Hustle culture will have you believing that your worth is measured in output. How fast you respond. How much you produce. How much you carry without breaking.
And if you’ve ever worked in a high-pressure industry, you know exactly how easy it is to confuse exhaustion with achievement. I did it for years. Long days. Constant availability. Running at a level that wasn’t sustainable.... but was always expected.
Here’s the truth I had to face: If you have to burn yourself down to be “valuable,” the system is broken… not you.
So this month, I slowed down on purpose. Not because I had time- but because I needed a different kind of life than the one hustle culture rewards....A life where rest isn’t earned through burnout....A life where peace isn’t something you get after the grind- it’s something you build into the day.
If you’re tired of proving yourself through exhaustion, you’re not alone. And you’re not required to stay loyal to a pace that’s destroying you.