It’s time to redefine what success means to you. Arianna Huffington speaks about how “Success has been reduced to money and power. In fact, at this point, success, money and power have practically become synonymous in the minds of many. If we don’t redefine success, the price we pay for our health and well-being will continue to rise.”
Dedicate time to yourself
With the fast-paced world that we live in today and stress levels and anxiety at all-time highs, negative emotions have been heightened and may be very prominent throughout every aspect of someone's life. Sometimes it can be looked down upon to take time out for yourself because we live in a culture where it seems like you always have to be “switched on.”
Reflect more
By taking time out for yourself to reflect and take a journal out and write down all of the things that you have accomplished, what you are grateful for, things that might be worrying you, and at least 3 action steps you can take to stop those worries - you will find that things will truly become clearer. You will feel empowered and ready to take on the world. Taking time out is truly a game changer and has a ripple effect on your life.
Be cognizant of the hustle culture
According to Talkspace therapist Dr. Olga Molina, “Hustle culture is working excessively without regard for one’s self-care needs and relationships in order to reach professional success.” Don't get me wrong working hard is very important to achieve professional success, however, it seems that this very aspect of working hard has been taken to new levels to the point where it has resulted in toxic productivity. Toxic productivity is the constant need to always feel the need to be productive to reach success. You need to have a healthy dose of working hard coupled with taking into account your mental health. You can't give your whole self in both a personal and professional sense without investing time in yourself. If you feel that you have been impacted/influenced significantly by the hustle culture, a shift in your perspective, behaviors and mindset is required. It can seem difficult but there are ways to help you reach more of a life-work balance including setting boundaries, time blocking not only time for work, but time for yourself, giving yourself grace and believing that you do in fact matter.
"Hustle culture has a negative impact on mental issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress. It can also cause burnout due to work-related stress and long working hours. Workers in a hustle culture have lost the ability for a work-life balance that’s critical for positive mental health." – Talkspace therapist Dr. Olga Molina
Emotion hijacking
When you do feel like your emotions are heightened and all over the place- things and people that never used to annoy you, annoy you. Whenever that happens and you feel the urge to lash out, try your best to not let that happen. My mom always says that your emotions are hijacking your rational thinking in your brain when your emotions are not aligned. Instead, when you feel that way, use your journal as a punching bag haha! As weird as that may sound. Dumping all of your thoughts on a piece of paper is good for you. Taking a nice walk out on a sunny day, being a tourist even if it’s in your own country, will make a world of difference as well.
Try not to follow other people's definition of success
With the prominence of social media and the many friends, people we look up to, business influencers, and self-help influencers out there, etc. it's very easy to want to feel the need to follow their definition of success and attain that version of success. Their definition may resonate with you and be one that you truly want to pursue, but many times some may feel the need to fit in and follow something that is not truly aligned with who they are as a person at their core.
Rethink success and your well-being = Reaps of rewards in your life.
At the end of the day, truly getting to understand who you are at your core, will allow you to clearly define what success is and what it means to you on a deeper level. It's important to also remember that integrating your well-being into your definition of success is vital.