Introduction
While hard work is often seen as a virtue, it’s easy to get caught up in an unhealthy cycle of overwork and burnout. We value hustle—but what happens when we’re working too hard? The “anti-hustle” movement encourages us to find balance and reject the idea that overwork is necessary for success.
The hustle is an idea that has worked its way into the mainstream and fueled a culture of overwork.
It’s also a myth, as I’ve written about before:
There’s no evidence that working harder leads to more success. In fact, research shows it can actually hurt you.
Success is determined by skills and connections; hard work alone won’t get you very far. Working long and working hard are not the same thing.
Individuals who gain extreme or uncommon success via a punishing workload are glorified by the media. In my opinion, this fuels the idea that this is the method to attain similar success.
A growing number of individuals are rejecting the hustle and embracing more balanced lives.
As a society, we are becoming increasingly aware of the need for balance. We see this in our increased interest in mindfulness and meditation, as well as the growing popularity of books like The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
But there’s another aspect to this trend: people are rejecting the hustle. They’re choosing not to live their lives at the speed of light or work 80 hours per week just so they can make more money or achieve some other goal on someone else’s timeline (or even worse–someone else’s goals). Rather than chasing after success at all costs, these individuals prioritize their own well-being above all else–and they’re often criticized for it!
We have a long way to go before we can declare victory against the ideals of the elite hustle.
The anti-hustle movement is still a minority, especially in communities where it’s considered uncool to be seen as working too hard or taking care of yourself. But as long as there are people who don’t understand why work-life balance is important and think that putting in 80 hours a week makes them better than everyone else, it’s worth keeping up this conversation so that one day we can all reject our culture’s unhealthy obsession with burning out and getting rich quick.
Working hard can be good, but working too hard is bad for your health and productivity.
Hustle culture can be bad for your health.
Working hard is good, but working too hard can be bad for your productivity and mental well-being. Your body needs a break from the stress of work so that it can recover and function at its best. Working long hours without taking time off has been linked with an increased risk of heart disease, depression, anxiety and even death by overwork (karoshi).
If you’re working more than 50 hours per week but aren’t getting paid overtime wages–or even if you are–you might want to consider whether or not this job is worth all the extra effort put into it just so someone else can make money off what little free time they give us in return?
Conclusion
We need to reject the idea that working hard is always good and instead embrace a more balanced approach. The hustle is not only bad for your health and productivity, but it also promotes inequality by rewarding those who can afford to work long hours without sacrificing their well-being. We need to stop glorifying this type of lifestyle and start promoting healthier alternatives that allow people to live better lives.