Exploring Burnout and “Hustle Culture” in the Workplace
As a new therapist, I have met with a number of clients who are experiencing mental and emotional exhaustion, ongoing fatigue, and symptoms of “burnout,” which has become increasingly normalized within our society. The longstanding beliefs of workplace culture and the lack of importance placed on burnout are often deflected to common sayings like “I’m just tired” or “I’ll be fine once this [week, month, assignment, etc.] is done.”
What is “Hustle Culture?”
Workplace culture is synonymous with the new wave of “Hustle Culture” which exemplifies intense focus placed on productivity, ambition, and success, with little to no regard for rest, self-care, or any sense of work-life balance. The glorification of “Hustle Culture” and toxic productivity refers to the belief that success can only be achieved through constant productivity, exemplifying the belief that “You’ll get ahead quicker if you work harder than anyone else.” In the workplace, “Hustle Culture” can be demonstrated by the demands or beliefs of hard work from superiors. Expecting employees to arrive at work much earlier than their start time and expect them to stay late to complete their responsibilities, or workplaces that promote ‘healthy competition’ among colleagues by rewarding ‘hard work.’ Hustle Culture has pushed the narrative that overextending yourself in the workplace is a relentless pursuit of ambition, success, and drive, which all in all, is incredibly harmful for workers who are experiencing signs of burnout and exhaustion. The negative impacts of “Hustle Culture” on mental health are becoming widely studied, and have been found to lead to feelings of:
1. Guilt – Feeling as though taking time off is “lazy and unproductive”
2. Apathetic attitude – Nothing feels good enough or rewarding enough
3. Toxic positivity – Minor mistakes perceived as failures or catastrophic
4. Work-life imbalances – Prioritization of career over family, friends, self-care, etc.
5. Increased risk of illness and disease – Exhaustion has been found to lead to psychological distress and increases the risk of illness due to lack of sleep and poor diet choices
What is Burnout?
The word “burnout” has become increasingly popular in pop culture and social media, with many online videos exploring the concept. Burnout is a term that encapsulates emotional exhaustion and overwhelm, and often incorporates feelings of:
1. Expecting too much of yourself
2. Never feeling that your work is good enough
3. Feeling inadequate or incompetent
4. Feeling unappreciated
5. Accepting unreasonable demands
Unaddressed burnout can take a considerable toll on your mental health and wellbeing, and can increase the chances of developing mental health conditions. So, what are the warning signs of burnout?
What burnout looks like:
The signs and symptoms of burnout can include:
1. Reduced efficiency and energy
2. Lowered levels of motivation
3. Increased errors in work
4. Fatigue
5. Headaches
6. Irritability
7. Increased frustration
8. Suspicion
9. More time spent working with less being accomplished.
Severe burnout can look like:
1. Self-medicating with alcohol or other substances
2. Sarcasm and negativity
3. Debilitating self-doubt
4. Poor physical health
5. Clinical depression
6. Reduced job satisfaction
7. Decreased productivity
I think I may be burnt-out. What now?
If you believe that you are experiencing signs and symptoms of burnout, there are a number of strategies that have been found to be helpful to combat the symptoms of burnout and emotional exhaustion. Feeling as though you are burnt-out can come with a plethora of challenges and barriers to well-being, however, there are many tools that can be implemented in your daily life that can help to reduce the symptoms of burnout. It is important to note that although burnout is becoming increasingly normalized across society, it is imperative to be open and honest with yourself and others about how you’re really feeling.
How do I break free from “Hustle Culture” and manage burnout?
Great question! The most effective way to break free from “Hustle Culture” and begin to take the steps to improve your feelings of burnout requires a shift in mindset and behaviour that allows for the development of sustainable habits and prioritization of your mental health. So what does that mean? It’s pretty simple, breaking free from “Hustle Culture” may look like:
1. Setting boundaries – putting limits on the time you spend working outside of business hours
2. Take breaks – regular short breaks are essential for managing your stress and taking a breather
3. Prioritize self-care – try to spend a small amount of time each day taking care of yourself (going for a walk, taking a bubble bath, spending time with family, etc.)
Combatting the toll of burnout can seem like a daunting task, but thankfully, managing overwhelm and burnout can be simple, and may look like:
1. Stop multi-tasking
2. Work at a reasonable, steady pace
3. Break down overwhelming tasks into smaller, achievable parts
4. Recognize and celebrate the little wins!
5. Take regular assigned breaks
6. Resist working unnecessary overtime
7. Stay disconnected at home or on vacation as much as possible.
How do I detect early signs of burnout?
If you have been feeling overwhelmed, mentally or emotionally exhausted, or burned-out, it is important to take action by:
1. Listing what burnout looks like for you (anger, frustration, etc.) so you can identify it early
2. If you’re feeling overwhelmed – ask for help!
3. Connect with people who care about you
4. Learn to verbalize your feelings to prevent future instances of burnout
Check out these other resources:
https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/resources/prevent-burnout
https://www.talkspace.com/blog/hustle-culture/#:~:text=Hustle%20culture%20is %20when%20a,sense%20of%20work%2Dlife%20balance.
https://www.canada.ca/en/government/publicservice/wellness-inclusion-diversity- public-service/health-wellness-public-servants/mental-health-workplace/preventing- burnout.html