The Cost of Hustle Culture
Examining the messages we've absorbed about productivity and worth.
We live in a world that never seems to slow down. Information is available at our fingertips every moment of the day, and we're constantly surrounded by messages telling us to do more, achieve more, improve more, and somehow fit it all into the same twenty-four hours.
It doesn't take long before we begin measuring ourselves against everyone else. Productivity becomes a competition, rest starts to feel unproductive, and our worth slowly becomes tied to how much we accomplish instead of who we are.
Many of us have grown up believing that hard work is the key to success. Hard work is a wonderful thing, but somewhere along the way many of us also began believing that we should always be working, always optimizing, and always chasing the next goal. Without realizing it, we can find ourselves caught in hustle culture.
Take a moment to pause and ask yourself:
What does success mean to me?
What am I chasing right now?
What would "enough" look like today?
Earlier this spring, I shared a little about my own experience with burnout. Even now, I'm still learning to recover from the habits that led me there.
For a long time, I believed success meant being the most productive version of myself in every area of life. I wanted to be the best employee, the best wife, the best friend, the best daughter, and the best leader. I was constantly looking for ways to improve, optimize, streamline, and squeeze a little more into every day.
When I finally reached the point where I felt completely overwhelmed, I remember sitting with my therapist explaining everything I needed to do. After listening patiently, she asked me one simple question:
"What do you actually have to do today?"
I immediately listed ten things.
Then we walked through them together.
Only one truly needed to be done that day.
One.
The other nine weren't deadlines. They weren't emergencies. They weren't essential to my health, my family, or even my job. They were expectations I had quietly placed on myself while trying to keep pace in a race that only existed in my own mind.
The hardest part was realizing I wasn't the only one paying the price. My coworkers, my family, and my friends weren't getting the best version of me because I was spending so much energy trying to accomplish things that didn't matter nearly as much as I thought they did.
That conversation changed the way I think about productivity.
Rest isn't something we earn after we've finished everything on our list. Sometimes rest is what gives us the clarity and energy to focus on the things that matter most.
This Week's Challenge
Choose one small way to step away from hustle culture this week.
Leave one task unfinished and allow yourself to rest.
Celebrate something you've already accomplished instead of immediately moving to the next goal.
Take your lunch break away from your desk.
Ask yourself: What hustle habit am I ready to release?
Small choices made consistently have a way of changing the direction of our lives. My hope is that you'll discover what I'm still learning myself: peace isn't found by doing more. It grows when we make room for what matters most.
Growing Good
July 26 is National Bagelfest Day! I'm usually not a big pastry person, but a toasted bagel piled high with eggs, bacon, avocado, and spinach is hard to beat. Invite coworkers to bring a variety of bagels and spreads for breakfast, or host a simple bagel brunch with family or friends. Sharing a meal is an easy way to build connection.
July 31 is National Jump for Jelly Beans Day! Add a little movement to the celebration by grabbing a jump rope and seeing how many jumps it takes to "earn" your jelly beans. It's a fun activity for coworkers, friends, or kids. Check out the wellness poster to see approximately how many jumps it takes to burn off your favorite sweet treat.
Rachel Recommends
Plants!
Every room feels a little happier with a plant.
Now, before you assume I'm some kind of gardening expert, let me be honest...I've managed to lose cacti, succulents, and just about every herb I've ever tried to grow at home. Somehow, though, my office plants keep thriving.
They make my workspace feel calmer, brighter, and more welcoming. If you've been wanting to refresh your home or office, start with one easy-care plant. You might be surprised how much joy a little greenery can bring.
Book of the Month Club
You already know how much I love books. While I appreciate the convenience of my Kindle when I travel, there's still something special about opening a brand-new hardcover book.
Book of the Month has become one of my favorite little monthly treats. I get to choose a new hardcover each month (or skip if nothing catches my eye), and it's often less expensive than buying new releases individually. If you're always looking for your next great read, it's definitely worth checking out. Get your first book for $5 here!
A Gift for You: The Release List
As I continue learning to let go of hustle culture, I've realized that sometimes the most important thing on my to-do list is deciding what doesn't belong there.
That's why I created The Release List.
It's a simple one-page guide to help you release the expectations, pressures, and distractions that were never yours to carry, while creating space for the people, priorities, and peace that matter most.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee, find a quiet place to sit for a few minutes, and let this be an invitation to breathe, reflect, and remember that your worth has never been measured by the number of boxes you check.
Download your free Release List here.
Perhaps the greatest lesson I'm learning is that God never asked us to carry the weight of proving our worth. He simply invites us to walk with Him.
Jesus said,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
That invitation is still open today.
If you've been running a race you were never asked to run, maybe this is the week to step off the track. Let go of one expectation, choose one moment of rest, and trust that faithfulness is more important than constant productivity.
Peace isn't found at the end of a perfectly completed to-do list. It grows when we walk closely with the One who promises to carry what we were never meant to carry.
