#sorry for all the Anne posting recently. I'm hyperfixating

[flowersandfashion]

annotating Anne of Green Gables

[autumnalfallingleaves]

Character Bingo Sprig

honestly though where is all the frog content I want more plantar family shenanigans and less calamity trio okay I'm sorry

Son boy!! I don't post about Amphibia as much but like. It's honestly become a hyperfixation and Anne and Sprig are my two favorites in the show. Also, just realized recently that the reason why I like this kid so much is probably that he reminds me of one of my favorite cousins?

Absolute skrunkle of a boy <3

Character opinion bingo

[royalcordelia]

Hi Tessa! 💛 First of all, I wanted to say you’re one of my fave writers in this fandom, I love your fics so much and I’m so grateful for you! Thank you so much for everything you do ☺️💛

Secondly I wanted to ask, have you ever experienced burnt out from reading or writing fics? And if so how did you know you were experiencing it, and how did you handle it? I’m asking bc I’ve been reading a lot of Shirbert fics these last months, out of my fave ships they have the most IC fics, they have really helped in keeping me sane and making me feel better, so fic reading became a form of every day self-care to me, but recently my dear old friend anxiety (ofc lol) has been making me overthink everything a lot, and wonder if I had been reading too many fics, if I should stop or if I was burnt out, you get the idea 😅 and has also been making me struggle to focus on what I’m reading sometimes. As in, if I’m focusing on the fic alone, I can really enjoy it, but if I lose focus for any reason, anxiety pops up right away and I just spiral and can’t focus like before. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced burnt out from a piece of media before, I still love everything AWAE/AOGG related dearly, but precisely because I haven’t experienced it before, I can’t tell for sure if it’s burnt out or just my anxiety playing with me. I’ve also struggled a lot with insomnia lately, as a result of anxiety too, so I guess tiredness could be a third option… Thanks a lot in advance, and sorry if this ask is very weird 😣 Hope you’re well, healthy and safe 🙏🏻

Hi friend! First off, thank you for sharing your struggles with me. 💛 It sounds like you've been having a really tough time, but I hope you know that your experiences are probably more shared than you think. Hopefully when I post this, others can share their own advice.

(I'm going to preface this with the fact that although I do have a degree in psychology, one of the best things anyone can do for themselves is find a certified, licensed counselor that you trust. But I understand that mental health services are not always as accessible as they should be, so I'll offer the best advice I can.)

I think burnout from media absolutely does exist, and for most people, it's when the hyperfixation runs its course. I wouldn't doubt things like anxiety and insomnia can speed along that process. As @hecksinki  once told me, ending a hyperfixation can make you feel unhappy and a little bit unsatisfied because nothing has that same effect that you're used to. I also think that burnout happens so no reason at all, either. it just happens. So if you're experiencing burnout, please know that you've done nothing wrong. It's just part of the natural course of liking media. For one reason or another, you might be leaving the "honeymoon" phase, and that's perfectly normal and okay.

You might need something new for your (what I call) "calming-time" before the Anne fics will have the same effect that they once did. The best advice I can offer you is to find things that still make you happy and still have the capacity to calm you down, and hold onto them. The things that make you happy can change with your circumstances, so I like have an arsenals of things ready.

For me, I bookmark every single fic I've ever enjoyed, so that if I feel like I need a break from a fandom, I can bounce back to another fandom for a day or two. I also try to make sure I have things that relax me in every sphere of my life. For instance, if I'm not in the right mindset to read fic (sometimes even I'm too anxious to focus on reading), I have a card game app on my phone, I have Stardew Valley on my switch, I have coloring pages I've printed out, a scrapbook, arts & crafts, etc. Even comic books can be helpful reading when you need something to take your mind off of anxiety, but you're having trouble focusing. It may even be a good time to start new media. You can ask recommendations from people who know you well, something like: "I need something new to watch/read, I'd like it to be kinda like xyz, but don't want it to have xyz. Do you have any recommendations?"

But overall, to the very best of your ability, try to be easy on yourself. And by that I mean, some things are not worth the effort of worrying over them (obviously, with anxiety I know sometimes you can't help it). If you think you're reading too much fic and it might do you better to stop, try it! See how you feel. If you think you need to go back to fanfic to help distract and calm you, then don't talk yourself out of it. Again, find the thing that makes you happy and cling to it. You hurt no one by leaving fic for a while, but you also don't hurt anyone by reading a lot of it. It might take some trial and error, but I'm hopeful you can discover a handful of things that can work as Plan B and Plan C whenever fic reading is tough.

I really hope this helps! Your feelings and experiences are valid, and my hope for you is that you can find some sleep and peace. If you, or anyone, needs help finding mental health resources in your area, you can always DM me and we can work through it together.

I think it's appropriate to end this message the way I've been ending my fics lately—If no one has told you that you're loved and valued as a person and a member of this world, then I love you very much. I'm so glad you're here. You aren't your struggles, and one day, things will get better. I promise :)