Trichotillomania self-care is a tool, not a distraction
This week, CNBC posted an article based on a podcast discussion between organisational psychologist Adam Grant, and vice president of fitness programming at Peloton, Robin Arzón.
At Strands we have been following Adam Grant for years, but today we will look at his recent “ReThinking” podcast, where Adam and Robin discussed the concept of "hustle culture" — a term often tinged with negative connotations of sacrificing sleep and social life to reach financial success.
Strands’ key takeaways:
1. Redefining Hustle with Self-Care as a key element
The main crux of the conversation was the agreement that it may be outdated to view hard work and self-care as opposite ends of the spectrum. Adam Grant emphasizes that working towards challenging goals and pushing yourself does not necessitate self-neglect or burnout. It’s about striking a balance — acknowledging that you can motivate yourself intensely without compromising your well-being and time for rest. For those of us that experience trichotillomania, some days can feel like you are going in to battle, but prioritising the time to understand and work towards progress with your condition, can empower you, give you more confidence and free emotional capacity to achieve the ambitious life and career goals you aim for. Making time for self-care can actually be the key to true success, not the distraction from it.
2. Energy as Currency
Robin Arzón introduced a really interesting perspective on managing your energy with the same diligence as you do your finances- viewing sleep, hydration, and nutrition as non-negotiable aspects of her "full-time job," Her approach reminds us that our energy is precious- how we spend or save it should be a deliberate choice, integral to our definitions of success. At Strands we used this framework to think about our mission, 'to empower and improve the lives of those experiencing trichotillomania', and reflect deeply on which currencies we will need to achieve this. One of those currencies is listening intently to the world around us (which inspires the foundations of our weekly newsletter)- looking outside of our condition for inspiration is our source of energy.
What might your goals be, and what energy and currencies do you need to protect and prioritise to achieve them?
3. The Importance of Connection and Rest
The article also echoes the earlier published insights of Laurie Santos, psychologist behind Yale University’s most popular course – the ‘happiness class’ (free online) who talks about the critical role of social connections fostering happiness and preventing burnout. The notion that isolation and relentless work are pathways to success is not accurate in Laurie’s view. As an alternative, placing higher value on social interaction and rest are essential components of productivity and mental stability. Those experiencing trichotillomania can often find social interactions provide important respite and distraction to the symptoms of the condition. Some may feel the opposite, however - where possible- maintaining social connections is a really strong basis for building that much needed support network of trusted friends and family.
