Hustle culture. It’s everywhere these days, from inspiring Instagram typography to t-shirts flaunting statements like, “Eat. Sleep. Hustle.” The trending manifesto preaches the formula: work hard, break harder, and then work even harder. But let’s pop this glitter-filled success bubble for a second and talk about the unarguable reality: constant hustle inevitably leads to exhaustion, or worse, burnout.
What’s Hustle Culture Exactly?
The backbone of “hustle culture” lies in glorifying working incessantly with no or little time off for relaxation. It tempts us with the potential results of investing our sweat and tears to achieve big dreams.
Success isn’t a crime, after all. However, exhaustion might lead to grave consequences both physically and psychologically. Like a lot of LinkedIn so-called “gurus” may lead you to believe, spending every waking minute counting lines on an Excel sheet or constantly brainstorming new strategies isn’t the only road to success.
That grind, which seems like the ultimate path to success, often comes at a steep cost: your health and well-being. Uplifting phrases like…
…remind us that taking a break is tantamount to defeat. But the truth can’t be sugarcoated — running at full tilt all the time can leave you out of gas sooner or later.
Burnout: The Price of Hustle Culture
We’re not robots. Even your smartphone needs to recharge at times. Human bodies and brains are wired for balance — work and relaxation both play vital roles here. Working nonstop runs counter to our basic human biology, habitually forcing us into overdrive and leading toward burnout.
The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. Symptoms? Feeling drained of energy, detached from work, and the creeping sensation that what you’re doing isn’t working well or worth the effort anymore.
Sound grim? That’s because it indeed is. We are dealing with a health affliction here that goes ignored more than often in this race to outperform ourselves and others.
Why Hustle Culture is So Appealing
Everyone wants to be a goal-getter. Our society loves celebrating achievements, and therein lies the lure of hustle culture. We see those posts on social media of those living their dream lifestyle. Expensive cars, fancy houses, and vacation homes that are too perfect to be true — all seemingly achieved through relentless hard work.
Hustle culture paints an image of the rewards we can reap if we’re willing to sacrifice everything: sleep, recreational time, family dinners, and even health checks. It creates the illusion that pressing your foot down on the pedal non-stop gets you to your destination faster.
But is this the only way? Absolutely not. Work is a necessary part of life. It pays the bills and can indeed bring a great deal of satisfaction. But are we meant to sacrifice our whole lives for it? That’s debatable.
Avoiding Burnout: Striking the Right Balance
So, the big question is: how do we avoid this burnout and strike a balance in our lives?
Prioritize Your Health
The World Health Organization reported that overworking led to a staggering 745,000 deaths from heart disease and strokes in just one year. So, when we say your health is important, we mean it.
Studying or working without taking proper breaks or neglecting meals is unhealthy and can seriously rattle your overall well-being long-term.
Saying ‘No’ is Okay
Every now and then, it’s important that you know how to say “No.” It can be a challenge. The majority of us are programmed to say “yes” due to social expectations and work pressures. Remember, saying “No” doesn’t mean you’re slacking off or lack motivation; rather, it signifies recognizing your limits and hooring your boundaries.
Taking on too much won’t make you more productive –– quite the opposite, in fact. Stress can lay waste to creativity and efficiency. If you’re already loaded with work or a prior commitment keeps you busy, don’t hesitate to turn down additional tasks. Be responsible for your commitments and stay true to them.
Have A Life Outside of Work
You are more than your resume. Other areas of our lives need nurturing, too: physical well-being, relationships, hobbies, or passions. These aren’t distractions from success; they contribute to it. You’re at your best when other elements in your life are also getting equal attention.
How would your child feel if you weren’t there for his graduation because you had an urgent meeting? Or you missed your wedding anniversary dinner over a conference call? Sure, sacrifices need to be made at times, but they shouldn’t become chronic default responses.
Cherishing these moments doesn’t make you less committed to your work or less successful; it makes you a well-rounded human being.
Choose Remote Work
What the pandemic taught us is that remote work can indeed be effective, given the right environment and resources. Remote work offers flexibility and independence to the employees that a traditional office might lack.
Maybe you’ve seen a couple of posts on social media from that “digital nomad” friend who’s enjoying his life in Bali while drafting project reports. Yes, it might not seem fair, but don’t let that pang of envy turn you off to the idea.
The best cities for remote workers often provide affordable cost of living, reliable internet connection, and a conducive work environment. You could find the right balance between work and personal life while living in these cities. And yes, it’s possible to hop from one city to the other if you just can’t commit to one.
Practice Mindfulness
Relax, breathe out, repeat. Simple, right? When was the last time you truly enjoyed a peaceful moment doing absolutely nothing? Just enjoying the sound of your own breath, the chirping of birds nearby, or the rustling leaves blowing in the wind? Well, you should aim to do it more often. Take out a few minutes in your day to meditate and relieve stress.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Pareto’s Law, also known as the 80/20 rule, suggests that 80% of our outputs come from just 20% of our inputs. Translation? Most of your productivity comes from a fraction of your day. So why not focus on making that fraction as efficient and productive as possible?
Plan your tasks with intentionality, prioritize rigorously, delegate what you can, and drop what’s not essential altogether. Feeling accomplished isn’t all about doing more but doing what matters most to your overall goals.
Rethink Your Definition of Success
#hustlelife #hustlehard #sidehustle #hustlegang. Hustle culture is definitely trending on social media, and it’s easy to get caught up in the belief that if you’re not grinding 24/7, you’re falling behind.
Our work defines us in many ways. But let’s remember that it’s only one part of who we are. Being a successful professional doesn’t require neglecting other important aspects of our lives.
Do you want to reach your golden years recounting just the hours spent behind a desk, on countless Zoom calls and work emails? Or remembering time well spent with loved ones, holidays enjoyed without checking work notifications every minute, and actually living the life you dreamed of?
About The Author
Adrian is a former marine navigation officer turned writer with more than 3 years of experience in the field. He loves writing about anything and everything but specializes in covering smart technology and gardening. When he’s not writing, Adrian enjoys spending time with his family and friends or hiking in the great outdoors.