Source: Stylist UK
“I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay, ain't it sad. And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me” In the wise words of Abba, they perfectly capture the struggle of the grind, day in and day out and despite all the hard work, our bank accounts often seem as empty as if we didn’t have a job.
In a world where many people are expected to “hustle, hustle, hustle” - hustle to provide for the family, hustle to provide for themselves and hustle to stay alive, we got to remember one thing - hustle culture is not normal. It should never be normalized or glorified, and its up to us - the young generation, to push against toxic work mentalities. Whether hustle culture is playing out in our work, or in our church, it’s wrong nonetheless and once we recognize it, we can put a stop to it.
But lets look at what hustle culture is first of all; “Hustle culture is the need to strive for success through constant hard work. In a generation that glorifies constant grind, the pursuit of success comes at a cost, particularly one that leads to physical strain, mental burnout, and spiritual erosion.”
Hustle Culture’s effect on our physical wellbeing
Physical strain is a devastating impact of hustle culture, the continuous pursuit of success often translates to long work hours, appetite loss, or sudden appetite gain due to stress, and unbalanced sleep patterns. Neglecting the body’s needs can have severe repercussions possibly leading to frequent hospital trips and reliance on medications. The cost to pay for a few extra bucks is detrimental to your life.
Hustle Culture’s effect on our mental wellbeing
The mental strain that ‘hustlers’ go through cannot be measured on a scale. Long hours of forced productivity are often accompanied by periods of burnout which lead to feelings of guilt and worthlessness. The overbearing need to hustle can easily tip the scales from motivation to obsession, and this, coupled with the fear of falling behind and the constant need to be at the top of your game can undoubtedly push individuals to the brink of their mental capacity. In most cases, our work situation in terms of the kind of colleagues/bosses you have more often than not has a major impact on our mental well-being. Having problematic colleagues/bosses creates a negative work environment which can leave you feeling like you’re surrounded by the enemy from all sides.
Christian Ministry and the Hustle Culture debacle
Hustle culture exists even in Christian ministry. That familiar thought of “I can do more, I know I was feeling burnt out but hearing the announcement of mission trips or volunteering to serve in the church ignites my heart with passion” is not inherently negative. It is not a bad thing. The challenge lies in balancing various parts of life and the juggling action can only be sustained for so long before exhaustion takes its toll. Therefore it is crucial to ensure that the enthusiasm to serve doesn’t cause mental and physical fatigue. God’s design from the beginning of time was to work, Adam and Eve were expected to take care of the Garden of Eden and so work in itself is not bad, its when the purpose of work gets twisted to a point that productivity is measured in hours and work-alcoholism rather than results, that's where toxic patterns set in.
Even God-fearing, mature Christians have this expectation that you have to be
serving in one, two, or more ministries in order to “give back to the church” but to those people, you could easily say that God created the sabbath for a reason, not for us to be overworked and overwhelmed. Ministry should become something you do as an act of worship, not another tool where you’re forced to hustle in order to get things done.
While hustle culture started as a pathway to success, its toxic effects on our physical, mental, and spiritual health cannot be overlooked. Therefore it is extremely important to set boundaries and create a work-life balance that works for all of us. Saying ‘no’ is an important skill that often gets overlooked or is seen as selfishness negatively, but saying no is a boundary-setting tool.
There’s a powerful saying that “No is a complete sentence”. Learning to say no allows you to prioritize your time and energy into striving to achieve your goals. Setting realistic goals and prioritizing self-care are some other ways to overcome hustle culture. It's okay to prioritize your self-care, it's okay to watch Netflix in your sweatpants rather than volunteer for that church activity you don’t have the energy for. It's okay to stop checking your emails after 5:00 PM. You are a human, don’t expect to work like a robot without losing battery time after time.
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