Just chill, bro...
I’ve heard enough about the CEO’s that wake up at 5AM, I want to know who's napping at noon!
Take a load off. Unwind. Grab some R&R. Let your hair down.
For a culture that has so many ways to say, “take a break”, I often feel guilty for wanting one. In fact, just the other night I was lying in bed at 11PM, scrolling through Instagram for the first time in a while. I was checking in on all the holidays and incredible food my friends seem to constantly experience, when a strange voice in my head interrupted me. If you’re awake you should be doing something productive. I went to my home screen and I was tempted to start a Duolingo lesson, but it was almost midnight, and I was surprised I was thinking straight in one language, never mind a second.
It’s interesting the guilt I often feel when I want to take ten. How did we get here? How did we get to a place in time where every hobby must be turned into a revenue stream? I am simultaneously encouraged to take time to prioritise my physical and mental health, and to “hustle”. It feels like that word means sacrifice everything you have for a slice of the economic pie. You know all the most successful people in the world? They wake up at 5AM, read 50 books a year, work on their craft everyday, and they started when they were 5 years younger than you. It feels like if I ever take a moment to relax, every other talented twenty something will take over, that I’ll never have a shot.
A shot at what? I don’t want to rule the world. I want fresh croissants and strong espresso. If I work for 10 years without learning how to rest, how will I be able to bask in the rewards I’ve earned for myself? Perhaps I am alone in this struggle to settle, but I have a strong hunch that many young adults entering the workforce feel the same immense pressure to perform, and perform to the 99th percentile. I am fed up with trying to win life, I am going to go and win Mario Kart instead.