How toxic is the hustle?
The phrase “hustle culture” has become a hot topic in business circles. It refers to the idea that you must be willing to constantly work hard and put in long hours in order to succeed. But what if I told you that you don’t have to hustle your way to success? Here, I look at why it’s important to recognize how toxic hustle culture can be for both business and life.
Are you taking time for yourself?
It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that working hard is the only way to succeed. After all, our society values hard work above all else. But this isn’t necessarily true. Working smart is just as important as working hard and should not be overlooked. This means being efficient with your time and maximising productivity without sacrificing the quality of work or taking shortcuts.
Another problem with hustle culture is that it often leads to burnout, which can seriously affect personal health and business performance. (Take it from me; you do not want burnout. It is not a fun place to be and can take a long time to crawl back from). Taking regular breaks from work, getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, and engaging in physical activity is crucial for avoiding burnout – but they are often neglected when people are caught up in the hustle mentality.
Listen, if you don’t take a break, or look after your body properly, your body will do it for you in spectacular form. You know, I know it. So why do it?
When was the last time you took an actual break from work? I don’t mean stepping away for lunch or an hour on the weekend – I mean taking some quality time off for yourself. Think about what makes you feel most relaxed and fulfilled: spending time with family and friends, reading a book outside, or walking your dog – make sure you sharpie in some “you” time into your calendar. Taking breaks is essential to helping us recharge our batteries so we can stay focused when we’re hard at work. Make this non-negotiable in your diary.
Reconnect with your joy.
Take some time to reflect on why you started your business in the first place. Doing something that gives you joy and purpose provides much-needed motivation when things get tough. Recognising why you love what you do will help build positive momentum and give you the extra push needed to succeed. If there are aspects of running your business that no longer bring you, joy-whether that’s handling customer service inquiries or your social media (wink wink nudge nudge) outsource those tasks to someone else who can get them done quickly and efficiently so that you can focus on tasks that bring value and joy back into your work life.
Fu*k the Hustle Culture.
At its core, hustle culture is a way of thinking that many small business owners have adopted as part of their daily routine. While it’s certainly possible to achieve success through hard work alone, it’s also important to remember that there are limits on how much effort you should be putting into your job every day—and those limits should not be exceeded if you want to keep your mental health in check! So embrace Fuck The Hustle culture; recognise when enough is enough, take regular breaks from work whenever possible, focus on quality rather than quantity of output, and practice self-care so that you can stay productive while still having a balanced life outside of your business endeavours!
If social media is one area that does not spark joy, remember that is why I am here! Because it actually brings me joy. You can contact me here. katharine@cranecreative.com.au +61 488 233 160
