Author C. Sloan Lewis

As someone who has experienced severe burnout on several occasions, I like to take time every now and then to speak about it. It is important for us to acknowledge because we live in a culture where productivity seems to be the most important factor for self-worth. The grind, or hustle culture, is killing us. I’m sure you’ve seen videos or read articles about it, but it cannot be said enough because we keep falling back into it.

Starting my career as an indie author and content creator has made me realize just how easy it is to slip back into the grind, which inevitably will lead to burnout.

In fact, I had to take a break this weekend from everything because I had been under so much stress from the book launch and marketing that my mouth exploded with canker sores. Getting a single canker sore has always been my first sign to tell me I am in much need of R&R, but there were so many I couldn’t eat, talk, or even smile. This might be TMI for some, but I feel like it is important to share how our body deals with stress.

If not for these clear, and very painful signs, I probably would have been on a one-way track to burnout. Instead, they gave me the reminder I needed to CHILL, at least for a little bit. We all need breaks from time to time, that’s why work weeks have the weekend built in for them for those “normal” jobs.

But when our careers are based on the everflowing, ever-changing entity called the internet, any down time can feel like wasted time. Yes, taking off a few days might result in some missed opportunities to grow your following or sell whatever it is your selling, but you have to think of the big picture. What do you want your life to look like?

I don’t know about you, but I love the slow, simple life where I can drink warm beverages while reading a book on my couch. Yes, I want to be successful in my career as an indie author, but not by sacrificing the life I actually want to live.

Growing up, we often saw the “dad character” who worked too much and missed seeing his kids grow up (i.e. Hook, Kramer vs. Kramer, and… I guess the original Star Wars trilogy?), but I have yet to see any movies about the harm today’s hustle culture has on a life and their family. Which, thinking about how these parent influences are, is probably WAY more healthy than the ol’ “Dad missed my soccer game/ballet pagent again…” trope.

All this is to say: we all need to take time to figure out what we want our life to actually look like. We need to figure out how much of this grind we’re willing to take part in and also reflect on how it could be affecting our health and the relationships in our lives. I would much rather only sell a handful of books if it means living a cozy, loving life with my husband, daughter, and our collection of weird pets.

Oh, and just as a side note: stop using your kids for views and likes. It’s icky and could lead to some real problems for your kids one day.