The Resentment Journal
For when gratitude journals made you want to tear your hair out, roll your eyes, and maybe throw a punch or two.
How The Resentment Journal Came to Be
Hi, Cait here - your friendly burnout expert. I became a burnout expert through, well, burning out. And when I was burnt out everyone told me to use a gratitude journal. But every time I tried, I found myself rolling my eyes and angry. Then, I’d feel guilty. If you looked at my life from the outside, there were so many reasons to feel grateful - but that didn’t actually help me get there.
It was after a few months that I started a writing method called Proprioceptive writing - it unlocked a huge realization for me.
I was resentful AF.
So I started paying attention to resentment and I noticed it everywhere. I was resentful of people on the tram for sitting in seats reserved for the elderly and disabled. I was resentful of my friends for daring to think that I was available for lunch. I was resentful of my husband for not walking the dog. I was just walking around mad at everyone.
And so I started to dig deeper and I noticed a few patterns (that’s sort of my thing) and I started using resentment as a guide - for what to say yes/no to, for who to help, for when to involve myself, for what to ask for, and for what to give myself.
Following my resentments changed my life.
You're not burned out because you're weak. You're burned out because you've been ignoring a signal your body has been sending you for months — maybe years.
That signal is resentment.
The low-grade irritation. The bitter aftertaste of doing things for people who don't notice. The exhaustion that a full night of sleep doesn't touch. The gratitude practice that feels like a lie.
This journal doesn't ask you to silver-line any of that. It asks you to get it all on the page — ugly, petty, contradictory — and then use it as a map.
Because resentment isn't your problem. Resentment is your data.
Here's how it works:
You'll dump every resentment you have — at work, at home, at yourself. You'll sort it, choose a move, take one small action, and track what actually changes. No vague insights. No spiritual bypassing. Just: what's wrong, what needs to change, and what you're going to do about it.
This is for you if:
You say yes when you mean no — constantly
You do things for others and feel bitter about it later
You're exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix
Gratitude practices feel hollow or even annoying right now
Five steps. One shift at a time.
Download it. Do the work. Stop the leak.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A lifetime? Honestly, the first run through will happen in about an hour - but if you only have 5 minutes, you should start there. Get a few resentments out even if you don’t do anything with them yet.
This journal is designed to be used over and over and over again. Now, in my life, I do this automatically in my head and my hope is that you’ll use this exercise enough to be able to do the same.
Resentment now guides me in places where I assume it will pop up - so instead of waiting for things to get to me, I make changes ahead of time.It sets my prices, it chooses the right consulting and speaking gigs for me, it keeps me in alignment!
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There is research that shows that writing activates and connects our brains in ways that typing just doesn’t - so my recommendation is to print.
The journal is in color but it is designed to work when printed in black and white.
You are welcome to open it and type your answers in a private document if you’d like - but if you CAN print and write, I suggest you do.
At a self service machine at Staples, the printing will cost about $10. -
Oh, I wish.
No, it won’t. What it will do is help you uncover all the unhelpful patterns, shitty relationships, bad choices, and overstepping that exist in your life.When you change those things, you’ll be well on your way to burnout recovery.
Burnout recovery typically takes between 12 and 18 months, and The Resentment Journal is an EXCELLENT first step in getting your life back.
Plus, it will act as a guide long term to keep the burnout banshee away.
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You can reach me anytime via the contact page or email - cait@caitdonovan.com.
I am typically pretty quick to respond unless I’m on vacation (resentment taught me that). :)
If I am away, you’ll get an automated out of office message. If I’m home, you’ll hear from me within 48 business hours.
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This is a PDF download, you can use it (and should!) as much as you like.
I do ask that you don’t share the file with friends - supporting small businesses matters more than you know! -
I work with leaders within companies (often within a larger consulting package) to guide them through burnout recovery and help create systems that protect them and their people from burning out.
Feel free to reach out for consulting packages here: cait@caitdonovan.com
If you are an individual who needs 1:1 support outside of a consulting container, I have curated a list of burnout recovery coaches just for you. You can find it here.