Have you ever found yourself constantly working all day without any break? When hanging out with your friends, do you still bring your laptop in case there’s something at work that you should do? Do you often check your mailbox at 3 am and reply to those emails? Do you really think it’s okay to sacrifice your quality time just for working? If you answer yes to these questions, then you might be in the hustle culture.
Hustle culture is a trend where people take overworking as a sign that they are dedicated to their job. Those people come up with hashtags, such as #TGIM (Thank God It’s Monday), #sleepisforlosers, #riseandgrind, or #grindneverstops. Many even sacrifice their hobbies, leisure, or even friendships. Is it really that bad? Psychologically speaking, yes, it is that bad because, as human beings, we also have our limits. When people try to push their limits by hustling over time, it will eventually burn them out. As a result, they will get stressed out quickly, and it will slowly destroy both their physical and mental health.
Those people who become the members of hustle culture do realize that they are working very hard to the point where it can actually hurt themselves. In hustle culture, people tend to get themselves occupied all day no matter what. It seems like their job is pinned inside their head non-stop, and they have no time for themselves.
Here are the reasons why hustle culture is bad for you:
1. It drains your energy both physically and mentally
The working culture is tough for some people since it requires a tremendous amount of energy, not only physically but also mentally. If your body is exposed to a non-stop working activity, it will cause you to burn out. Signs showing that you are burning out include feeling exhausted, sleep-deprived, unable to concentrate, depressed, and other negative feelings. These symptoms can also lead to health problems that end up being harmful to your body.
2. It doesn’t make you productive
When you are trapped in the same cycle: forcing your body to wake up early only to hustle, your body and mind won’t let you rest. This kind of habit will only make you suffer instead of being productive. Research shows that working over 50 hours out of each week can actually decrease a human’s productivity. In other words, long weekly hours do not necessarily produce high output. Instead, it might even lead employees to experience stress which lessens their productivity as well as increases the chances of blunders or errors in their work.
3. It may affect your relationships
Finding yourself occupied with work-life constantly can also damage your relationship with others. For instance, ever since you got accepted into a new company, you no longer make time for your family, or you no longer hang out with your best friends every weekend. You suddenly become unaware that you are emotionally separating yourself from others. One thing to remember is that friendships and family bonds are priceless. If you have loving friends and family, it’s best to maintain your relationship with them because you’ll never know what will happen in the future.
“A good friend is a connection to life — a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.”
— Lois Wyse
Is there any way to free yourself from hustle culture? Try these:
1. Take time to rest
“I need to be productive today.”
“I have to finish this tonight.”
“I won’t sleep until I finish this.”
Millennials in this generation usually come up with these mindsets as hustle culture dominates the society. However, no one told you to be so hard on yourself. You don’t need to feel sorry when you can’t be productive like others because that thing can happen sometimes.
“Work hard, rest hard.”
This principle should be applied when it comes to untangling yourself from hustle culture. Don’t let your work control your body. The thing is, people tend to take their health for granted. Once they are sick, they will realize that the most important thing in life is not their unfinished jobs or how much money they should be making, but their own body. At the end of the day, we all should be grateful that we can live up to this day and our lives are valuable.
2. Reward yourself
Have you ever felt a sense of reward after working? Indeed, it might be self-rewarding when you can finally get your work done. But do you really take your time to reward yourself? Hustle culture makes it seem impossible for employees to actually feel a sense of freedom after long working hours because they will eventually get exposed to a new workload. That being said, it is essential to compensate yourself with anything you want to do, whether it be doing your hobbies, spending quality time with your loved ones, or simply taking your time out to a spa. Cmon, it doesn’t hurt to relax for a while.
3. Make a schedule
Do you often get late-night calls from work? Or maybe your co-worker suddenly asks for help on the weekend? These are obvious signs of hustle culture that you should avoid, for goodness’ sake. Start focusing on what matters. Don’t say yes to every request, but instead, choose wisely. Getting yourself occupied in tons of jobs will make it hard for you to focus. Planning your day ahead can also help if you find it difficult to manage your time. List down your daily schedule, and make sure you balance the time between work time and free time.
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