Hustle culture is burnout rebranded. In a world that glorifies the grind, it can be quite easy to slowly drift into a ceaseless abyss of workaholism. This toxic productivity pushes you onto the edge of your seat, encouraging you to sacrifice your well-being on the altar of productivity.
Several of us make resolutions to quit bad behaviors on January 1st of every year. We promise to cut back on social media, alcohol, smoking, desserts, and a variety of other enjoyable pastimes. But how many of us commit to work less?
I suppose that isn’t even something we thought to be a New Year’s resolution, because it’s all about hard work and the grind. Why is it that something so necessary, seems to have gone unnoticed? Mostly because it’s made out to be a modern standard that gets you to the top.
So, for all of us workaholics, we could have failed to take a step back and recognize that we may have become a victim of a corrupt and unreal strain of thought that tells us that the only way to make it big in life, is to overwork ourselves hard enough and push the limits.
That’s far from the truth. Especially in young individuals, it’s become the new normal—the more work you do, the more you are celebrated. It’s not as glamorous as it seems. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a go-getter, however, there’s a thin line that differentiates a hard worker from an overworked laborer. And the latter is the side effects of hustle culture and workaholism.
Is work your great escape?
Are you the type of person to lose yourself in your work because that’s your sweet escape from your thoughts and personal life? Or do you avoid dealing with any emotional issues by drowning yourself in lots of work so you have no time to think? If that sounds like you, that’s okay, the majority of us are also grappling with this situation, and it’s not something to be proud of.
Workaholics have a talent for exploiting their occupations as a means of avoiding the personal problems that we all confront. Drowning in work becomes a temporary haven, whether it’s from a difficult relationship or personal issues, leading to a difficult-to-break cycle of avoidance.
Significant positive connections were discovered in a 2016 study that was published in PLOS ONE between workaholism and symptoms of various psychological conditions. These disorders cover a wide spectrum of mental health issues, such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, anxiety, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Neglecting self-care: sleep, eat, work, repeat
Overworking can cause you to forget or neglect the necessities of life. You’ll be sacrificing sleep, missing meals, and the word ‘exercise’? Well, it’s probably not in your vocabulary at all, cause where’s the time right?
The dangers of “workaholism” and its capacity to forecast anxiety and depression were examined by Researcher María-José Serrano-Fernández in 2021. They acknowledged that work expectations might have a severe impact on an employee’s psychological and physical health, as well as contributing to undesirable consequences including stress, anxiety, and despair. These can cause loneliness and burnout, as well as have an adverse influence on your mental health.
Overworking yourself may also prevent you from engaging in social events, and hobbies, or taking the time to slow down and practice serenity, which is crucial as rewinding and relaxing your body and mind is important for a more productive life. In the long run, not being able to take care of your bodily needs can be harmful and possibly shorten your lifespan or contribute to dangerous health impacts.
Juggling act gone wrong
We’re all familiar with the term work-life balance, but are we practitioners of it? For sustained success and happiness, it is important to balance your life outside of work and life at your job. No, I don’t mean to barely balance it like you’re hanging on a thread.
Work-life harmony is vital, as stress, low productivity, and absenteeism can result from a poor work-life balance, according to an ACAS paper on flexible working and work-life balance. However, once balance has been achieved, advantages may include better levels of efficiency and productivity, lower levels of absence, a more motivated mindset, and more connected relationships with friends and family, as personal relationships usually bear the brunt of workaholism.
Quantity over quality- diminished productivity
Contrary to popular belief, working too much does not always translate into producing more. Ironic, but true.
Studies indicate a relationship between an employee’s productivity and the amount of overworking. Additionally, overworked workers typically deliver subpar work. Numerous studies demonstrate that when employees work fewer than 40 hours per week as opposed to more than 50 hours per week, their production levels are higher.
One of the consequences of extended working hours on productivity is poor business performance. Even the most driven worker may become less productive after extended hours and piled work.
The perfectionism pitfall
Yes, striving to perfect anything you do is a trait to be admired, but for workaholics, it can translate into a never-ending pursuit. An extreme fear of failing and the need to complete every task to perfection might be the driving forces behind excessive work. Perfectionists frequently push themselves over unhealthy boundaries because they believe that anything less than perfect is unacceptable. When someone has a fear-based perspective, they may constantly seek to fulfil unreasonable expectations, which can result in an endless cycle of overworking themselves.
The Lone Ranger syndrome—inability to delegate
Addicts to their work? They have trouble assigning tasks. The conviction? The only people who can do it correctly are them. The worst part is that this hesitancy not only makes things more difficult, but it also prevents those around them from growing.
In a nutshell,
The first step to a healthier, more balanced existence is realizing that you are a workaholic. It’s like switching the lights on in a pitch-black room. So let’s not forget that it’s not just about working long hours; it’s also about working more efficiently, pursuing our hobbies, and caring for ourselves along the way. It’s time to expose the dark sides and take back a more wholesome, long-term outlook on life and business. So let’s keep it real, shall we?
(Tashia Bernardus)