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Why I no longer believe in hustle culture
You probably heard it at a young age. Hard work is the difference between you achieving and not achieving your goals. Hustle culture has only heightened this thinking. But what if hustle doesn’t actually lead to happiness?
The problem with hustle culture
Hustle culture can be toxic.
I always believed that the only thing that stood between me and my goals was hard dedicated work –– at the exclusion of other things.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with working hard. But when that hard work is directed exclusively at one project obsessively it can lead to issues.
‘Rise and grind’ culture might lead to physical success, but it can also lead to guilt, exhaustion, and mental health issues. That’s because hustle puts your body into fight or flight mode. Your body perceives danger and the stress hormone cortisol rises. Then, if you never give yourself a chance to rest, burnout is inevitable.
Working longer hours doesn’t just lead to tiredness. It’s been shown to increase the risk of developing anxiety and depression too.
What is ‘success’ anyway?
Hustle culture is sold on the idea that if you work incredibly hard you’ll eventually be successful. But what exactly…
