Here’s a fun fact for you: March 17th this year was World Sleep Day. Yes, Sleep Day is an actual thing! It’s aimed at reminding us of the importance of slumber, in hopes that we begin to prioritize our sleep and well-being in this fast-paced, hustle culture-driven world.
Although I’m a huge advocate of work-life harmony (and that includes getting quality sleep every night!), I haven’t always been this way. In my early twenties, I was convinced that sleep was for the weak. Why sleep when you can spend those precious hours hustling to grow your business? That was the kind of toxic mentality that consumed me as a budding entrepreneur.
My business grew but at the expense of my well-being. I was constantly working and feeling stressed, with little to no time for myself. I was falling sick more often than ever and struggling with burnout. Ultimately, I realized that I had to make a change.
I spent a lot of time reading about well-being, not knowing where to start. Sleep seemed to pop up everywhere I looked, so I started there. I decided to define seven and a half hours of sleep per night as a non-negotiable. The first few days were the hardest. I would lie in bed thinking about work, feeling so tempted to reach out for my phone, but I resisted the urge. In just one week, my mood improved and I had so much more energy throughout the day. I felt amazing!
After that first experiment, I started improving other areas of my life, one at a time until I finally found my way to work-life harmony. Defining non-negotiables has been a game-changer for me. It gave me the opportunity to look beyond work and start prioritizing my well-being.
If you find yourself constantly hustling and barely sleeping, this is your reminder to pause and reevaluate your priorities. Define your non-negotiables and find your way back to harmony.
In harmony,
TW
