AskLaurel

The Problems with Hustle Culture: Why Grinding Isn’t Always the Answer In today’s fast-paced world, hustle culture—or grind culture—has become a badge of honor for many. A badge that I wore proudly and feel intense shame for losing. It glorifies constant work, long hours, and the idea that success is only attainable through relentless effort. While ambition and hard work are valuable traits, hustle culture often comes at a steep cost to mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.   I want to take a closer look at the problems with hustle culture and why it’s crucial to rethink this mindset.   1. Burnout Becomes Inevitable Hustle culture thrives on the idea that rest is a luxury, not a necessity. However, the human body and mind are not designed to operate at full capacity 24/7. Constantly pushing yourself without breaks can lead to burnout—a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. Burnout doesn’t just affect your productivity; it can also lead ...

Mother’s Day: How Our Relationships with Moms Shape Us (And Why It’s Okay to Feel Complicated About It) Mother’s Day can be a beautiful celebration—or a tricky minefield of emotions. For some, it’s a day to honor a mom who’s been their rock. For others, it’s a day that stirs up grief, frustration, or a mix of feelings that don’t fit neatly into a greeting card. Wherever you land, your feelings are valid.   But why does Mother’s Day hit so hard for so many people? The answer lies in how foundational our relationships with our mothers—or mother figures—really are.  The Puzzle Piece of Attachment I always tell my clients, “Children grow up like a puzzle piece shaped around their parent’s attachment style”. It’s true. Our early relationships with our caregivers, especially our moms, create the blueprint for how we connect with others later in life.   This idea comes from attachment theory, which suggests that the way we bond with our caregivers as kids influences ho...

 How to Manage Your Emotional Well-Being When You Can’t Go to Therapy  Life can throw curveballs at us—whether it's being in between jobs, lacking health insurance, or simply not having access to therapy when you need it most. These moments can feel overwhelming, but there are ways to care for your emotional well-being and process what you’re going through, even without formal support.   I wanted to share about this because I recently found myself in a place where I am in between jobs for the first time in a decade, I won’t have health insurance for a few weeks. It has been a really uncertain period of my life. So, I felt the weight of needing to process so much emotionally while also feeling stuck because therapy wasn’t an option. I realized I had to find ways to regulate my emotions and care for myself, even without professional support.   Here are some strategies that have been helping me and can help you too:   1. Understand Your Nervous Syste...