Rise and Grind?

‘Rise and Grind’ reveres working for work’s sake, and it’s an immensely popular lifestyle. Psychology argues our egos have something to do with it: Perhaps non-stop hustling makes you feel important. If you have a lot on your plate, you must be in demand. Hustling enables you to stand out from the masses; after all, you can do everything that’s asked of you (and you can do it well).

But living without rest comes with a host of health concerns including slow declines in mental and physical health. Overwork may likely hinder your interpersonal relationships, too.

Conversely and likely without surprise, studies show that unplugging from the rat race boosts your productivity, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.

There are other drawbacks, too: Grind culture diminishes you and me to cogs in the capitalist wheel. We work hard and make more money. Because we have more money in our pockets we have more money to spend. Of course, we spend it on stuff. The average American has over 300,000 possessions, and rise and grind living is capitalism’s fuel.

Today we’re discussing hustle culture: What it is, who benefits from the collective all-in, and how we can slowly unsubscribe from a life of overwork.

Here’s a preview:

[5:00] Why do the (Western) masses follow grind culture’s principles despite its best interest?

[8:30] Who – or what – benefits from overwork? (Hint: It’s not you and me.)

[14:30] Rise and Shine over Rise and Grind: Here’s how

[22:30] How to practice letting of obligations go IRL, plus: what to do with your newfound free time

Resources mentioned:

• Why Are Young People Pretending to Love Work? (via NY Times)
• The ‘Rise and Grind’ of Hustle Culture (via Psychology Today)
• Tricia Hersey’s interview on We Can Do Hard Things
• Episode #308: Prioritizing Your Priorities

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