Twitter Responds To AOC's Email About Handling Burnout
So what do you do when you get a mass email from your congressional representative? Do you assume its another fundraiser or do you dig a bit deeper to find out if there is more to it than meets the eye?
That's a question one Twitter user found himself trying to address when he found something in his inbox marked "My tips for burnout" from New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The rep, also known as AOC, began her email with an explanation; she had written, "Earlier this week, I posted an AMA — Ask Me Anything — On Instagram, and received a question about burnout" and much to the surprise of the email's recipient, the email was exactly as the subject line had said it would be, because as he put it, "I assumed it was one of those thinly-veiled fundraising emails with a faux-informal subject line that tricks you into opening it, but nope. It really was just an email about dealing with burnout," (via Twitter).
In the email, AOC admitted to feeling burnout, but not because she's been burning the candle at both ends. "It's much deeper than that," she wrote. "Think of your whole self as a cup. Participating in certain activities that are physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally demanding means that you're pouring from your cup." She then offered tips on how to get over burnout, which she called a prescription for indulgence and strong boundaries (via Twitter).
The email's contents divided social media
The thread picked up more than 23,000 likes on social media as of publication, and resonated with those among Twitter's virtual audience that supports Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "It's a sad state of affairs, but we're at the point where it's pretty radical for a politician's campaign to send out an email with an interesting subject line that isn't just aggravating clickbait," one social media user responded. Another tweeted, "This honestly was the most amazing unexpected email I received in quite awhile. So much good will and looking out for others without expectation of anything in return from a politcian [sic]. Thank you @AOC."
But there were others who brushed aside AOC's email. One said, "I don't want to hear anything from my elected officials other than their ideas for more effective policies. I'll trust my therapist for the burnout remedies." A fourth social media user even confessed, "I unsubscribed with this email. I was like 'Whelp I have finally have enough of this.'" A fifth social media user even went after AOC herself, saying, "Burnout has been around for years. She gets it and suddenly it's a massive national crisis. She's a massive drama queen that just wants attention on herself."
Despite Twitter coming down on opposite sides of the burnout email and debate, one thing is clear — AOC can get people talking.