant professor and coordinator of music at Western New England University, she regularly presents educational sessions discussing the application of communications science and psychological research for audiences of other professional musicians, including “Beyond Burnout Prevention: Embodied Wellness for Conductors.”

Emily’s Masters’ degree is in counseling, and Amelia’s is in choral conducting; one day they realized they both got graduate degrees in how to listen and feel feelings, which maybe says something about their shared childhood? They both live in New England with a variety of cats, dogs, and spouses. Yes, they’re twins. Yes, they’re identical. Yes, one time they pretended to be each other; it did not go well.

In 2018, the twins came together to co-author the bestselling book, Burnout: The Secret to Completing the Stress Cycle, about what causes burnout, what it does to our bodies, and how we can move through emotional exhaustion. This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men—and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life.

Emily and Amelia spoke with us about ending the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, they explain with compassion and optimism what we’re up against—and show us how to fight back.