Ideas to Prevent Burnout / Get the most out of Stardew [Y2F5]

Hi friends!

I joined Reddit today after stalking this community for a while (hee hee). Happy to be a part of it :)

I started my farm in January and I am now about halfway through my second year! I've enjoyed this game so much and it has brought me so much joy. I went through a really awful breakup and this game really helped me cope/calm down.

I think I'm starting to play it a little too much and it's just so irresistible for me to put down. I want to keep growing, expanding, unlocking, and all of that. I'm starting to reformat my farm because of silly layouts from my first year (that served me well then but no longer).

Basically, I'm trying to find ways to enjoy the game in all of its depth without ending up doing a whole season in one sitting. I find when I just pick up the game for 4 or 5 days at a time, I either don't want to stop or I forget what kind of goals I am working towards.

Any tips for slowing down or figuring out smaller achievable goals for beginner/early intermediate players? I've thought about starting a stardew journal and documenting the days as they happen, planning layouts, and keeping track of things - has anyone else done that and have any tips?

Really excited to hear from you :)

- Farmer Rosie