How to redefine hustle culture on your terms and recover from burnout

Coined as the term ‘hustle culture’ by Millennials and Gen Z, former Forbes Magazine contributor Celinne Da Costa defined the term as “the collective urge we currently seem to feel as a society to work harder, stronger, faster. To grind and exert ourselves at our maximum capacity, every day, and accomplish our goals and dreams at a lightning speed that matches the digital world we’ve built around ourselves.”

Although working from home may have its benefits, some experienced barriers to work life balance throughout the global pandemic. Without the separation between office and home it can be easier to work through lunch breaks or become distracted by children who are also at home. Others took on online side hustles to make a little extra income during the period of uncertainty.

It’s critical for your mental health to maintain a life outside of work, especially when you’re not leaving your place of work at the end of the work day.

How to find work life balance while working from home

Here are some ways to avoid getting stuck in the cycle of over-working yourself:

Limit your social media use

Social media has become the medium through which people put up their greatest achievements. From engagements to job promotions, endless scrolling can take a toll on your mental health.

In reality, Instagram is just a highlight reel. Follow pages that inspire you and that add value to your timeline, and consider setting a time limit for apps that tend to suck you in for hours at a time.

Have a set routine

Planning out your day in a physical planner or digitally is great way to visualise your tasks. Allocate blocks of time for each type of task to help stay in the zone. Use a timer or an app to set time limits on websites and apps during your productive blocks to maximise your focus.

Make a list of priorities and schedule those in first. Then, remember to also schedule in some “me time”. A routine will help you establish healthy habits to avoid burn out.

Stick to one side hustle

If you choose to take up a hobby or even monetise a side hustle, it is important to find one thing you are good at and hone in on it. This has many benefits. Firstly, you will improve and upskill much faster if you focus your time and attention. Furthermore, dedicating your all will bring you more joy as you will see results faster. Most importantly, you’ll be less likely to burn out from overextending yourself.

Exercise

The benefits of exercising consistently are not novice to anyone. Taking time to move your body will help release endorphins. They will help you be happier and more creative in the long run. Exercising allows the brain to disconnect from the toxicity of hustle culture. There are a variety of ways to implement daily exercise from cycling to weightlifting.

Express gratitude

Many of us forget that we once wished for what we have now. Hustle culture can cause an enormous about of pressure and anxiety. Take a few minutes in your day to appreciate how far you have come. Comparing yourself to your peers will only decrease your level of happiness and fulfilment in life. 

At the end of the day it is all about balance, finding it is just the tricky part. Recovering from burnout and fining your passion again can be a long but very rewarding process!