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JOIN THE MOVEMENT | Reject the toxic hustle culture and choose rest, self care and joy! A written piece by Allyson Twiggs Dyer. 

Call this a movement or just a nudge…but I hope you'll help me spread this message and take the pledge to Reject the Hustle in your life. And most of all, I hope you'll learn a little something along the way. Because it's time to Reject the Hustle.

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ARE YOU TIRED? I AM.

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I’m tired of working 24/7 and hustling to the point of burnout, hoping I will “make it” one day in my career, my finances, and my social life. I’m tired of being overwhelmed, burned out, and playing a nasty comparison game in my head.

Out of my exhaustion, I became fed-up with the hustle culture and tried to pinpoint why we hustle our lives away. Why we sacrifice our sanity, our health, our passions, and our time with loved ones in hopes to “get ahead.” I then recognized what was contributing to and instigating all this overwhelmingness and comparison… messages on social media.

I read different social media messages that told me to work through it. My social media feed said to “hustle, girlfriend,” “work hard,” “work so hard you never have time for fun,” “if you’re not hustling you’re not successful,” …you get the gist. It occurred to me that this “hustle culture” was toxic to me and my well being.

And it is toxic to you, my friends.

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This wasn’t a place I wanted to stay and get comfortable, so I knew there had to be a better way. A better way to work, a better way to live, and a better way to be an example to others.

So, I felt like I needed to take a stand, shout from the rooftops, or just simply share a new message: Reject the Hustle.

Reject being told that we have to do ALL the things and show up everywhere to get ahead. Reject those pretty, sparkly social media messages (trust me, I loved them, too!) that encourage hustle over alignment, burnout over balance, and isolation over inclusion. I’m certainly not saying we shouldn’t work hard…because we absolutely should…but we work hard on OUR terms.

The 2020 year and now 2021,  has proven to many of us that we need to reject the hustle now more than ever. We need to say ‘no’ especially as the world tries to slowly tilt back to some sort of normal. I’m fearful there will be a firehose-force rush to get back to "ALL THE THINGS" we used to do. However, I urge you to think long and hard about whether all those ‘things’ matter to you now. 
  
I launched Reject the Hustle a little over a year ago, and its purpose resonates even stronger now than before COVID. Don’t let anyone else define ‘hustle’ for you. That's a term you get to decide the meaning of. Practice self-care that really heals you and don't be afraid to say no. These last several months, I’ve been deep-diving only into things (and people) that serve me.

So, in our collective quest to find normalcy, routine, or simply a new show to binge, I wanted to bring you a dose of goodness each month from articles I read or podcasts I listen to with the purpose of helping you stay on the path of Rejecting the Hustle and setting loving boundaries for yourself. Below are some tips to get your started on you " Reject The Hustle" journey...

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Here are 20 ways you can start your "Reject the Hustle" journey in 2021 : 

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20 WAYS TO REJECT THE HUSTLE IN 2021

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1. UNSUBSCRIBE

Unsubscribe from emails you don’t read. Yes, I’m talking to you, lady! Quit deleting those emails and just unsubscribe already…it’s ok, they won’t even notice you did it.

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2. UNFOLLOW

Unfollow people who make you feel bad about yourself (even if it’s a friend or family member). Or, if you’re not ready to unfollow them, hit mute or snooze for 30 days, but seriously, if someone’s social media posts make you feel icky…byyeee!

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3. BE PICKY WITH YOUR MEETING TIME

Stop meeting with people who don’t make you happy. We realize this isn’t always possible at work, but can you change the face-to-face meeting to a phone call to make it more bearable? Have an annoying person who keeps asking you to coffee? Just say, no thanks, I’m covered up right now.

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4. AVOID PHONE CALLS

Don’t answer the phone, like ever…ok, maybe not ever, but keep this in mind: we are not meant to be available 24/7. Do we have our phones on at all times? Yes, but that doesn’t always mean we’re available to talk. If you’re not in the mood to talk, try letting calls go to voicemail and see how you feel. If it’s something urgent, that person will text you or leave you a voicemail. Repeat after us: “I do not have to answer that.”

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‍5. THAT INCLUDES TEXTS ( SEE ABOVE )

Don’t respond to texts all the time either.

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6. TURN NOTIFICATIONS OFF

Turn notifications off on your phone. This is a lifesaver! Go into that Notification Center on your phone and change your life by turning 90% of them off. You really only need text notifications and calendar…the rest is just noise.

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‍7. NO FREE WORK!

Say no to “pick your brain” meetings you are not committed to. Do you work for free? We didn’t think so.

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8. STICK TO A MORNING ROUTINE 

Create and stick with a morning routine. We don’t care what you do in this routine, just decide what works for you and try your best to stick with it…it works, we promise.

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9. AAANNNNDDDD ... A NIGHTTIME ROUTINE 

Create and stick with a nighttime routine, too. See above!

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10. PHONE A FRIEND

Phone a friend. Find a time that works for both of you and have a real conversation. Connect with someone you deeply care about, and it’ll make you both feel heard and refreshed.

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11. MOVE YOUR BODY 

Exercise is so important to the mind and body. If you just want to walk around the block every afternoon, do it. Just try to move your body every day. Bonus tip: we recommend living room dance parties.

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12. WATCH YOUR NEWS INTAKE

Watch how much news you consume. it is so easy to obsess over the news these days, but you don’t have to read/watch it all…get what you need to know and move on. No need to dwell on it.

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13. R E S T

Slow your mind, sit in silence, take naps, close your eyes, put your phone down, recline your seat in your car at school pick up…but by all means, REST.

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14. SLEEP

Sleep (not to be confused with rest). You need 8 hours each night, no excuses. It’s been proven. So do what you need to do to get 8 hours every night. We promise you’ll feel so much better when you do. Sleep should always come before your hustle.

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15. HYDRATE

Water your body all day long by making sure you hydrate hydrate hydrate.

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16. GO OUTSIDE

Going outside and experiencing nature (even if it’s just a walk down the street!) can help our mental health immensely. There’s something about being outside that refreshes us.

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17. JOURNAL

In the midst of the business, don’t forget to journal. Write down memories, reflections, disappointments. Take the time to process your emotions and journal.

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18. DREAM, BE INSPIRED!

One of the most atrocious things we can do is forget to dream or be inspired. You should never be too busy to dream!

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19. REJECT THE HUSTLE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES

Finally, and most importantly, remember to take time to rest with your loved ones. Slow down time by enjoying a meal together, taking a walk, or just talking.

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20. SAY "NO" TO ZOOM

Just say no to zoom video calls…when did it become the norm to be “on” the call each time? Protect your energy and opt out of being on video all the time. It’s exhausting!

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To learn more about REJECT THE HUSTLE , take the pledge and sign up for the "REJECT THE HUSTLE" official newsletter HERE

FOLLOW along with Reject the Hustle on Instagram HERE and read more about the movement on the "Reject The Hustle" BLOG!

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MEET THE AUTHOR | Hello there! I’m Allyson. I founded Reject the Hustle in 2019, in hopes of dispelling the myth that you have to work your life away in order to be successful. Believe it or not, there is life outside of getting ahead, and you can lead a wonderful, prosperous life while also taking a nap every once in a while.

In addition to Reject the Hustle, I wear many hats as a business owner, marketing consultant, speaker, and mentor. I run a Boutique Marketing firm, The Twiggs Group, that I founded in 2014, a personal blog, and Reject the Hustle. I use my many platforms to advocate for a healthy/work-life balance and to educate others on how saying “no” can leave room for an abundant “yes.”

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