In today's society, the hustle culture has gained immense popularity among teenagers and young adults, as it promotes intense dedication towards one's work. Despite its growing significance on social media, feedback on the mindset varies. Those who claimed to have adopted the culture's mindset experienced severe burnout and found it difficult to focus on activities other than school and work, such as self-care, friends and hobbies. Despite the massive backlash seen online, many people, including myself, are still drawn into the ideals of those who practice this culture. Growing up, I was placed in a highly competitive academic environment, and I frequently felt that I wasn't on the same level as my peers. From them having excellent grades to a variety of extracurricular activities, I felt as if I wasn't doing enough or that I needed to devote more time to my work. As a result, I ended up focusing on school rather than self-care, which meant taking fewer breaks and not doing things I enjoy. For the majority of my life, I was surrounded by people who shared the same ideals as those who practice the hustle culture, which I didn't realize until high school.

Even though not all of my classes were as difficult and demanding as those in middle school, I still struggled to complete my assignments. I was extremely tired of school and couldn't concentrate for an extended period of time. This is when I realized I was exhausted and needed to change my work habits. Those who promote the culture claim that adhering to certain ideals within it can elevate one person above another, but they fail to recognize that those who go at their own pace, take adequate breaks, and make time for other aspects of their lives other than work are more likely to perform better in the long run. I was able to change my old work habits and instead follow a more relaxed schedule that gives me enough time to stay on top of my schoolwork while also taking necessary breaks. By doing so, I began to gain more motivation for school and discovered that I was learning not only for the sake of learning, but also because the content was genuinely interesting.

For those experiencing similar difficulties, the best way to overcome this is to reconsider your priorities, whether that includes working all of your evenings for school or balancing schoolwork and your personal life, as well as determining what works best for you. Because each student has varying systems to achieve their goals, the ideals promoted by social media will not apply to everyone. According to several research studies, in order to produce quality work, workers must have personal satisfaction in themselves and their abilities, rather than increasing their workload to outwork others. Constantly focusing on work and comparing yourself to others will eventually reduce your long-term productivity and make finding motivation to continue working difficult. Taking breaks and not forcing ourselves to do work we don't want to do allows us to enjoy our time more and receive rewards now rather than after we have achieved success. 

 Whatever it is, it is critical to maintain a work-life balance and recognize that, while we spend a significant amount of time each day at work, it does not have to be the center of our lives.

Works Cited

Carnegie, Megan. “Hustle Culture: Is This the End of Rise-and-Grind?” BBC Worklife, 19 Apr. 2023, www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230417-hustle-culture-is-this-the-end-of-rise-and-grind.

Phan, Jenny. “Sleep Deprivation Is Believed to Have Gotten Worse.” ‘Hustle Culture’: Why Do Millennials Have Sleep Issues?, Vietcetera, 23 Sept. 2022, https://vietcetera.com/en/hustle-culture-why-do-millennials-have-sleep-issues. Accessed 8 July 2023.

Rozentals, Artis. “Council Post: The Hustle Culture Has No Future-Enter the Break Culture.” Forbes, 12 Oct. 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/04/29/the-hustle-culture-has-no-future-enter-the-break-culture/.

Shkraba, Anthony. “Hustle Culture.” Why Hustle Culture Is Not Good for You, sheCareer, 7 Nov. 2021, https://www.shecareerblog.com/why-hustle-culture-is-not-good-for-you/. Accessed 8 July 2023.

Teo, Benedict. The Five Balls of Life: A Very Short Story about Work Life Balance, LinkedIn, 23 Aug. 2022, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-balls-life-very-short-story-work-balance-benedict-teo. Accessed 8 July 2023.

Username. “The Toxicity of Hustle Culture: The Grind Must Stop.” Headversity, 31 May 2023, headversity.com/the-toxicity-of-hustle-culture-the-grind-must-stop/.