Hustle Culture is Toxic to Your Physical and Mental Health
Why hustle culture is toxic.
Hustle culture is the idea that you must work harder and faster than everyone else, that if you don't keep up with the pace of life then people will leave you behind. And while it's true that sometimes you do need to “hustle” if you want to succeed in your career or personal life, there are also very real consequences for always pushing yourself so far beyond your limits.
Hustle culture is toxic to your physical and mental health.
Hustle culture can lead to serious health problems. It encourages you to ignore your body’s needs and ignore the warning signs of a mental health crisis.
At some point, every busy person will have experienced burnout: feelings of extreme fatigue and difficulty focusing that are brought on by stress, overwork, and lack of sleep. Burnout can cause anxiety or depression—serious mental health issues most of us are familiar with today.
In addition to leading us into a state of constant low-level stress where we turn into walking zombies who exist solely for work rather than living our lives fully in the present moment (which would obviously be more enjoyable), hustle culture keeps us from sleeping enough—and may even cause insomnia directly in some cases.
If you don't get enough sleep, your immune system won't function properly; this means that you'll get sick more often than someone who sleeps well. Lack of adequate rest also results in compromised memory function and impaired decision-making skills—both things that could seriously hinder success if they become chronic conditions rather than temporary ones
Hustle culture is toxic to your relationships and community.
The hustle culture is also toxic to our relationships and communities. It's hard enough to have friends when you're always working, but if you're constantly hustling it's impossible.
Relationships are important for mental health (and overall well-being), but when you're consumed with your work it can be difficult to find time for relationships or build them. You just don't have the time needed to get out there and meet people who care about you in the same way that they would if they saw your face more often than once every couple of days—or even weeks!
You need relationships to learn and grow as a person; they provide perspective on your life, which helps us see how things could be different so we can improve them accordingly. They also help us feel connected with others by sharing experiences with each other that might otherwise not exist if we didn't spend time together regularly (e.g., going out dancing).
Finally, there's another caveat here: Some people actually do benefit from being part of a community where everyone works together towards common goals (this is called “mutual aid”) like we often do at work. But it's not necessarily true that everyone benefits from this type of lifestyle; some people will thrive more by spending their free time connecting with others casually, deeply, and authentically instead of working all hours under fluorescent lights while trying not to fall asleep at their desks. Personally, I recommend balance here.
Hustle culture is toxic for people who don't have access or privilege.
Hustle culture is a particularly toxic one for people who don't have access or privilege. For example, if you can't afford to intern or work for free to build up your portfolio and make connections in your field, then hustle culture doesn't work for you. And even if you can afford it, hustling might not be possible if your job doesn't allow you to work remotely or take time off when needed—again, that's not an option for everyone. In short: Hustle culture is a great way of thinking about how we operate as humans and how we interact with our communities—but it's also important to remember that many people simply aren’t able to participate in those ways because they lack the resources necessary (financial or otherwise) largely due to systemic inequality.
Hustle culture is also problematic because it creates an us-versus-them dichotomy that pits people with privilege against those without. It’s often used as a tool to shame people who can’t in the same way that others do, which ultimately serves as a way of keeping marginalized groups down by valuing work (or certain types of work and working) above all else.
So instead of saying “you need to hustle,” maybe we should be asking: What does it take for everyone to be able to participate in the hustle? Is there a way that we can support each other—and ourselves—so that we can all work together toward a better tomorrow? Read more about racism and white supremacy culture inherent in the hustle here.
Hustle culture isolating and lonely.
One of the most harmful effects of hustle culture is how it can make you feel isolated and lonely. When we’re constantly told to be busy and productive, it’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of work, work, and more work for no good reason.
You may start to feel like there’s no time for yourself—or that taking time for yourself implies that you are not working hard enough or that people will think less of you if they see how much time you spend alone with your thoughts or doing things that don’t seem productive at first glance. This is especially true if your job involves constant social interaction with coworkers (and thus a tendency toward group activities) or if your industry values fast-paced office hours over flexibility around when work gets done.
Whatever your reason for feeling pulled in too many directions at once, it can lead quickly to feelings of resentment toward others who are perceived as “working less hard than I am right now” even though those people might actually be going home early while you stay late because they know their well-being matters just as much as yours does and they’re choosing to prioritize that; even though those people might actually be enjoying themselves while hanging out with friends because they don't see this kind of solitude as "lazy"; even though those people might actually be having fulfilling relationships outside work because they don't think being alone means something negative about them personally.
Hustle culture tricks us into making it about the individual, rather than about our society as a whole valuing even the appearance of busyness.
Hustle culture is dangerous and threatens the happiness of all involved, so take the time to manage it in your life if it affects you.
Hustle culture is dangerous and threatens the happiness of all involved, so take the time to manage it in your life if it affects you.
To make sure that you aren't perpetuating a toxic lifestyle, keep these things in mind:
Be aware of what you're doing. Isolating yourself from others? Staying up late at night and skipping sleep? Not taking breaks from work or social media? These are all signs of toxic hustle culture and should be avoided at all costs!
If you find yourself doing any of these things regularly, seek out help immediately. You will likely find someone who can give you tips on how to get out of this lifestyle without feeling like a failure or getting stressed out constantly about being unable to keep up with everyone else's expectations for success (and profit).
Is hustle culture toxic?
So, is hustle culture toxic? If you’re not careful, it can be. It’s important to remember that if you aren’t happy in your job and the people around you don’t support your goals then it won't matter how hard you work because nothing will change.
It also doesn't mean that putting in more hours or working more days is always the answer—sometimes it's better to give yourself some downtime so that when it comes time to work again, you're refreshed and ready to go!
Prioritize yourself, your health, your time, your life, and the lives of those around you, slow down, embrace joy, and kick toxic hustle culture to the curb.
