Burnout from overworking sadly becoming too familiar

Depending on the person, the societal standards and personal standards can become intertwined creating a mess of expectations without consideration for how those goals can affect their mental and physical health.

So much of our outlook as a society revolves around this need to be “resilient.” It’s as if we’re just expected to consistently bounce back from any issue and keep moving forward. But this narrative is not only harmful, it’s also just impossible to keep up with.

cases do nothing to slow down the obsession the public has with true crime. The only thing it does is put more money in the pockets of the production companies because they know it’s what will get the most clicks. In a perfect world, the discussion of these crimes can be used to inform and alert the public. Telling these stories is important because it will give the victims a chance to be seen again, but if you focus only on the person who killed them and exactly how they did it, it’s incredibly disrespectful to their memory.

The scenarios can help viewers identify when they are in a dangerous situation and how it can be prevented, but when you show the murderer in a humanizing light as they watch their victims from the bushes it’s not informative, it’s idolism.

Discussing cold cases so they can be reopened for the purpose of justice for both the victims and their families can be incredibly healing and helpful. Sensationalizing the death of a human being by telling the story multiple times for more views or dollars is just wrong.

It is alright to have an interest in these cases if you are determined to understand the case and how it can be prevented in the future, but if there is instead an obsession with the killer or the methods they used that is incredibly dangerous. There’s always the possibility of an obsession becoming too overpowering and leading someone to recreate a case they heard on some beauty YouTuber’s channel.

But apparently, in the world we live in, not only will this case be immediately documented on TikTok in a 30-part series, but there will also be a Netflix documentary released in the next year, and that is chilling to think about.

Working hard is always seen as a good thing until you work yourself to the ground.

From a young age, many of us are taught to have a good work ethic, to always work as hard as we possibly can. We carry that narrative through our lives and oftentimes push past our very last limits. Until one day we just simply can’t.

Sometimes over exerting oneself can seem like a very normal routine. You wake up, go to work early and somehow end up staying late. You give up your weekends and work through holidays all the while thinking to yourself, “This is completely fine, everyone does this.”

All of these things seem to be a daily occurrence, and then one morning your eyes open to the sound of your alarm and for some reason, you can’t physically bring yourself to get out of bed. All of a sudden the weight of your own body has become debilitating and you’re just a shell of a person left lying under a comforter.

That feeling, the feeling of, “I just can’t anymore,” that is burnout.

It is something that is experienced by so many people on a daily basis, and why? Because society has created a timeline that if not followed to a tee can make anyone feel inadequate.

There are moments in life when you need to get back up and keep going, but, there are also moments in life when you need to take a step back and reevaluate what you need. Whether that be a day off or a mental check in with a loved one, it is just as important to prioritize oneself as it is to prioritize a workload.

Dealing with burnout is one of the most difficult experiences as an adult. Because it creeps up on you without you realizing it, and unfortunately, it’s one of those feelings that you can’t just shake off.

Whether we realize it or not, having a good work and life balance is a huge part of having a strong work ethic. Taking care of yourself and keeping your mind and body in alignment can not only promote a healthy lifestyle but also a healthy work life as well.

Society will always have an expectation we’re not meeting, and sometimes we may feed into those expectations. However, it’s important to remember that life has stages, and every person living it is different, and so is the pace they are going to achieve things will be different too.

It’s time we focus more on our own timelines and attainable achievements and less on working ourselves to the bone.

nina.banks@my.tccd.edu

15 minutes and 23 seconds into the movie, I had to turn “Blonde” off.

The new Netflix movie starring Ana de Armas is based on the fictional biography of Marilyn Monroe. The movie depicts Monroe’s rise to fame as well as her eventual death.

With no prior knowledge about Monroe’s legacy, the controversy surrounding this film seems completely unwarranted. Just another biopic. But in the case of Marilyn Monroe, it seems her legacy may never rest.

Monroe was one of the most iconic stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her coquettish persona paired with her revealing wardrobe made her an instant sex symbol and fascination to the public.

Monroe’s persona was curated for the male gaze. She emphasized her hourglass figure with tailored dresses, spoke with a light cadence and played off the “dumb blonde” stereotypes . Paired with her tragic childhood, she appeared to be “attainable” as opposed to the other starlets at the time.

Her persona however, was a stark contrast to her true personality. Behind her image, Monroe struggled with depression, anxiety and insomnia. She endured several abusive relationships and her facade led to her to be exploited for overtly sexual roles. Her unfortunate death at 36, did not stop the public’s fascination with her. Monroe’s death catapulted her fame tenfold and so came the continuous, most overt and revolting exploitation of a person post-death. “Blonde” is one of several works about Monroe’s life that continue to sensationalize the trauma she experienced during her life for monetary gain. The treatment of her legacy can be observed with the handling of her famed wardrobe.

On May 19 1962 Monroe wore a sheer, rhinestone-encrusted dress to sing happy birthday to former President John F Kennedy. 54 years later, the dress was auctioned to “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!,” a museum for odd attractions. Earlier this year, the dress was damaged after Kim Kardashian wore it at the Met Gala.

Rather than the dress being preserved alongside many other historical dresses at the Smithsonian, the dress was improperly handled by the staff at Ripley’s. After the Met Gala, the dress is now in poor condition with seams busted and rhinestones that have fallen off the dress itself. This shows the lack of respect people have for Monroe’s legacy.

Besides the fact that the dress is a historical artifact, Bob Mackie, the designer, intended it to only be worn by Monroe. “Blonde” has received a NC-17 rating for its sexual content, including several sexual assault scenes which never occurred in Monroe’s life. To include such scenes that aren’t accurate to Monroe’s life or provide any progression to the storyline they fabricated, it reinforces the idea that Monroe was purely a sexual being and only capable of being treated as such.

The least Hollywood can do is finally let her rest and stop exploiting Monroe past her grave.

In the Sept. 28 issue, the information for the bottom-right picture on Page 1 was incorrectly identified. It was the dancers from the Terrell Dance Ensemble of IM Terrell STEM & Arts Academy performing “Heirba Mora. In the Oct. 5 issue, the photographer who took the photo on Page 2 for a story on voting was incorrectly identified. It should be Photo Editor Joel Solis.