How to Break Your Addiction to Productivity and Slow the Fuck Down
Let me open this up by saying one of the most important things I have learned to date: FUCK hustle culture. I honestly didn’t intend to write this article about the epidemic of productivity addiction in our modern society, but upon reflection it is the root cause of what I really wanted to talk about, which was honoring the seasons and cyclical nature of life.
So I’ve talked about this on IG stories a little bit, but essentially the last several weeks have been filled with intense healing and deep solitude after discovering another ovarian cyst on my left ovary. The period of inwardness was not a result of the cyst, but rather the physical healing and the need for solitude came at the same time. While I focused on tending to my body and slowing down, I also stopped taking reiki clients and holding events outside of teaching yoga on island. I also took a step back from being present on social media and creating new content on my website and blog.
As a fairly new entrepreneur, this crushed me to feel so disconnected from my readers and clients. Just like working in corporate America, I too thought that I had to be pumping out so much new content to stay relevant and active with my business, or else I’d lose out on clients and abundance. But then I quickly realized that that was an old matrix template continuing to run through me that associates hard work with success and diminishes the idea of rest.
Does summer last all year round? Does the sun shine 24/7? Does the moon stay full through every phase? Do we stay awake all day and all night?
Nature is our mirror and greatest teacher. This society is set up to value productivity, hard work and hustle over rest, self-care, and slowing down.
“If you get off of the hamster wheel, you’ll be broke and fail.” Or will you?
As a former d1 athlete, honor student, and NYC magazine editor, I was addicted to “doing” because I thought that was the recipe for success. I became so frustrated four years ago when my body got sick as fuck. We are not meant to work as much as we do as a collective. Simple as that!
Everything is cyclical, like the four seasons of nature. Our hormones fluctuate to reflect this (women follow a 28-week cycle on average, men 24hr). Women should absolutely rest and reflect during menstruation, while ovulation can feel active, creative, and energizing. If we do not force ourselves to work when our bodies call for rest, then we aren’t acting from an authentic place and are going against what our bodies, minds, and spirits need to thrive. When we honor the messages of the body and trust what’s coming through, we are more aligned with our body, soul, and dharma. Therefore, abundance flows in tenfold. We can make so much more money while experiencing boundless pleasure just by honoring our sacred rest and holy no. That’s the secret sauce to manifesting your desires — working WITH your body, your soul, and nature instead of against it. All by trusting where you’re being led.
The grass would not grow without rain. We need not always be blooming. Taking your power back from systems outside of you and calling in more abundance, joy, and pleasure involves recognizing your right to rest. To be slow and soft. To take gentle care of what you need on all levels.
After leaving my corporate job in NYC to launch my business, I had to relearn that there won’t always be new ideas and clients flooding in, and that I would have periods of inactivity where rest and solitude is my only priority. This was a hard pill to swallow. I overworked in the spring and dishonored my body’s needs, and very quickly I developed another ovarian cyst as a reminder from my womb to come back home and not retreat back to old, toxic ways of functioning.
My business is an extension of me — and a reflection of nature. I no longer operate on a 24-hour work schedule. My boundaries have become so much stronger, and abundance is at a career high with more rest, ease, peace, and joy.
There’s a deep surrender that comes with trusting that the seasons of turning inward are equally as important as the seasons of blooming. Physically, energetically, and emotionally, our hormones, energy, and emotions fluctuate with these seasons — for women in the four phases of our menstrual cycles — and sometimes for several weeks to months depending on varying initiations we’re going through or bigger themes we’re working on embodying.
Like nature, our creativity ebbs and flows in waves. Embrace the seasons of life — whether you’re in a winter, spring, summer, or fall — and know that that is enough. You are exactly where you’re supposed to be, even if society or social media makes you feel like you’re not doing enough and falling short.
Whichever season you’re in, known that you’re worthy of honoring what your body and spirit are calling for in this moment. The magic comes with riding the ebbs and the flows and showing up for all of it with an open heart.
My period of solitude is coming to an end, and I can’t wait to emerge with a fresh perspective ready to serve you all in the best way that I can. Love you and be back very soon xxx