Grinding isn’t wellness — and rest isn’t laziness. In this episode of Reimagining Black Health, Dr. Melicia Whitt-Glover explores the dimension of occupational wellbeing, asking what it truly means for Black people to thrive in the spaces where we work, lead, create, and care for others.

Guests Kelsie Bonaparte and Dr. Monique Johnson join the conversation for a grounded, honest look at how hustle culture has shaped our health, why productivity has been glorified at the expense of rest, and how Black communities can reclaim joy, agency, and balance as essential parts of work-life wellbeing.

Together, they examine:

● How grind culture disguises itself as “self-improvement” and “wellness”
● Why the pandemic forced a reckoning with our relationship to labor
● How rest, autonomy, and boundaries protect our mental and physical health
● Why optimal health must include joy, community, and meaningful purpose
● Practical ways to rethink your workday and redefine success on your own terms

This episode is an invitation to reimagine work — not as a measure of worth, but as one dimension of a full, liberated, and healthy life. Because optimal Black health includes rest, play, purpose, and the freedom to choose how we show up.

EPISODE CHAPTERS — Occupational Wellbeing

00:00 — What Does Occupational Wellbeing Really Mean?
00:30 — The Rise of Hustle Culture
01:15 — How “Wellness Challenges” Reinforce Overwork
03:00 — Rest as Resistance
05:00 — Is a Shift Happening Post-Pandemic?
07:00 — Redefining Wellness Outside the Medical Model
10:00 — Joy, Agency, and Autonomy at Work
14:00 — Balancing Roles Without Burning Out
18:00 — Boundaries, Intention, and Working Smarter
23:00 — Giving Yourself Grace
27:00 — One Action You Can Take This Week
38:00 — Closing

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