Ever had the urge to keep going just because others are, despite feeling tired and feel burned out?
Ever felt guilty for taking a break, or got the uneasy feeling that you’re not doing enough?
If your answer to those questions is yes, then congratulations.
You just got a premium membership to hustle culture, which basically tells you, in the words of a sage called Rihanna, to “work, work, work, work, work ,work” all day everyday 24×7 365 days a year. Whether you are sick or tired, have family functions to attend to, or vacations long overdue, work should never be compromised.
One might wonder, who gets so attached to work?
But the reality is, wait for it, EVERYBODY!!!
The idea of productivity being attached to work is so ingrained in us that anything beyond it, like self-care, pursuing hobbies, or going out for fun is now considered a waste of time, or something that has to be adjusted amidst our busy schedules in our so called “free time”.
With quotes like “Thank God It’s Monday” and “I don’t stop when I am tired, I stop when I am done” all over LinkedIn, hustle culture is only getting bigger.
Now that we know what it is, let’s get to why it’s bad for us.
Amidst the modern rat race, we get obsessed with the idea of so-called success, which could mean different things to different people.
For some it might mean money, for some power, for some fame and so on and so forth.
We get so saturated that we forget to appreciate the smaller, simpler things in life.
We compare ourselves to the people around us and keep feeling that we are not doing enough.
That side business, new internship, or certificate course, always feels very important when the other person has it and not us.
We compromise on our relationships, our health and our sanity, just to reach a goal which we assume will give us the satisfaction we crave. Maybe finally, we would be able to take that break, go on that trip, or watch that movie with our family.
But the sad part is, it may never be ‘enough’ for us.
Every time you reach a goal, a bigger one awaits. You can either keep telling yourself that it’s just another promotion, just another rank, just another cleared exam or, you can live your life as it comes. As they say, time and tide wait for none.
But by no means does that mean you should stop striving for success.
Most times, taking a break to relax or to find your passion is a privilege limited to a select few. Many of us are running a race against time trying to make some sense of our lives, reach somewhere, accomplish something to be respected, or at least to not be looked down upon.
But at the end of the day, we are humans that need some sense of fulfillment and peace in our lives, which can’t be achieved if we keep trying to fulfill every available pocket of time to attain all our whims and fancies.
It’s ok to slow down sometimes, to take a break, to not be perfect.
It’s important to stay in the present because the past can never be changed, and the future can never be predicted.
Live in the moment.
Enjoy achievements, both big and small.
Give yourself time to relax.
It’s okay to put work on the backburner for a bit.
In a world that is obsessed with hustling and juicing out every opportunity, take a step back and let loose, if only for a little while.
This post has been written by Malika, IIIrd year