The Rise and Fall of Hustle Culture: Why Overworking is Losing its Lustre

The culture of overworking, often called “hustle culture,” has long been promoted as the key to success in the business world. It emphasizes always striving for more money, higher positions, and breaking through the limitations of achievement. Although not all entrepreneurs embrace these tropes, some experts say people still feel the pressure to work more, often to the detriment of other facets of their lives.

They stress that boasting about overworking on social media can have negative effects on workers’ mental and physical health. However, the rise-and-grind mentality seems to be losing its luster in light of the pandemic.

Many are re-evaluating their priorities and reprioritizing their lives by quitting toxic workplaces, strengthening their boundaries, and carving more time for personal pursuits. Economic uncertainty and the growing awareness of inequality have made both the ideas and language of hustle culture appear outdated and out of touch.

Experts say the entrepreneurial boom in the 1990s and early 2000s laid the foundation for the hustle-culture narrative. The rise of venture-capital financing helped build technology titans in Silicon Valley, which became known for their intense, all-consuming work cultures, cementing Northern California as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

As a result, the idea that to be successful, you have to work long hours became an aspirational business model for many. However, some people are beginning to question the validity of this model, and the pandemic has given them the time and space to re-evaluate their work-life balance.

According to a pulse survey of 2,000 US workers by insurance company Prudential, 70% of US workers had prioritized, or were considering prioritizing, their personal lives over their jobs and careers. 20% said they were willing to take pay cuts if it meant they could have a better work-life balance. Some workers are rejecting the idea that they must devote themselves only to work and sacrifice everything else.

The pandemic has made hustle culture more exhausting than empowering for some people. More people are seeking work-life balance as a response to the alienating way of living, which can make a person wealthy but not well.

The hustle culture narrative is perpetuated on social media, but some experts say that it has negative effects on workers’ mental and physical health. Boasting about overworking can create an environment in which people feel the need to work longer hours to keep up with others.

They may feel guilty or ashamed for not working as much as they think they should, even if they’re already putting in long hours. Over time, the narrative has grown with the rise of LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, which have helped it spread further.

The pandemic has given many people the opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate their lives. They are quitting toxic workplaces, strengthening their boundaries, and carving out more time for personal pursuits.

As a result, the hustle culture is losing its luster, and people are looking for a better work-life balance. Although the hustle culture narrative has been around for decades, it is becoming less appealing to people who want to prioritize their health and wellbeing over their careers.