Grace Over Grind - Rediscovering flow, values, and joy in hustle culture

This morning, on my early walk, I was listening to The Calmer You Podcast with Chloe Brotheridge, where her guest Bianca Best shared a phrase that stopped me in my tracks. Bianca spoke about how we should aim for graceful productivity if we want to stay well mentally.

You know those lightbulb moments that land so clearly you almost feel them physically? This was one of those and I stopped walking to rewind and listen again. Amidst the relentless hum of hustle culture, where output is glorified and exhaustion worn like a badge of honour, the invitation to ‘get stuff done with grace’ felt like the biggest permission slip and it was immediately signed off by me.

In a world where burnout almost feels like a rite of passage, finding ways to manage your wellness and derail the burnout train isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. And yet, according to Mental Health UK, 1 in 5 workers feel unable to manage pressure and stress at work, and burnout costs the UK economy an estimated £28 billion a year. No wonder we’re yearning for another way.

Flow - Your natural antidote to burnout

One of the most powerful tools we have is the ability to engage in activities that take us into a flow state.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who pioneered this concept, described flow as being ‘in the zone’. It’s when you are fully absorbed in what you’re doing, losing track of time, feeling both challenged and capable. It’s that sweet spot where your skills meet the right level of stretch.

In flow, you feel:

• Present and deeply engaged

• Energised rather than drained

• Whole, connected, and authentically you

So how do you find your personal elixir? A great starting point is looking back to childhood. From the ages of 7–15, what brought you unbridled joy? Was it singing, painting, acting, sport, or simply doodling in the margins of your schoolbooks?

If you’ve long abandoned that hobby, what would it feel like to pick it back up again? A few years ago, I returned to ballet as an adult, and the joy it sparked reminded me that these activities aren’t frivolous at all; they’re essential to our wellbeing.

The Overlooked Key - Core values

Flow and joy are just one pathway. Another piece of the wellbeing puzzle is often overlooked and that is our core values.

Values get a bad reputation. They are stuffed down our throats in schools, plastered on workplace walls, and too often treated as empty words. But when you know your real values, the ones that hold meaning for you, not the ones you think you should have, life starts to feel clearer.

Here’s the psychology - values act as a compass, helping us filter decisions, align our behaviour, and stay authentic. When our actions align with our values, we experience congruence which is an internal harmony linked to better wellbeing and reduced stress. When we live out of alignment, the opposite happens so you may experience tension, indecision, and burnout.

Earlier this year, I wrestled with a difficult decision, mulling it over for days, swinging between options until it became paralysing. I’m embarrassed to admit I even resorted to an online spinner to ‘decide for me’! And this wasn’t a light-hearted decision, it was pretty important.

Eventually, I paused and asked myself, which option connects more strongly with my core values? Suddenly, the answer was obvious (Funnily enough, I was out walking when it hit me – more evidence for me to keep getting up and getting outside to walk!). Using that filter dissolved the noise and stopped the exhausting back-and-forth.

As the saying goes: you are what you do, not what you say you are. Living your values isn’t about sounding good, it’s about making daily choices that align with who you really are.

Choosing Grace

So, where does that leave us?

In the midst of hustle culture, the antidote isn’t always doing more, better, faster. It’s giving yourself permission to work - and live - with grace.

That might look like:

• Reclaiming hobbies that put you in flow

• Checking your decisions against your true values

• Choosing joy and authenticity over productivity at any cost

The psychology is clear - when we honour our flow and values, we don’t just protect ourselves from burnout, we open the door to purpose, passion, and joy.

And in the end, isn’t that what a fulfilled life is all about?