Episode132: Working Brighter In The Hustle Culture with Brittany Berger

Go Go Go is addicting. 

During this social distancing time, I keep hearing people say that we can finally stop hustling and use this time to get in touch with ourselves. The problem with that thinking is it implies that hustling is something that was forced upon us. 

But in reality, hustling is something we choose to do as a coping mechanism against our uncomfortable feelings of sadness, grief, anger, doubt, and uncertainty. 

For those of us with High Functioning Anxiety, these mechanisms can lead to even greater levels of anxiety. We all rail against hustle culture while at the same time actively embracing it. This coping mechanism has become a valued cultural norm to point where we even glorifying it. 

So what would it be like to stop embracing the hustle culture altogether?

My guest today has raised a one-woman battle against hustle culture and her addiction to it. Brittany Berger is the founder of Work Brighter, a digital media company that helps productive unicorns go beyond working smarter to a version of productivity that makes room for “unproductive” things like rest, self-care, and fun. 

She started Work Brighter after 5 years running content marketing in high-stress startups that prioritized hustle, growth, and scaling over self-care and mental health. Now that she's changed her own mindset, she spends her time helping other high achievers define balance for themselves, advocating for mental health awareness, and dancing...always dancing.

That Brittany walks her talk which is one reason this interview is so amazing. She believed the hustle culture lie with all of her being and shares not only her burnout story but what she has created and the values she lives by now. 

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Brittany’s transformational story of burnout with all the nitty-gritty details
• What self-care really looks like
• Why it is so hard to unhook that belief that we can rest only when we have earned it
• Practical tips for when your to-do list is 500 things long and your boss is breathing down your throat 
• How to get out of the cycle of pushing during the week and collapsing on the weekend 

Brittany’s Links:

• Work Brighter
• Instagram @workbrighter
• Twitter @workbrighterco

Nancy’s Links:

• Coach in Your Pocket
• Live Happier Website

Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.com
Learn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com