Written by: Cynthia Martin, CHt, RMT, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I remember the days of my old corporate life where the attitude and company culture were that the more you worked, the better of an employee you were and the more valued and secure you were in your position. It was common practice to leave work after a full day and end up back online at home working past midnight.
In fact, I recall it feeling as though it was celebrated and even expected to be a team player and put in the extra hours especially being part of the leadership. I also, remember the crushing pressure of performing and not wanting to fall out of favor for going against the hustle. With the rates of mental health issues rapidly rising as well as the rising cost of productivity estimating an average of $500 billion per year in the US, it is not only important but essential to break the toxic cycles of the hustle culture for the sake of the people and the businesses that employ them.
What is a Hustle Culture?
The "hustle & grind" culture is a dangerous and toxic social standard of practice with unrealistic expectations of the "No pain no gain," "Don't stop when you're tired, you stop when you're done" mindset.
Steals your personal power enslaving you to internal and external pressure. The implication is that this mindset equates personal value with production capability and a dependency on unpredictable rewards of success giving that dopamine hit until the next win.
What makes this behavior toxic is that this no breaks, reward seeking, overworking and overcommitting lifestyle keeps you in a constant state of stress and fight or flight for prolonged periods exposing the body to elevated levels of cortisol ‒ stress hormone making burnout inevitable.
The 'rise & grind' hustle culture promotes behavior that can be harmful to your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and can have adverse effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, heart issues, impaired judgement, increased errors, reduced productivity, and much more.
Not to mention the financial impact stress has on the costs of doing business which research shows to be an estimated $500 billion dollars in productivity loss per year in the US alone. Mental health, especially post-pandemic, is ranking as the number one factor in stress management and work wellness for employees and is essential for leaders to take proactive action to provide essential support to their people and teams.
Here are 10 tips to help you move from hustle to thriving
Check-in with yourself and become aware of your needs. Are you feeling exhausted, drained, or depleted with no time for self-care?
Take inventory of your intentions and motivations to see if they are in alignment with your why?
Consider downtime as being productive because taking time to rest, refuel and regenerate is a long game investment.
Incorporate rewards upfront and break the cycle of waiting for someday to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Science proves that micro goals and micro rewards fuel momentum and consistency for productivity.
Treat self-care as a success strategy and a daily essential instead of a scarce commodity or a reward to earn and lead with self-compassion and self-love.
Embrace the gift of the “Pause,” by taking intentional moments to connect, to break from the noise and distraction and allow yourself the opportunity and space to get present, centered refocused and reconnected so you can leverage your creative energy.
Instead of hustling be clear and intentional on where you place your energy, attention and focus so that you are optimizing them by focusing on the 20% that will yield you 80% of your results by doing more of what’s important and less of what isn't.
Manage your energy not your time and incorporate time for enjoyment so you can play hard and work smart.
Make joy your motivation for achievement and do only what gives you joy and your life will align with the success you are designed for.
Make rest, pleasure and laughter a priority that motivates you and brings balance to your life and you will find you have the energy to succeed well.
Remember, life is meant to be lived fully while you’re still breathing and have the capacity to enjoy it so why not make room to do it now in the present which is the time you’re in anyway. Try these tips and if you need help navigating be sure to get the right help for you so you can make the shift happen.
Let’s connect on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info on upcoming programs and tools!
Cynthia Martin, CHt, RMT, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Cynthia is a Spiritual Awakening & Higher Mind Mastery Coach empowering conscious professionals, entrepreneurs, & emerging visionary leaders in their spiritual journey to become self-actualization and superconscious so they gain mastery of their mind and energy and create their dream reality. She is on a mission to activate greater potentials of conscious leadership for those seeking more than the ordinary in both life and business. By using transformational methods and tangible science-based frameworks that work at the level of the superconscious, she can help you achieve the fastest and easiest path to healing and reprogramming yourself to naturally live at your best in health, happiness, and wealth & success.
