It’s hard to defend hustle culture when we see so many people get burned out and sit on the sidelines after working and pushing themselves to the limit.
Hustle culture is a phrase coined to illustrate the modern work environment that puts hard work and constant achievement on a pedestal.
Hustle culture has become widespread and popular as companies continue to ask their employees to work harder and longer hours for better productivity.
According to the Forbes article “The Pros And Cons Of Hustle Culture: How To Work Hard Without Burning Out,” burnout is far too often the reason why hustle culture just does not seem to work for people. The continuous pressure of working and pressure to succeed wears down on one’s physical health.
The mental health of an individual is also affected, although that part can be overlooked. The article also points out that for many people, pulling all-nighters stay in the college days because their bodies just can’t keep up.
When people are constantly grinding, they can’t find balance in their life. This means that the balance for work and a personal life is non-existent.
If people constantly work, people can’t find time for other important aspects of their life, such as personal relationships, health and self-care. This can cause people to get burned out because they can essentially be burning both ends of the candle.
People underestimate how much anxiety and stress can come from hustle culture and its stressful environment. They may feel that they continuously have to achieve and work and keep on achieving. It may feel like a vicious cycle that can never be escaped, which is why there are so many people that are opposed to the concept of hustle culture.
The TalkSpace article, “Hustle Culture: The Toxic Impact on Mental Health — Talkspace” makes the argument that the hustle culture work environment can be linked to toxic productivity. Toxic productivity refers to the phenomenon that believes that in order to succeed it is necessary to always and constantly be productive. Unfortunately, this type of venture affects the long term well being of a person.
CNET’s article, “Hustle culture’ is facing an existential crisis with millennials – CNET” tells us that managers from the millennial generation are 42% likely to feel that they are burned out, more than any other generation.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, many productive and driven people began to see that they did not have to commute to work and school in order to be productive. Some even saw that they could be more productive if they just stayed home and worked.
There are also the options and opportunities that modern technology has opened up for us: people can start their own online businesses through places like Etsy or working part-time with companies like Uber.
These options and new avenues have awakened people to the fact that they don’t have to hustle as hard in order to be productive- or successful. This has led people to find a new realm of existence outside the hustle culture, and this way of thinking is beginning to pick up with more and more people.
Although many may sing the praises of working hard and pushing themselves to the limit, there are many who push for balance and longevity. In the end, our health, relationships and quality of life has to take precedence over everything else.
