🌍 Not Designed for the Grind
A Global Campaign for a world that works with us — not against us.
This campaign is inspired by our Founder, Marlou’s upcoming TEDx talk Not Designed for the Grind — a message that speaks to something many of us have felt, but rarely say out loud:
The way our systems are built - for constant output, endless hustle and linear productivity - does not reflect how we as humans are built.
Whether you're cycling through hormones, life stages, caregiving, or climate seasons - we all experience rhythms. But most of the world still expects us to show up the same way, every day, ignoring the fact that nothing in nature works that way.
We are not designed for the grind.
We never were.
This campaign is a collective movement - across countries, cultures, time zones and timeframes, to create a world that flows instead of fights.
✋ How to Join the Movement
We’re inviting people from around the world to add their voice — and face — to this campaign.
Here’s how you can take part:
✍️ Write “Not Designed for the Grind” on a piece of paper, sign, whiteboard, cloth, etc.
📸 Take a selfie or photo holding it.
🎥 (Optional) Film a short video saying the phrase or sharing what it means to you.
💬 Tell us what the phrase means to you — in one sentence or a short reflection.
📩 Submit it using this short form: 👉 [HERE]
It’s not about having the perfect words or the perfect picture. It’s about showing up as you are, from wherever you are.
💬 Why It Matters
Whether you're in an office, on a farm, in school, or running your own business — your story adds power to the message. We want to showcase real people — from every corner of the globe — who are promoting another way.
🌎 Global Voices
Below are just a few of the powerful contributions we’ve already received — each one a beautiful reminder that we’re not alone.
📍 Maria from Colombia: “Not Designed for the Grind means listening to the wisdom of my cycle — even when the world tells me to push through.”
📍 Ayo from Nigeria: “Rest is not a reward. It’s a right. It’s time we stopped apologising for being human.”
📍 Lin from Japan: “When I first heard this phrase, it gave me permission to slow down — to breathe.”
📍Amal from Morocco: “In my village, we always rested at noon. The grind came later — and with it, the burnout.”
👉 Want to be featured too? Submit your photo, video, or story here → [HERE]
📢 SpRead the WoRd
Once you’ve shared your contribution, we’d love you to post it on your own social media using the hashtag #NotDesignedForTheGrind and tag us so we can celebrate you.
This campaign is not just about what we say — it’s about how we choose to live.
Let’s honour being fully, beautifully human.
Together, we’re showing that this isn’t just personal; it’s structural, it’s global and it’s time.
