Many of us have taken a blind plunge into the endless abyss that is “Drake Busy.”
What many of us don’t realize is that “Drake Busy” includes partaking in the toxic and miserable lifestyle that is most often referred to in the real world as “the grind.”
For those of you who live a healthy lifestyle or are under a rock, being “on the grind” is defined by Adam Urban on Urban Dictionary as, “to work hard, always be hustling or otherwise engaged in money-making or woman-procuring activities.”
Okay, but where do people get the idea that being on “the grind” actually helps you? When did this idea of forever working and always trying to get money (or women) would ever benefit you?
I hate sounding like your mother, but it might actually be all that time you spend on your phone. As we navigate the updated age of social media and the web, we are constantly reminded of other people’s successes but rarely do we see their losses.
Scrolling mindlessly into the bottomless pit of TikTok, Instagram or Facebook Reels can show you that many people with “aesthetically pleasing” lives credit working hard, staying on that grind and never letting themselves rest to get to where they are. We, as TikTok sheep, strive to live that life. We want to “be that girl” and wake up at 5 a.m., get the morning workout in, go to our office job and get everything off our to-do list before the hands of time can even consider getting close to noon.
In reality, we know that waking up every morning at 5 a.m. is not a realistic expectation of a human being. There are ways to get to our goals without constantly overworking ourselves. We could start the battle of “the grind” and stop the never-ending cycle of working 24/7.
Not convinced that “the grind” is bad yet? I’m surprised. “the grind” puts you, and oftentimes others around you, into a fight or flight mode. According to the Mayo Clinic, your body physically reacts to “minor hassles” as threats.
When you constantly work in high-pressure situations, your brain releases chemicals that keep you stressed for long amounts of time, which as hard as it may be to accept, will eventually lead to burnout.
Think about your friends who “only work well at the last minute.” They (need to work on their work ethic, but that’s neither here nor there) wait until the fight or flight chemicals kick in to help them meet their deadlines, and only then attempt to be productive.
Your friends that don’t need the threat of imminent doom to get their shit done and meet their deadlines are often more productive than they can appear to be. Taking a break from constant work can be more beneficial for your body and mind than one would imagine.
How can you combat “the grind?” at Drake? This year, the counseling center is starting to tackle it with students in workshops.
If that sounds like a little too much for you, taking breaks to move around, scheduling time away from working or your phone, and practicing general mindfulness are all amazing starts to giving your brain a break from constantly overworking.
