Hustle Culture and Self-Care: How to Find Balance Between These Two Seemingly Opposing Mindsets

“Keep pushing”.
“Take time for yourself”.

“Never let up – you got this”
“Resting is important”.

“Make today count”.
“It is okay if you get nothing done today”.

Anyone else feeling a little lost with the seemingly mixed-messaging from…everywhere. Personally, I struggle with balance, so having a voice in one ear telling me to be relentless while a second voice soothingly reminds me to slow down is more than a little confusing. Let’s talk this out and find some clarity – and maybe even some balance!

I tend to rush and push forward in life, trying to achieve all of the things I tell myself are important. Because of my outlook, I typically validate my rushing by telling myself I am working hard in order to contribute something meaningful to our larger society. When I reach the goals I have set, there is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment that fills my whole self! I feel in those moments that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. This is what is so magical about having goals we are always working toward. It gives us purpose and helps to guide our decision-making. My personal and professional goals are both important to me and give my life meaning; yet, all of the go, go, go that is required to meet each objective takes energy – lots of energy. And let’s base this conversation in reality: not every moment of my day can be dedicated to goal-attainment. I have daily responsibilities that take energy, which must also be accounted for. Imagine your energy is like a rechargeable battery; it can only be used so much before it needs to be docked and given time to recharge. So, our first task is finding balance is to prioritize our daily objectives and tasks that will require energy. When deciding on how to rank each item, it can be helpful to consider these questions:

·       What on this list is a necessity for today?  

·       What on this will get me closer to my goals?

·       How much energy will each task require (approximately)?

·       (If I don’t have enough energy for everything on the list) What can wait until tomorrow?

Now, I would tell you to re-imagine that battery and start dividing up the 100% of its energy according to the items on your list. But, let’s be honest: when is the last time you woke up with 100% of your energy? (not sure whether to laugh or cry at this). Perhaps it is because I plus my phone in at night and wake up to it being 100% charge that I believe sleeping will recharge me in the same way. Any yet, most mornings I am hitting snooze at least once before grumbling out of bed. This is where that soothing self-care voice comes in. There are things that have happened in the last few years that have impacted our battery’s juice. Even now, turning on the news or opening up your news feed app acts as a daily reminder of how our lives are facing a lot of upheaval and uncertainty. The mere act of engaging with these stories zaps energy! While a good night’s rest is essential to our energy replenishment, it takes more than sleep to find balance.

Self-care gets a bad rap; maybe it is because we don’t quite understand its relationship to success. When I ask goal-oriented people about their thoughts on self-care, I often get eye rolls, as if they aren’t the type of person that “needs” it. Here’s the thing: we all need it, especially when we have really important goals. Self-care is the unsung hero in recharging our batteries. Instead of waking up at 50% battery level, engaging in daily self-care allows me to wake up much closer to 100%. The act of taking time out makes me more efficient when I need to rely on energy to do hard work – it really is a numbers game. So, what does self-care look like? It is going to be different for everyone, because everyone recharges in different ways. Here are some simple examples that can be incorporated into your day that take less than 15 minutes:

·       A cup of tea while looking out the window

·       Listening to a podcast (no, not the informative kind! That’s for goal-related time)

·       A conversation with a friend or loved one (the more laughing the better)

·       A warm shower/bath with your favourite oils/body wash

·       Listening to your liked songs or favourite playlist

·       Walking outside, even if it is one lap around your yard/street

Basically, you can add anything to this list that makes you smile and puts you into a physical ease. Self-care is giving permission to our body to truly rest and replenish its energy. It is us sending a message of love to ourselves saying, “Yes, rest now. You are the reason important things get done”.

So, no, balance is not out of the question. We need hard work and we also need rest at daily intervals of our lives. The next time you feel confused by the messages and quotes filling up your headspace, remind yourself that both are important, and neither should be done without the other.