Hustle Culture is more than just a culture; it’s an environment. Whether you wake up early and go to the gym, make yourself breakfast, head to work or class, connect with someone or attend an event, the routine never ends.
However, it consumes one’s personality in their interactions with their peers, family, friends and loved ones.
Digging deeper into what hustle culture looks like for recent grads, well, that can differ daily.
In an article for Forbes titled “The Pros and Cons of Hustle Culture: How to Work Hard Without Burning Out,” Jason Saltzman shares, “[Hustle Culture is] a mindset that emphasizes working hard and constantly striving for success, often in the form of waking up at 5 a.m. to cram in a marathon.”
This type of culture can cause worry, fear and anxiety. So, why is it essential for us to have a work-life balance?
Taking time to worry
When attending the PRSSA Leadership Assembly in Charlotte, N.C., this past spring, David Grossman, APR, Fellow PRSA, founder and CEO of the Grossman Group, shared, “Give yourself 30 minutes to worry.”
When he said that, I was skeptical because I wondered what I could accomplish in just 30 minutes of worrying. He shared that we shouldn’t allow our work to be consumed by worry, as these 30 minutes provide us with psychological containment, and with time, these worries lose urgency.
He continued by explaining to us that “by giving yourself this window to worry, it helps you differentiate between productive worry and unproductive worry.” What’s the difference? Well, productive worry allows you to define the specific issue that you are facing and find the next step/deadline. While unproductive worry has you confront/acknowledge the concern without judgment, and you don’t have control of the situation.
Here are three tips I learned to avoid burning myself out or worrying.
• Prioritize. Don’t wait til the last minute to complete that application or turn in that assignment. Prioritization helps determine what tasks are important and helps prevent burnout. You should focus on the work that makes you happy.
• Be Patient. Patience is a virtue that allows you to grow and learn from your mistakes. When you are adamant about completing a task immediately, sometimes the work can be sloppy and not the best. Give yourself time to proofread and clarify the steps for the task.
• Listen. Listening to your peers and colleagues allows you to learn a new skill or a new way of creating compelling stories.
It’s OK to feel overwhelmed, but the job that you’re in or the class you are taking isn’t the end of the world. It may feel like that at the moment, but when you give yourself room to breathe, prioritize, be patient and listen, it is an opportunity for growth.
With the conversation that Grossman held and learning these tips these past few months, I have noticed that to produce quality work, I need to take care of myself by doing the things I love.
Whether it is singing in the car, playing my ukulele or spending time with my family and friends, I can still accomplish my assigned work while also taking care of myself. By taking that breather, you are checking in with yourself to see what is missing.
Michael Gonzalez is a graduate student at the University of Southern California, where he is earning his degree in Digital Media Management. He is passionate about providing underrepresented voices with the platform to share their stories and utilizing digital platforms to elevate storytelling. Gonzalez currently works at ABC7 in Los Angeles, where he is interning with the community engagement and development team, developing programs that will reach the five counties that the station serves.
Photo credit: joriah
