Grind Culture is the Opposite of Embodiment
A newsletter to keep in touch and inspire connection.
Something we discuss often here at TeaScape is the idea of "grind culture". Grind culture or Hustle culture is a concept where longer and longer work hours are the metrics for measuring success. To quote an NYT article, it is a “performative workaholism” that is “obsessed with striving.” Coming in early, working through meals, checking emails on weekends are deemed as achievements. There is a glamorized workaholism with the catch being that nothing is ever enough. Even leisurely activities such as yoga and meditation have a degree of professional purpose and are used to heighten stamina and maintain attention spans. For many of us, these values have been instilled since youth, and this is the path for acing finals, getting promotions, achieving dreams, and "moving up" in the world, but we can't help but see this as a breeding ground for exhaustion, shame, disconnection, and burnout.
We adamantly advocate for rest, and therefore rebel against this concept of continuous work. We see rest as a productive and necessary activity for a healthy life and work-life. Rather than constantly seeking external validation through employers and status, we choose to turn inward to question our beliefs around success and abundance. To feel within our bodies what it is our families, social circles, and communities need from us. Weaving rest and self-care rituals into our lives create stronger foundations across the board as well as allow us to show up fully for people and activities of our choosing with a higher quality of interaction.
Some things to ponder...
Questions to answer in a journal or around the dinner table.
How would you describe your relationship to work?
Who is responsible for overwork -- the company or the employee?
What are the working conditions at your office/place of employment?
What are some signs that your life is in balance?
A collection of highly recommended sources of inspiration:
Read:
It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson - The authors broadly reject the prevailing notion that long hours, aggressive hustle, and "whatever it takes" are required to run a successful business today.
The poetry of Allen Ginsberg
Watch:
Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show - A radically inclusive 2020 fashion show and performance art piece.
The Social Dilemma - a new film about the hidden machinations behind social media and search platforms