Oh the Hustle Lifestyle...

?The pressure to do more, be more and see more has affected all of us. You’ve pushed yourself too hard at work….

You’re a freaking supermom at home…

You’re making dinner for your best friend who just had hip surgery….

You’re baking cookies for the upcoming Valentines party at school….

You’re saying yes to every invite….

?But tell me, dear ones, is this hustle really making you feel healthier or happier? Are all of these things serving you? Sure, we have to do SOME things. But why do we think we have to do everything?

?Boundaries? Self-Care? Yes, you’ve heard about it all before, but they’re just another thing on the list. Another thing to squeeze in. Another thing you’ll feel guilty about not getting done. Argh!

?I was this woman who hustled hard! I landed my dream job in fitness at age 50. That same month my husband wanted to move us across the country. I said yes, when I really meant NO. I put a smile on my face because I am a supportive wife (an old good girl trait of mine) and I got busy hustling. Moved my daughter into a new school. Found a house that suited us. Remodeled the kitchen, blah blah blah. So much stress, so much productivity, so much rushing around, so much friggin anxiety. One year later, I got diagnosed with lyme disease.

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Poof! There went my 28-year fitness career and any possibility of resurrecting my position as a “cycle star” Turns out I had Lyme for 10 years prior to the diagnosis and getting bit by a tick whether I was healthy or immune- compromised still would have resulted in the disease taking up residence inside my body. However, I do believe my habit of overtraining, overworking, being the best hostess, wife, daughter, mom, friend, neighbor, cousin, community member and more--and being a YES girl all the time, potentially compromised my immune system and allowed this disease to flourish.

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The lesson? Hustling isn’t healthy and it often manifests in physical, mental or emotional burnout and damages our connection to feeling happy in life. I’m not proposing you should stop being productive … I’m suggesting that you just have to slow down and make space to breathe, reflect, and recalibrate.

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When you finally let life's whirlwind settle, that's when you can hear your inner guidance clearly. This is the connection that gets lost when we create a hustle lifestyle. Here are a few ways that you can tame your hustle and move it towards happiness.

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Over-Hustle #1: Overworking- Are you working into the evening? Is it completely normal for you to stay up late with your laptop while your hubby falls asleep in front of March Madness? And then at some point, you finish off a bottle of wine and watch a Gossip Girl? It takes a conscious decision to step back and ask: Is my work affecting my relationship? Even if there’s no drama….is there also a lack of connection?

?How to Make the Hustle Happy: Take a hard look at your have to’s and want to’s. And relationships! How do you want to show up for your significant other? Do a visual run through, like the great athletes do before their performance. Then, practice saying “no” to anything that interrupts your set plan for the week. If you are a chronic over- worker, enlist a coach trained in Shadow Work to help you get underneath your programmed behavior.

Over-Hustle #2: Comparison is the thief of happiness. Does this sound familiar? “My neighbor Neeva seems to have it all. She’s always getting in her midnight blue convertible dressed to perfection and her grass is always impeccably cut and those Christmas decorations! In reality, you have absolutely no idea what’s going on in Neeva’s life. This rabbit hole is slippery and sometimes we’re just like Alice, at the bottom getting smaller and smaller.

?How to Make the Hustle Happy: When you catch yourself amidst comparison, try on compassion. Accept that Neeva doesn’t have a perfect life and give her compassion for whatever she might be going through. Offer yourself compassion for whatever you’re doing. Remind yourself that nobody has it all figured out. Not even Beyonce.

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?Over-Hustle #3: Sacrificing your own down time. If you’re scheduling downtime at all, we often either: a) fill it with something else because we’re not well boundaried b) Aren’t present because we’re scrolling through our phone without intention c) feel anxious about taking the time off from our usual pile of productivity. In every instance, we miss the opportunity.

?How to Make the Hustle Happy: Set an intention for your downtime. Use a ritual! Set a timer for 30 minutes for each little pocket and become committed to that one activity. This is better for your heart and better for your brain. Make a list of your priorities. Look at the list. Did you list downtime?? Make sure you do. You can call it frivolous time or unguided time but take THAT time!

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?Over-Hustle #4: Leaving no room for personal joy. Is there anything you do for your own joy? Nothing to do with your partner or children or mother- in -law. Just you. We must build a relationship with ourselves before we can show up fully and in our radiance for others. Is it ice skating? Singing? Painting? Knitting? Taking picture of birds?

?How to Make the Hustle Happy: Think back to your childhood. Is there something you used to love but you were told to avoid? Something you were judged for loving? Maybe you wanted to be a stage actress. So now, go see more plays! Maybe sign up for local theater. The key is taking baby steps. Connect to inspiration and what lights you up. It’s up to you to generate your joy.

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Over-Hustle #5: Setting sky high standards. This sets us up to fail. We put too many things on our list. It’s a problem. Why do we set high standards? Because we’re competent and ambitious of course. But if we’re anxious the whole time, what’s the point?

?How to Make the Hustle Happy: Consider what you can say when you don’t want to disappoint people. Start practicing “no thank you” or “I’ll have to get back with you on that.”

?Hustling is overrated, but if we’re strategic, reflect and become aware, we can make it work for us and hustle toward productivity and happiness.

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Link to connect, follow, or learn more about Laura Enzor Coaching click here. https://bio.site/laura_enzor

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