A Real Silver Bullet!
S-L-E-E-P.
It’s the most toxic slogan of Hustle Culture: “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
(I'm sorry, Tim Walz, but if you’re reading this, please never say it again.)
You already know you should be sleeping more. But when you’re burned out, sleep feels like a luxury—something you can get back to after you’ve put out all the fires.
Here’s the truth: Sleep isn't a reward for a productive day. It's the prerequisite for one.
Skipping sleep doesn’t just make you tired. It short-circuits your decision-making, emotional regulation, memory, immune system, and motivation. If you’re feeling constantly overwhelmed, underproductive, and emotionally fried, start with how you’ve been sleeping lately.
“Sleep is the Swiss army knife of health.” — Dr. Matthew Walker
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Stress Less by Emily Parcell to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.