The Danger of Side-Hustle/Productivity Culture for Moms
If you go on the Internet at all, I’m sure you’ve been pretty bombarded with Facebook ads and articles promising to help you build your side-hustle and make you super productive by 5:00 AM. I’m just going to jump in and share the big reasons I think this pervasive culture of productivity and the pursuit of the side-hustle can be dangerous for moms, but I will end this post with positive steps forward if you are a mom who needs to make an income I will also say that the side-hustle culture can be really inspiring to people in a different season of life. As moms, we just need to be aware of how much we’re soaking up this rhetoric and evaluate if it’s healthy for us right now. Here are three reasons to check our productivity mindset.
We already feel like we’re not enough. We have a household to manage, a partner we want to love, and children who need our attention and care, tangible and focused time. When strangers in a different season of life speak to us about killing it, slaying the day, and crushing our goals it can be soul crushing when every “productive” thing we attempt seems to be thwarted by young children. It’s hard to remember that raising children and managing a household is enough right now. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is have a picnic on a spaceship in the living room with our three year old.
The draw towards productivity distracts from our relationships. When our children are little, they really need us. All of us. It’s draining and we only have so much bandwidth to give to others. As a well-educated, independent woman, this is like a weekly struggle for me. I want to be productive, check things off my to-do list, conquer my goals. And I get irritated with my family when they “interfere” with my productivity. I have to take a deep breath and remember that my children will not be two and three forever, even on the longest days after the longest nights. My relationships with Jesus, my children and my husband are far and above more important right now than any book or blog post I could write.
The Pursuit of Productivity can lead to burnout in all areas. We set ourselves up for mental and physical failure if we stretch ourselves too thin. When we have too much mental load to juggle, too many things to remember and execute, we get scattered, forgetful, and short-tempered. When we have no margin, are rushing from place to place, staying up too late and foregoing good meals, we get sick. Productivity culture can be sneaky. We moms have a lot to manage. Our children and families need us healthy and clearheaded 🙂
To be clear, I am not knocking moms who work for an income. I want us all to be aware of the productivity and side-hustle mindset that can ooze into our subconscious and create overwhelm, distraction, and frustration. So how do you pursue a paycheck and/or an intellectually stimulating job without falling to pieces beneath the weight of productivity expectations? A few recommendations:
- Don’t work for yourself. Starting a business is an awesome, lofty goal. But when you’re juggling the unpredictability of parenthood, working for yourself can too easily seep into everything and you’ll just wind up frustrated.
- Do set boundaries. During this season of motherhood, consider taking a job that you really can leave at the office. Work your hours and come home (or turn off the computer).
- Be intentional about caring for yourself. Eat well. Drink enough water. Get as much sleep as you can. Limit alcohol and caffeine. Listen to your body and mind. Take a break before you desperately need it.
**Also, hopefully it goes without saying that Multi-Level Marketing businesses are definitely a dangerous contributor to this productivity mindset because they target moms specifically. With all the anti-MLM information available these days, it baffles me that these companies still attract sellers. My big takeaway is that MLM companies have the potential to suck money from their own sellers in the same manner as a drug addiction. MLMs are no longer a good income stream for moms.
May you find balance for you and your family. May you enjoy whatever season of motherhood you’re in and always remember that relationships, boundaries, and self-care always trump productivity.
