I used to define “hard work” as something I needed to force myself to do to accomplish my goals. I thought I needed to grind day and night, lose sleep, neglect my body, stop seeing friends, and gain a heavy dependence on caffeine. Only then (so I thought) would I accomplish my goals.
I thought (thanks to hustle culture) if I wasn’t losing sleep over my passion project(s), I wasn’t doing it right.
Now I know that is a lie.
The ideology of hustling and grinding no matter what is not only counterproductive, it is a recipe for burnout.
Don’t get me wrong, hard work is necessary to get things done; action is needed to manifest your goals. You can’t just lay on the couch, imagine your dream life and (voila!) it appears.
I used to completely separate work and play. I thought work had to be painful, something I had to do to get by and make a buck. Sometimes it is, but I don’t see it as black and white anymore.
Work can be enjoyable. More importantly, rest can be enjoyable. We should not feel guilty for resting.
I have learned that when I spend the majority of my day in a flow state, work feels like play.
In flow, time simultaneously speeds up and slows down. You are not lost in thought of the future or past; you are fully present and alive.
I access my flow states when I write, teach, exercise, dance, and listen to music.
I have accomplished big things in my life when I learned to:
a. PUT IN THE WORK
b. REST and LET GO
Work is just as important as rest. When I say rest, I do not necessarily mean laying on the couch watching Netflix (though there is always a time and place for that).
Rest can look like spending time in nature. It can be a game night with your loved ones or a night out with your friends. It can be playing a musical instrument, making art, cooking, or working on a passion project.
Rest can be play, with no ulterior motives. Play for the sake of play.
“Play doesn’t just help us to explore what is essential. It is essential in and of itself” — Greg McKeown, Essentialism
I recently visited Meow Wolf in Denver, Colorado, an interactive museum with 70+ installations of “immersive, psychedelic, mind-bending art.” Basically, an acid trip come to life.
I was in awe of the explosion of creativity on every wall, through every door. Bright, hallucinogenic colors, mirrors, bizarre sci-fi animation, music, sounds, and intentional temperature change. We spent over two hours wandering through doors and portals and climbing through small spaces to emerge in other worlds and dimensions.
During my time in the museum, my creativity was ignited. It was like someone lit a fire in my soul and awakened my inner child — my imagination — my authentic creativity.
When I left the museum, I felt genuinely happy and newly inspired. I was giddy with joy.
I made a mental note to remember this feeling — this is what play and creativity feels like.
My goal in writing this article is to show you it’s OK to slow down. Not only is it OK, but it will contribute positively to your mental health and productivity later on.
Go do something fun. Go outside. Take a nap. Have a snack. Have a dance party in your living room (I do this quite often). Connect with your community. Connect with your loved ones.
Connect with yourself, your inner child, your imagination, your creative spark, whatever you choose to call it.
It’s OK to rest. It’s OK to slow down. It’s OK to play and have fun for the hell of it. This is my permission slip to you. You will not lose progress. In fact, I strongly believe you will gain a new insight or idea if you take some time away for rest, rejuvenation, and play.
Just like nature, seasons must change. We cannot always be in the summer of our lives; inevitably, winter will follow.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Lao Tzu
Be kind to yourselves. Work, rest, flow, repeat.
Thank you for reading, beautiful people! I am truly grateful for this wonderful, supportive, inspiring community. If you would like to support my work, please follow and subscribe to my email list so you never miss an article.
