I Could Spend My Morning in the Sauna

There’s something about the sauna that feels like a giant exhale for the soul.

Maybe it's the warmth that seeps into your bones or the blissful silence that shuts out the noise of deadlines and emails. As I sit here, cocooned in this steamy little haven, I can’t help but think about how we’ve been conditioned to believe that productivity is tied to how much we can squeeze into a day. And honestly? That’s the biggest scam corporate life has ever sold us.

Let’s be real: we’ve all been there, chasing the next promotion, the next raise, the next big thing that’s supposed to give our life meaning. The irony?

The more we grind, the less we seem to get done. We’re burning out faster than our Wi-Fi at 5 p.m. on a Friday. But what if I told you that doing less might actually get you more?

Before you roll your eyes and dismiss this as just another wellness trend (like that green juice that tasted like lawn clippings), hear me out. There’s a reason why the concept of “working smarter, not harder” has been floating around. The reality is, if you’re spending your mornings in back-to-back Zoom meetings, drowning in a sea of spreadsheets, you’re not necessarily being productive. You’re just being busy.

The thing is, busyness has become this badge of honor we wear proudly.

We equate it with importance, with being needed, with value. But in the grand scheme of things, when we’re caught up in the hustle, we’re missing out on the magic that happens when we take a step back. That’s where the sauna comes in—literally and metaphorically.

Imagine starting your day in a sauna instead of scrambling to respond to emails before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee. The heat forces you to slow down, to breathe, to think clearly.

You’re not rushing, you’re not stressing. And guess what? When you finally do sit down to work, you’re sharper, more focused, and way more efficient. You’re cutting through tasks like a hot knife through butter instead of hacking away at them with a dull blade.

It’s about recalibrating your mindset.

Instead of glorifying the grind, why not glorify the moments that make you feel grounded? Take that mid-morning walk, stretch out in a yoga class, or, yes, spend your morning in the sauna. You’ll find that when you give yourself permission to do less, the quality of what you do skyrockets.

Corporate culture may preach the gospel of hustle, but the truth is, the real winners are the ones who’ve figured out that doing more doesn’t always mean achieving more. Sometimes, it means missing out on life. And honestly, who’s got time for that?

So the next time you feel the pressure to grind, remember this: You could be spending your morning in the sauna, setting yourself up to conquer the day with less sweat and more success. The choice is yours—keep hustling or start living. I know which one I’m picking.