Saying Goodbye to Hustle Culture
I’ve found that sometimes the world outside my cozy bubble is very noisy — and very fast.
Even job descriptions today warn you: must thrive in a fast-paced environment, juggle multiple high-level tasks, and deliver with finesse and ease. Translation? Your value = your speed + output. In work with NASCAR or Formula 1, maybe that checks. But for most of us, this speed = worth equation is exhausting and, frankly, harmful.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the pursuit of hustle — and everything it promised — was draining me. Trite, but true. As I’ve redirected my energy toward presence rather than mere performance, I began to feel better about myself. Especially in the spaces where I didn’t (and still don’t) measure up to external standards.
Right now, a quiet bold life for me looks like prioritizing the thoughts, activities, and outputs that feel edifying. I’m focused on rituals and routines that align with what’s best for me. It’s not a 12-step beauty routine (yet), but it’s things like daily mindful movement, nourishing meals, and choosing what makes me feel safe.
And living with this much intention — going slow on purpose — is work.
Not to mention that there’s a cultural stigma around rest: that too much makes you lazy, and that relaxation has to be earned. I think that’s a dangerous trap. I’m all for celebrating consistency (shoutout to my 800+ day Duolingo streak!), but chasing rewards as means to an end at the expense of daily presence? That’s not it. The life energy that grind culture steals isn’t coming back. For me, being fully present — right here, right now — is the pursuit. It’s where I do my most meaningful work.
Hustle: The Gilded Cage
Chasing the metaphorical Birkin bag had me tying my worth to my productivity. In hustle culture, being constantly exhausted becomes a badge of honor. Rest is rationed — something you “earn” after work is done (if ever). But that mindset wrecked my nervous system, messed with my hormones, gave me deep anxiety, and — real talk — literal hives (TMI?).
I’ve spent too many seasons in the cycle of overextending, under-listening to myself, and chasing a finish line that keeps moving. And it breaks my heart because it wasn’t worth it. Not for me at least.
“The cost of a thing is the amount of life which is required to be exchanged for it. Now or in the future” – Henry David Thoreau
I really enjoy work — so when I say I’m not a fan of hustle, it’s not because I don’t appreciate effort. It’s because I liked the adrenaline of the hustle high too much… and had to accept that it wasn’t liking me back.
A wise friend once said about her own ambition, “I have to be careful what I commit to — because I go hard. And I don’t want to go hard toward something that isn’t aligned with my long-term goals.” That’s true, right? If you climb a 1,000-rung ladder leaned against the wrong wall… it’s frustrating to say the least.
So from this perspective, it seems to reason that I’m not opting out of ambition. I’m opting into alignment. Like choosing nourishing food over fast fixes — this is long-game living.
Reframing the Rhythm
Slowing down doesn’t equal less ambitious — it equals greater intention.
The crumbs I used to leave for myself at the end of the day — those little rituals — are now foundational. They’ve developed rhythmic currents and rich waves of calm in my life.
Self-Sufficiency as Sovereignty
When I journal, take tea , read, or simply find joy, I’m tending to myself. I’m refusing to outsource my peace because I’m not interested in buying back predatorily priced perspective of my own worth in shrink-wrapped, algorithm-approved packages that don’t serve me.
This shift — putting on my metaphorical oxygen mask first — has changed everything. It’s deepened my ability to set boundaries, enjoy relationships, and show up fully rather than depleted when I’m with the people that I love.
Some days, I still mentally tally points — as if I’m winning or losing at slow living in some kind of Hufflepuff House Cup. But overall, knowing that I can consistently choose rituals that feel like delight instead of duty is like playing a shell game that’s rigged in my favor.
The Real Work:
A Devotion to What Matters
This blog isn’t about hustle. It’s about heart. It’s an offering to the practice of living with presence, curiosity, and care.
Here, rest is not meant to be a trophy earned after a hard day. It’s life lived well. Sprinting through life just to collapse at the finish line, isn’t the goal here. The idea is to move with care and enjoy the journey, not just survive it.
You are a Flower, and
Flowers Always Bloom in Season
So, be reminded that your timing is sacred. Your pace is allowed.
By creating space, trusting the process, and nurturing yourself in the environments that give peace, you are already blooming.
-Stay Cozy-
References:
- Birkin Bag
- Hufflepuff House Cup
- NIH PubMed article on GERD
- Harvard Article on Stress and Hormones
- Why on and airplane, they ask you to put your oxygen mask on “first.”
(P.S. I receive no affiliate commission from these links, they are here purely for your enjoyment and reference).
Bonus Track
If you’re feeling the tug — the constant push to perform, produce, and prove — pause for a moment. Take a breath. Get quiet enough to hear what you actually need. Maybe it’s rest. Maybe it’s permission to explore something just because it delights you.
Keep the Conversation Going:
✨ What’s keeping you tethered to hustle culture?
💬 I’d love to hear your responses. Reply below or tag me. @rosnolia.
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