Is the Rise-and-Grind Mindset Killing Our Joy? The Dark Side of Over-Optimized Lives
Dawn colours the sky, but for some, it is not a serendipitous awakening; it is more like a jarring alarm clock signalling another carefully crafted day. The “5 AM Club” and the quest for an “optimized life” are now desired ideals, but behind the veil of productivity is a sinister truth: Are we trading true happiness for perception of control?
Gone are the impromptu nights, long conversations, or just living in the moment. Our lives have been turned into complicated spreadsheets, each hour planned, each activity with a designated reason. This over scheduling, efficient as it may appear, fosters minute anxiety. Missing a workout, a traffic delay, or a friend’s last minute dinner invitation can ruin a whole day, and our whole carefully built equilibrium, causing out of proportion stress.
This culture of relentless achievement also casts a long shadow over others who opt for another route. Are you behind if you’re not rising at the break of dawn, going to the gym, finishing your list of tasks, and networking day in and day out? This implicit pressure can leave those who are content with their own pace feeling inadequate, even lazy, for not engaging in the relentless drive for more. It’s a quiet kind of social conditioning that breaks down self-acceptance and encourages an unattainable ideal.
Corporate culture, much lauded as encouraging ambition, has been behind much of this change. Personal and professional demands have merged to create a pseudo work life balance where leisure time is usually just another item on the schedule, not an actual experience. The concept of a 7 AM gym session, 9 to 5 job, then “mandatory” happy hour doesn’t always equal living life to the max; it’s usually a constant barrage that trumps simplicity and real connection.
We’ve gotten so fixated on the notion of balance, a flawlessly staged Instagram page of health and accomplishment, that we’ve lost sight of what real balance is. It’s not taking every minute; it’s creating room for what is real. What is “family” when shared time is put on the calendar? What is really to “live life” when each second is feat to be documented, instead of a second to be enjoyed?
Maybe it’s time to ask ourselves if this never ending, perpetual competition is really taking us to happiness or merely keeping us away from the very nub of a carefree, joyful life.
About the author,
Shraddha Chaudhary
A creative girl with a deep love for novels and a knack for dancing. With an inclination towards finance and a heart full of compassion for animals.
