Today, I saw a picture of a young woman. She was cute with her hair neatly pulled up in a tight bun; red pointed heels graced her feet and her best friend, coffee, was strapped to her right hand. She was hailing a taxi with the caption, “Just went to a meeting with Mr. CEO, closed a big client deal, finished my business plan and now I am off to my company dinner. #networking #hustler #stayready #stillcute”

I took a long look at my surroundings and I saw empty Starbucks cups on the floor, a tattered six-page to-do list on my desk, books and clothes scattered everywhere, 40 unread text messages on my phone and a computer with 50 million tabs open (this, of course, was my failed attempt to “multitask”).

On top of that, I was exhausted from all the meetings and socials. As I looked around, all I could do was cry.

There are more than 168 hours in a week and I could not think of one moment when I did something for myself.

I live in a city that is always booming. A place where connections are key. If you aren’t hustling 24/7, you might as well be a nobody. You can’t be tired, because the second you sleep, opportunity passes you by.

So, as you can imagine, it’s easy to feel overworked and overstressed. Here is a reality check — overexertion is not the cute girl in red heels, hailing a cab with her trusty Starbucks cup in her hand.

Want to know the real definition of overexertion?

It’s when you are trying to save the world, do the best for your kids, make it to the top of the corporate ladder or hustle until you make it. You run so much that at some point you forget that you’re human. You find yourself up until 3 a.m. every morning to finish your to-do list just to wake up to 10 emails asking you to do something else. Until one day, you just can’t take it anymore and fall into a downward spiral.

Here’s the thing…we should not be admiring sleepless nights and coffee-filled diets. We should be celebrating self-care and people who have the will to put their mental health first.

So, here are three things I want you to do this week:

Wake up and just lay there. Yes, I mean it. Before you start your day let your mind run free.
Disconnect from the social world. Crazy? I know, but you would be surprised what an hour without Instagram, Facebook and email can do for your brain.
Take the night off and be carefree. When was the last time you did something you loved? When was the last time you went somewhere on a random whim? Don’t think about it. Just do it.

Overexertion is no longer cute. Your impact on the world will be defined by how well you take care of yourself. You will never be able to give your best if you’re not at your best.

Remember: Stay happy, healthy and hopeful.

On Saturday, May 21st, we’re hosting our inaugural conference about how creativity and technology are changing our daily lives, from our hobbies to our work. Will you be joining us? Tickets here.

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Tiffany Shivers

Writing since April 2016 · 3 stories contributed