Confession: I’m a doctoral school drop out.

The very first rumblings of The Grind Culture Detox was when I was a doctoral student in an Education Leadership program. My doctoral research was studying well being specifically with early childhood educators.

In my research, I started to notice pretty interesting correlations between wellness and race, gender, and immigration status. The research I conducted in this program set the theoretical framework for The Grind Culture Detox. However, as I was studying wellness, I myself wasn’t well. My sleep schedule and eating patterns were erratic. I was on a strict schedule and barely had time to care for myself in between school and. work. This was also due to the fact that I got pregnant soon after starting the program and my body needed some additional TLC.

I wasn’t incorporating the wellness practices needed to thrive. I didn’t understand how to do so in my doctoral program, because grind culture was embedded within the fabric of the program. The grind was just a fact of life and simply part of the dues you paid to earn your degree. I finished my first year of my doctoral program and made some great strides in my research, but I had given birth to my son, and had a very stressful work schedule. I tried to advocate for remote learning in my program in order to have a more balanced schedule but my request was denied (this was pre-COVID era)

I realized that I couldn’t do it all and that I wasn’t superwoman. I literally had to stop studying about a culture of wellness and to take some time for my wellness journey. This was my first initiation into my grind culture detox journey.

Last fall, I was able to share my story with University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work to masters and doctoral students and it was a full circle moment for me. Many were seeking tools to minimize the harm of grind culture in their personal and professional lives. My workshop series was part of their Catalyst Series for Social Justice. This speaker series has included world renowned social justice authors such as: adrienne maree brown, Resmaa Menakhem, and Sonya Renee Taylor.

Check out the replay here.

Heather Archer is an author, workplace wellness coach, sound healer, and hypnotherapy practitioner who helps others heal their relationship with grind culture and toxic productivity through coaching, workshops, and retreats.www.thrivingwithheather.com.