Flipping the Tables on Grind Culture: Alencia Johnson on Rest, Success and Black Women’s Mental Health

“The more I was catching flights, the further away from my own dreams I was running,” she recalls. “I started getting tired of hearing friends and family and loved ones saying, ‘Well, we know you’re busy. We know you may not be able to make it.’ I’m like, ‘I actually don’t want to be that girl.’”

Like many, Johnson’s perspective shifted during the pandemic. She realized that her constant hustle wasn’t just exhausting — it was damaging. From persistent health issues to repeating unhealthy relationship patterns, the signs were there, but she had ignored them in favor of professional ambition.

Black women, in particular, are conditioned to equate worthiness with productivity. “Our ancestors were literally brought here to either be labor or give birth to labor,” Johnson says. “That is a hard system in society to fight back against. I share that because the onus is not fully on us to get out of this.”

Her book doesn’t just critique the system; it offers a roadmap for change. Johnson challenges the idea that success requires self-sacrifice. Instead, she argues that true power comes from prioritizing joy, rest and meaningful relationships. “I lost an Alencia who was limping through the world, showing up to other people’s expectations,” she says. “And I gained an Alencia who is literally at her divine purpose that has deeper friendships and relationships, that has a better relationship with her finances, that has a better relationship with her body, that has a better relationship overall with the things that matter.”

For Black women who feel trapped by the relentless pursuit of success, Johnson encourages them to form a healthier relationship with guilt. “I want Black women to start to feel comfortable with feeling the guilt of saying no to certain situations. When I feel guilty, I’m like, ‘Well, I’m human. I have emotions. That’s actually a good thing that I feel guilty about this.'”