What is hustle culture?
Recently there has been a rise in hustle culture. This lifestyle is charactersied by working (too) hard and being consistently productive, all day everyday, to gain success and respect. The more you work, the more you are celebrated and recognised for your ‘hustle’. There’s been miscommunication surrounding working hard to achieve your dreams and overworking to the extent where you don’t give yourself a minute away from a work environment. Hustle culture essentially glamorises overworking in work environments that are already fast-paced and highly competitive.
What’s the risk?
It seems that younger generations, who spend a lot of their time on social media, have adopted this approach to work. This instantly rings alarm bells when considering physical and mental health impacts for young adults who could carry this unhealthy mindset into their future careers.
Non-stop schedules can lead to effects on sleep patterns, mental health, psychological or behavioural changes, stress, and ironically work efficiency. Furthermore, studies have shown that in the long run, working long hours is detrimental to productivity and creativity.
The need to always be working on your next big project, outperforming your co-workers and depriving yourself of sleep may feel productive and equally so, you may see some results. However, investing so much time and energy is not a sustainable approach to your work. Your results and overall well being may well decline in the future if you can’t keep up with the pace you have set.
Signs that you should slow down with work
Creating time for yourself outside of work is crucial otherwise your constant hustle could lead to burnout. Burnout is commonly experienced and it takes a physical and mental toll. You may experience a lack of motivation and energy, decreasing your working ability. You may feel as if you aren’t good enough at your job. Or even that you aren’t doing enough for your job. Both of which are likely not true. Burnout is a sign that your body needs rest. It’s an indication that your routine needs adjusting to meet your body’s needs. This could mean making your workload lighter, working closer with your team and sharing responsibilities or simply taking some time off.
Taking your foot off the pedal with work can be hard. Within hustle culture your brain is constantly active and thinking of new ideas to develop. Taking a step back to nurture your relationship with work will create room for other elements of your life to develop. Whether you’re running your own business or climbing the ladder at a global company. It’s important to remember that progress can be steady. You must sustain yourself if you wish to see results and achieve your dreams.
If you’re reading this and thinking you need to adjust your routine whilst guaranteeing the success of your business. Take some time to browse ActionCOACH Leicester’s programmes.
We can help you to save the time you need to give back to yourself.
Get in contact with taylorcottrell@actioncoach.co.uk