This is your reminder that it's okay to slow down and take days off

While having goals for our lives and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones can be empowering, it's not always realistic, and it's essential to limit our expectations.

Striving for success in our careers, fitness, relationships, and finances can feel like we have multiple plates spinning at the same time.

Sometimes we have the energy to keep them going. Sometimes we don’t.

Hustle culture has become a prevalent part of our lives in today's society, with people relentlessly pushing themselves to their limits in a bid to succeed.

However, on the days (or weeks) when our physical, emotional, and social batteries run low, summoning the strength to maintain our rigorous routines can feel like agonising torture, with every fibre of our being resisting the call to stay on track.

Perhaps on these occasions, we still manage to muster the energy and motivation to push ourselves to just get it done.

But perhaps, on those days, we should listen to our mind, body, and soul when they are screaming at us to take a day off.

This morning, I ignored this internal plea. Despite feeling the weight of pure exhaustion, I forced myself out of bed at 6 am for the gym.

"You'll be so happy you pushed past this feeling and went," I told myself, and I proceeded to reluctantly dress and brace myself for something I really didn't want to do.

I arrived at the gym with this resisting feeling still very much alive inside of my mind and body.

It was when I got halfway up the stairs of the gym, on the verge of tears, weary from exhaustion, that I decided: No, I can't and don't want to do this today.

Turning around and heading back home to my bed for an extra snooze before work was the best gift I could have given myself on a day like today — one I should afford myself more often.

Every morning, I carry out my same routine, and there are days when I 'push' myself because I just need an internal pep talk because I'm a little sleepy or craving my bed, but ultimately, I want to go and know I'll feel good after pushing myself.

This morning was another story. I was filled with dread, anxiety, sadness, and exhaustion at the idea of a morning gym session, but I felt like I had to do it.

Not even 24 hours beforehand, I had fallen asleep on the bus home from work — something that never happens to me — yet, this morning, I was forcing myself to carry on as if I were at my optimum energy levels.

This example can be applied and seen across all areas of our lives, and it's just one example of the relentless nature of hustle culture.

Hustle culture refers to the idea that we should always be working hard to achieve success and that we never stop for a minute in our pursuit of our goals.

I'm all for discipline and hard work, but this 24/7 culture is not sustainable for me anyway, and it can also be counterproductive.

According to Talkspace therapist Dr. Olga Molina, hustle culture and this constant pursuit of productivity and success can seriously affect mental health and have a negative impact on mental issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress.

It can also cause burnout due to work-related stress and long working hours, as well as losing the ability to have a work-life balance, something that is vital for positive mental health.

The 'toxic positivity' around hustle culture leaves very little room for error or failure and has been linked to increased stress levels, burnout, and depression.

We can work to dismantle the glorification of working hard and long hours, never slowing down, at the expense of our mental and physical health, by adopting a few new practices into our lives.

This could mean setting boundaries and learning to say 'no' when necessary to slow down or reduce workload.

Similarly, guilt should never accompany taking a day off; instead, it's an act of prioritising self-care and well-being.

When nearing burnout, granting ourselves a day of rest is not only encouraged, but it's essential.

Instead, let's work towards a culture that values rest, self-care, and well-being as much as it does productivity and success.

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