Olympia Discussion: Emotional Burnout & Relationship Confusion

Welcome to this week’s women’s circle! Tonight, we’ll focus on connection and self-discovery. We’ll begin with a fun icebreaker to set the tone and get to know one another better. From there, we’ll explore the evening’s topic, 'Emotional Burnout & Relationship Confusion: Welcome to the Chaos,' through open discussion, sharing our thoughts, and reflecting on personal experiences. This gathering is a space to connect, grow, and be inspired by one another’s journeys. We’ll close with a moment to set intentions, leaving with fresh perspectives and a sense of support. Let’s dive in and make this time meaningful together!

Below is the "Mindful Musing" for the week which includes our Main Topic and some questions for us to explore together!

Have you ever found yourself in a relationship—romantic or not—feeling completely drained, confused, or constantly anxious… and still thought, “But it’s probably just me”?

That’s chaos. And not the fun, creative kind. The kind that wears a mask of intensity and chemistry, but underneath is emotional unpredictability, people-pleasing, and self-abandonment. It’s the kind of chaos that feels weirdly familiar—like home. Not because it’s healthy, but because it mirrors what your nervous system learned early on.

Many of us don’t realize that the reason we feel like shit in relationships is because we were never taught how to feel safe in them. We mistake anxiety for attraction. We confuse caretaking for love. We tolerate inconsistency because deep down, we believe that stability has to be earned. At some point, the body says enough. The confusion turns into burnout. The sparkle fades into resentment. And the question surfaces: Is it supposed to feel this hard?

This session is about giving yourself permission to stop pretending it’s fine. To tell the truth about how exhausted you are from emotional labor, hypervigilance, or trying to decode someone else’s behavior. We’re not here to shame the past—we’re here to name it, so you can start changing it.

### Discussion Questions

1. What relationship pattern or dynamic keeps repeating for you—no matter how different the person seems at first?
2. What behaviors do you tend to tolerate that drain or confuse you?
3. Have you ever mistaken intensity for intimacy? What did that feel like?
4. When you're in relational chaos, how does your body respond?
5. What "role" do you often find yourself playing in relationships (fixer, caretaker, performer, etc.)?
6. What’s one relational red flag you now recognize in hindsight?
7. What was your earliest model of love—and how might that still be influencing your expectations?
8. Where do you pretend things are fine when they’re not?
9. What would a calm, clear, emotionally safe relationship feel like in your body?
10. What part of you has been waiting for permission to stop performing and just be held?