HUSTLING/WORK IS IMPORTANT, SO IS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.

Take the break if you need it. Take an extra day off when things feel overwhelming. Space out your assignments and goals if that helps you keep going. Rest is not wasted time, it’s part of being able to continue.

A lot of men push themselves because they feel behind or think they have to meet deadlines they created in their heads. But stress is real, and so are anxiety and depression. Ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear, it usually shows up somewhere else, mentally or physically. You can’t pour into school if you’re running on empty.

5 years ago, when I was in the peak of my college research help hustle, I was diagnosed with bipolar 1, anxiety and depression. At the time, it felt like my entire life changed. My heart would race for no reason, my stomach would drop constantly, and my mind never slowed down. I was thinking about everything all at once. The college stuff hustle became one of the hardest parts because it already wasn’t a place I enjoyed, and anxiety made it feel impossible.

Over time, I learned that recovery wasn’t about forcing myself to “push through.” It was about figuring out what actually worked for me. Eventually, I found my rhythm, got back on track with my services, and even most of my clients graduated earlier than expected before taking time for myself.

When I started off the College hustle, things were manageable at first. Some projects took longer than others, but I kept moving. Later, after putting to hold that stressful job, I focused more on innate myself and made good progress. But eventually I created pressure for myself by setting unrealistic deadlines, not because my world shifted, but because I expected too much from myself.

I started measuring every month, calculating every project, and treating my hustle like a race. My anxiety came back. Thinking about my kind of hustle affected my mood. Some days I cried just from feeling overwhelmed.

Then I realized something important, I didn’t need to be where I wanted to be according to the timeline I invented. I needed to follow the actual timeline available to me and work at a pace I could sustain.

Now I’m taking things one day at a time. I’m making space for hobbies again, reading and writing again, relaxing again, working out and rebuilding balance. Progress still counts even when it’s slower than planned.

To anyone in a toxic job environment right now, especially if you’re just starting off or in your early twenties or thirties, your timeline does not define your worth. You are not falling behind because you need rest. Adjusting your pace is not quitting.

Take care of yourself. Keep showing up in whatever way you can and in the best environment that supports your growth, and not crippling it in anyway. One step at a time in the right workplace environment still counts. We’re all moving toward the finish line, just not at the exact same speed.

AVOID THE PRESSURE TO CONFORM TO WORKPLACE TOXICITY AND FIND YOUR BEST NURTURING ENVIRONMENT.

#Happy Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.

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