We live in the age where “booked and busy” is admirable and “sleeping when you’re dead” is a flex. There’s no pleasure in being overworked and overwhelmed. Know when to take a BREAK. Your skills and gifts won’t decline, but your mental and physical health can.
While hustleling and bustleling has its perks, it also has some serious downsides that we can’t afford to ignore. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for hard work and dedication. Achieving our goals often requires putting in the extra hours and going the extra mile. But when hustleling becomes the norm rather than the exception, it can lead to some serious burnout and negative consequences. One of the biggest downsides of hustle culture is the toll it takes on our mental and physical well-being.
Constantly pushing ourselves to the limit with lack of self-care can lead to stress, anxiety, and even serious health issues. Sure, we might see some success, but at what cost? Hustle culture can also heavily impact our relationships. We can miss out on a lot with loved ones when we prioritize work over creating memorable moments with family, friends, or romantic partners.
Another downside of hustle culture is its tendency to glorify “busyness” over productivity. We equate being busy with being successful, but in reality, being busy doesn’t always mean we’re getting things done efficiently. In fact, constantly multitasking and spreading ourselves too thin can actually decrease our effectiveness and creativity. In the end, we’re just busy but with NO PRODUCTION. That makes us work even harder.
Let’s not forget the mental impact social media has on the average user. We’re constantly bombarded with images of successful entrepreneurs and influencers who appears to hustle 24 hours, 7 days a week, and now we feel like we’re falling behind if we’re not doing the same. This pressure to outperform, or hustle the same as others, can lead to feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome.
The Solution:
Let’s prioritize self-care with balance, putting our well-being first, and focusing on sustainable growth. Let’s celebrate achievements, big and small, without sacrificing our health and happiness in the process. Most importantly, let’s strive for a healthier and more holistic approach to success. We don’t have to work ourselves to death (figuratively and literally) to have the career or life we want. TRUE success is about more than just the hustle—it’s about finding fulfillment and happiness along the way and having the ability to physically and mentally experience both.
