Everyone wants to be successful. People want experiences to grow and advance in their desired fields. Everyone talks about how you need to "hustle" to become successful. Ask yourselves this: is it worth it?

In the midst of the COVID-19 breakout, everything has been put on pause. In a culture where hustling is everything, having to rest and do nothing is taking its toll on people. Before the lockdown, I was working full-time, taking five classes, participating in extracurricular activities, along with going to the gym, and finding time to study and maintain a social life. I thrived off my busy schedule. The hustle lifestyle was something I perfected.

Then came the lockdown. Having to really rest and take a break made me realize something, I hustled because yes I wanted to grow, but ultimately I did it because I wanted a distraction. Don't get me wrong, I loved everything I was doing; my job, philanthropy, ministry, internship, they were my reasons to get up every morning with a smile on my face. Yet, I began to realize just how unhealthy that lifestyle truly is.

My weekday schedule consisted of leaving my house at 8am and coming home at around 8-9pm. Then, I would eat, shower, and do homework before going to bed at around 12-1am only to wake up and do it all again tomorrow. The weekends are usually meant for a time of rest, but for me it meant doing weekend activities with my philanthropy or ministry or catching up on homework.

Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love everything I do, but I realized I developed some very unhealthy habits as a result of my hustle lifestyle.

This generation is breeding the mindset of hustling and competition. In order to be the best you have to be doing this or that, beating him or her for this top spot, getting this internship, getting these grades, and etc. As a result of my hustle lifestyle, I realized I became more competitive. I was never much of a competitive person, I just want everyone to have a good time. Yet, this hustle culture breeds the mindset of intense competition and always having to be better than the person next to you. Rather than encouraging one another, we tear each other down because we want to be the best.

The hustle lifestyle has also resulted in me picking up some unhealthy habits. I sleep for only about 4-5 hours every night, and I don't eat as healthy as I should. This results in me being more irrational, crabby, and a less patient person. If you've ever seen the episode of SpongeBob Squarepants where SpongeBob turns into the abrasive sponge, that is exactly what I resemble.

The more time I spend in isolation, away from all the activities in my life, I realized everything I do is just a distraction. I'm not really the type of person who is good at being alone with themselves, which is one of the reasons I take so much onto my plate. Thanks to COVID-19, the only thing I have to do is to be by myself. This is a season in my life where the only thing I have to do is rest, and sometimes rest isn't easy.

The hustle culture can be beneficial, but only if you know how to balance it. When you have a healthy mindset, and a healthy schedule, the hustle can really spring you forward in life. Before you begin taking so much onto your plate, ask yourself if you can truly handle it. You don't have to get everything done in such a short timespan to prove that you're great. Don't forget that your health comes first. The hustle can wait, but taking care of yourself can't.