Our Time is Money

But at what cost?

The phrase ‘time is money’ has become a capitalist motto that has a hold on many of our lifestyles. Sprouting from the intentions of reminding us there’s more money to be made, it’s grown into a driving threat in the back of our minds. Every minute becomes measured in productivity, leisure needs an excuse, and rest feels like a game of catch-up. It gets to a point where the paychecks don’t even feel like ours anymore. This is the quiet power of capitalism, convincing us that our time doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to the market. 

The result ? Burnout. 

People aren’t just tired from long shifts, they are exhausted from the constant demand to extract value from every moment. There’s growing pressure to keep up in an economy that is changing faster than we were ever meant to keep up with, and in ways we were never taught to manage. 

Unfortunately, rent won’t pay itself. The groceries, pet food, student loans, or the sudden car repair don’t care about our struggles. The need for money isn’t non-existent, but when we reduce every moment to its earning potential, it takes away from the very things money is meant to support: connection, rest, and joy. 

Despite what we’ve been taught, time isn’t money. Time is what makes up our lives. Sleeping in, spending time in nature, pouring into a hobby without expecting anything but joy in return from it. Our time is the freedom to let our minds & bodies wander and experience to the fullest. 

Rejecting hustle culture doesn’t mean refusing work or ignoring responsibilities, it’s erasing the hardened line in work-life balance. The perspective change of living life instead of making a living. The goal being to reclaim what has been ours all along: time.

Strike Out,

Dahya Goosby, Writer

Strike Chattanooga