In today’s competitive job landscape, the concept of "hustle and grind" culture has taken a firm hold among workforces.
This mindset is often rooted in the belief that success is directly proportional to the amount of hard work one puts in. On top of choosing overtime over self-care, hustle culture often leads to a cycle of relentlessly pursuing professional achievements at the cost of personal wellbeing.
To make matters worse, social media is awash with content encouraging this level of productivity and glorifying the non-stop work mentality. And with 60% of Americans currently living paycheck to paycheck and experiencing financial stress, it's not hard to see why people are turning to the hustle culture mindset, with 44% of Americans viewing their side hustle as necessary for providing essential income.
Let's take a deep dive into the mentality behind this “grindset” so we can better identify when hard work becomes toxic productivity.
Some might argue that a workplace culture built on hustling leads to increased productivity and professional development, but research says otherwise.
The Journal of Occupational Health found that the risk of work-related burnout doubles when employees move from a 40- to a 60-hour work week. Meanwhile, over 80% of employees are already at risk of burnout, with Gen Z employees feeling the most stress.