Grind Culture

The propaganda has already begun.

As the new year approaches, the Wellness Industrial Complex is thriving—feeding on our insecurities and convincing us we haven’t done enough, achieved enough “success,” worked out hard enough, eaten “clean” enough, or made enough money. The message is simple: whatever we are, it’s not enough. And therefore, we must do more.

This is a lie.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with having goals. But there must also be space for satisfaction. For rest. For acknowledging what is—instead of endlessly chasing what isn’t. That balance is intentionally obscured.

And this pressure doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It operates within systems of oppression under capitalism, where many people aren’t failing at self-care—they’re being failed by systems that make it impossible to afford rent, groceries, childcare, or healthcare.

Grind culture grows directly out of this reality. It glorifies 12-hour workdays, four hours of sleep, and endless productivity—a competition over who can do the most while thinking about themselves the least. This isn’t just unsustainable. It’s a form of violence enacted on our bodies under racial capitalism.

So what would it mean to resist?

Can we pause long enough to notice how our bodies actually feel? Can we slow down enough to sit with discomfort instead of trying to outrun it through constant productivity or punishing workouts? What becomes possible when rest, care, and satisfaction aren’t treated as failures—but as refusals?

That’s why this year, we’re not buying into New Year, New You.

We’re choosing:

New Year, Rested Us.

New Year, Satisfied Us.

New Year, Present Us.

It may not be sexy. But right now, it’s the quiet rebellion we need.