Dear August

Dear August,

We’re unpacking Hustle Culture this year… I am writing this in anticipation of the next academic year being less than a month out for my campus. I am trying to get my mind ready for the shift from summer to the beginning of fall and the academic year. It goes from 0 to 100, real quick.

There is just something in the air when August 1st rolls around, and iykyk (if you know, you know.) The hustle and bustle that comes with August is both exciting AND exhausting. As a matter of fact, I don’t think the hustle actually stops in higher education culture, it just slows down and then we get a break anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks thrown our way. I’m here to challenge you, the reader, AND myself to make a small shift to the hustle culture in Higher Ed.

I have been reflecting on-and-off about the general hustle culture in society for about 5 years now, specifically how to stay true to self - even in the hustle culture. I didn’t even realize what hustle culture was until the COVID-19 pandemic made us slowdown in 2020. In my own words, hustle culture is the illusion that society paints that says if we are not on the grind, busy, or hustling that we are unproductive or lazy. However, we can’t be PRODUCTIVE ALL THE TIME and eventually need to recharge.

One thing I have been working on this year is living according to my personal values, which are: mindfulness, open-mindedness, self-care, and spirituality. This comes from a counseling theory called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT has 6 core processes, and I will briefly just scratch the surface of some of them in this post.

One of the core concepts of ACT is living in accordance to our values. I encourage you to sit down and consider what your own values are. Here are some resources of different values exploration/inventories.

• Russ Harris Values Checklist: https://www.actmindfully.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Values_Checklist_-_Russ_Harris.pdf
• Super’s Work Values Inventory: https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.psu.edu/dist/b/37738/files/2016/01/Work-Values-Inventory.pdf
• Values Self-Exploration: https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/values-self-exploration

 

I emphasize values because they can help serve as a guidepost for our lives, especially in times where we have to make decisions --- BUT they can also help us to know how to take small, committed actions- which is another core process of ACT.

As mentioned, mindfulness is one of my personal values but is also an ACT process as well. Mindfulness is defined as paying attention in a particular way ON PURPOSE, in the present moment, AND nonjudgmentally. Most people associate meditation or yoga with mindfulness and yes, those are two of the ways you can practice mindfulness. However, you can also make many other activities be mindful. One of my favorites is mindful walking. If you are being intentional and noticing through using your 5 senses and thoughts during your mindful activity- you are practicing mindfulness. Hint: if you do start thinking about things other than your sensations and presently being engaged with your mindful activity of choice, bring yourself gently back into the task at hand. It’s ok if your mind “veers off,” but what matters most is your ability to bring yourself back to the present.

Here are some of the ways I’m unlearning the hustle culture:

• I DON’T PLAY ABOUT MY SLEEP! lol. Seriously though, I have my phone set on Do Not Disturb starting at 10:15pm until my alarm goes off in the morning.
• Viewing my energy as a form of currency, just like money!
• Validate and extend myself the same grace I would give to others
• Not feeling guilty for using PTO for a mental health day
• Accept that sometimes getting things done is better than things being perfect

Even though I am an ambitious person, one of the biggest lessons for me is learning how to balance rest along the way. It’s easy to get caught up in the grind, the late nights, and the no sleep mentality, but it is NOT sustainable.

So, to the higher ed professional reading this, please don’t let the noise of hustle culture make you forget you are more than your productivity. Rest is a requirement, not a reward.

I want to leave you with a few reflection questions for this academic year:

• What can I do to create a culture of pause for myself? How about for my colleagues and students?
• Bonus points & rhetorical: What small, committed action can I take this academic year in according to my values?

To hold myself accountable, I’ll share my responses with you:

• To create a Pause for myself I will: mediate for 10 minutes a day, eat away from my desk, and track my moods at least twice a day during the work week.
• Small, committed actions I can take: Put my work-hours in my e-mail signature, set a timer to limit the amount of time I am on social media apps on my phone, run a half-marathon in the fall (my first ever fall half.)

So August, While I’m aware and accept that this month may be a roller coaster, I am also ready to be mindful of the day to day and moments that come with it.

Sincerely,

Christiana

Have a great school year!

-

Christiana "Chrissy" Kyles started college as a student in 2010 and has been on a college campus ever since. Since then, she has earned a Masters in Adult and Higher Education as well as a Masters in Counseling. She has worked in Higher Education since 2017 and has experience in university counseling, career development, and diversity and inclusion. Her clinical interests include working with diverse student populations and student-athletes. With experience working with college students, and her own life experience, Chrissy strives to live by the quote “Be the person you needed when you were younger." In her spare time, Chrissy likes to go to run, write poetry or blogs, explore new places to eat, and attend sporting events (Go Bronchos, Pokes, and OKC Thunder!)