The Hustle Culture...are You Part of It?

The alarm(s) goes off.

After a few minutes--- or 30-- of contemplating life as you lie in bed, you finally get up and start the day.

Once you've had that cup of coffee, you're feeling better...more or less...and get to work.

Work is, well, work.

Your day is most likely spent checking off the to-do list, answering non-stop emails, and maybe some zoom calls. Or you probably spent the day herding kittens, which is also seen by some, as teaching.

C'mon, I know some teachers laughed or smiled at that last comment.

At the end of the day, you clock out. While you may have a few hours to relax, there are still personal things to do!

Who's going to make dinner?

What about groceries?

Have you done your laundry yet?

It seems as if the day may never come to an end. And just as you lay on the couch to be, you take a peak at the time and see it's almost midnight.

Where did the time go?!

You spend the day doing everything needed, so why don't you feel accomplished?

That right there my friend, is hustle culture. Is this you?

We're conditioned from a young age in the results of rewards if we work hard. Now, as adults, we're dependent on these rewards even if it's subconscious.

So how can we get out of this vicious cycle?

• Create boundaries-- Do the work at hand, but it's ok to say "no" when your plate is full. The work is replaceable. You are not.
• Take breaks-- The world will not come apart if you need some time for yourself to take a walk or get fresh air. Sometimes a little sunshine is all we need.
• Values- What's important to you in terms of your values? Are you putting them as a priority? If not, what can you do to change that? Write down your thoughts in a journal.

Life is too short to work without any form of relief. We are not here on this Earth to bury our heads into computers or phones.

Take your moment.

What do you do, or can you do, to break the cycle?