Has hustle culture hurt your well-being at work? Protect yourself with boundaries ⛔

Meet Dan

Here's what he wrote in his journal:

I feel completely overwhelmed. Every time I check social media, it looks like everyone else is successfully managing three jobs, top grades, and a booming side hustle—and I feel this intense pressure that if I'm not doing the same, I'm failing.

I've overloaded my schedule, constantly sacrificing sleep and feeling that my value is tied only to how busy I am or how much I produce. I’m always chasing the next task without taking a real break, and frankly, I'm starting to burn out because I can't escape this exhausting cycle of needing to always be 'on' and productive.

Do you feel like Dan? If so, you may be experiencing hustle culture burnout!

Overcome hustle culture, establish your boundaries, and prioritize well-being so you can enjoy work without letting it consume you.

Hustle culture equates busyness with productivity, exhaustion with accomplishment, and, most dangerously, self-worth with professional success.

Hustle culture promises everything but misleads you by substituting busyness for productivity. It dangerously links your self-worth to job performance.

Photo by José Martín Ramírez Carrasco on Unsplash

Identify Your Core Values

Determine what truly matters to you outside of work (e.g., family, health, creativity, integrity) and intentionally structure your life around them.

A hectic job is stressful because it constantly demands mental and emotional energy. When you have dedicated time for non-work priorities, they act as a "release valve" for that pressure.

Photo by Gabin Vallet on Unsplash

Try Yoga

In today's busy hustle culture, you could try yoga to relax. Yoga reduces stress by using deep breathing to calm your nervous system and shift your body out of the "fight-or-flight" response.

The physical poses release stored muscle tension, while the required mindfulness stops the cycle of worrying thoughts. Consistent practice effectively lowers stress hormones like cortisol, promoting immediate relaxation and long-term well-being.

Yoga practice builds resilience, creating a buffer against the fight-or-flight response when you feel overwhelmed, which improves your ability to cope and keep calm.

Regularly spend time with family and friends.

A fulfilling life and strong values outside the office put work stress in perspective. When your core values (like family or health) are secure, a bad day or missed deadline feels less catastrophic. This resilience helps you bounce back fast.

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

Try Eating Together

Eat together with family or friends regularly. This provides a perfect, low-stress opportunity for everyone to talk about their day, vent any concerns, and offer each other reassurance and support.

This new perspective is like a shield that can ward off negative thoughts about work that take over your life

Try Hobbies

Investing in hobbies provides vital mental rest, disconnecting you from work stress and worry cycles.

They offer a sense of control and accomplishment, protecting you from being stressed and boosting your resilience.

Working late is sometimes necessary to prove your dedication and skill, but the risk is allowing this occasional effort to turn into an unhealthy, expected standard.

You have the right to decline invitations, work requests, or demands that violate your boundaries or cause discomfort.

Try These Limits

Schedule personal time (workouts, family dinner, dates) in your calendar to make it non-negotiable. This prevents work from constantly creeping into your personal life and is crucial for preventing burnout.

During your time off, tell your coworkers you'll be unreachable. Always provide a backup plan for urgent issues (for example, 'Contact [Coworker Name] if there’s an emergency')."

The smoothest way to set a boundary? Offer a workable alternative. This strategy, often framed with phrases like, "Would you be open to...," shifts the conversation from a conflict to a collaborative problem-solving effort. You're respecting the other person's circumstances while still ensuring your own needs are met.

If the demands of hustle culture are becoming unbearable, first try to change the situation; second, if the situation is unchangeable, plan your exit.

Step One

• If work is really becoming too much, first speak to your manager.

Step Two

• Document the load: Before your meeting with your manager, list everything you're working on. Next to each item, estimate the time required and the deadline. Be factual, not emotional.

Step Three

The delegation/prioritization conversation: Schedule a meeting with your manager. Use your list to have an honest, non-confrontational conversation:

• State the problem: "I have [X] number of projects right now, which require [Y] hours per week, but I only have [Z] capacity. I am heading toward burnout."

• Ask for direction: "Given the current volume, I need help deciding what to drop or postpone. What is the absolute highest priority that must be done this week, and what can we delay/delegate?"

• Propose a solution: Offer a specific boundary, e.g., "I will focus only on tasks A, B, and C this week. For Task D, would you be open to assigning it to someone else?"

Step Four

• Learn to say no: Protect your focus. When a new task comes in, immediately ask: "I'm currently focused on X, Y, and Z. If I take this on, which of those should I push back or drop?"

  

Step Five

If your well-being is at risk and you've run out of options, stop and prioritize your health. Rest, step back, and then plan your next moves. Your health is non-negotiable and more important than any professional commitment.