Work is the best medicine

I have heard some young content creators say how lucky they are that they get to live their lives working only 20 hours a week and earn money doing what they love.  However, how many of them really tell us the state of their mental health?  

Only speaking from experience, the work-life balance or life more than work idea was one that I used so much effort to uphold too when I was younger.  Many young people I have met told me they are taking a break because of how their corporate work life have crushed them and their physical health has taken a toll.  I have experienced the same.

I even quit life and lived full time on a farm to try to escape the systems when I was 30.  But what I want to escape is not work, as I love work, but the system.  So anytime someone tells me they are happy because they don’t have to work, that is WITHDRAWAL.  And withdrawal is the one of the highest risks leading to poor mental health, again, only speaking from personal experience.

The systems we are in are senseless and many of us do feel the ugliness of it, BUT running away from it, avoiding it, trying to beat it-I have realized, does not work.  Any reaction towards it, and there are many who react, only keeps us in reaction and in consequence, the system will react back to us. We will feel we are not truly fitting in, we feel unsupported-but honestly, if we do not want to be a part of the system, why would the system support us?

Not only have I lived on a farm trying to grow my own vegetables and eat it and live a life unbothered, I have also travelled to the other side of the world to S. America for 6 years, wanting to get as far away as possible to the systems and greed of commercialism we face here every day, nothing worked.  I ended up deeply exhausted as so much effort was used, and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Fast forwarding to today-I work 60-70 hours a week and 4 jobs, I have a full time job, some part-time jobs and freelance work as well.  My work span different industries, from fashion, modelling, social media, production, body work to counselling.  I also do not have a helper and take care of my home, the cooking, cleaning, washing up, dog caring and parenting by myself with my son.  I am also writing booksand shoot reels every day.  Who has made the rule that a normal work week is 40 hours?  I rarely go out at night unless it is work related when there is no other time slot available, because my evenings and nights are claimed for deep recuperation of my body for the next day.  I do not do weekends, and any “spare time” I have will be offered to meet people and have deep and meaningful conversations that busy lifestyles do not encourage.

Not withdrawing from life, whilst realising the cruelty of the system, calling it out daily and deeply self-caring our body, is the only way that I have found to truly support my physical, mental health and to being fully here and committed in the world and in life.  It has changed my physical appearance, physically looking younger, more beautiful despite growing older, it has expanded my heart to a greater acceptance of life, of people and of myself.  I don’t ever feel separate from people, even though I may not have many close friends, but I feel close to everyone and walking out the street feels like meeting family in every corner.  This is what a 20 hour work week would never give me, and I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to work and commit to life to never feel you are not a part of the all.