Hustle Culture in New Age India

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Ever felt like you’re running out of time in your career or that a 9-to-5 job isn’t enough? Or you need a six-figure salary in your twenties, a sea-facing villa, two or more cars, and a significant bank balance? Or that your coworkers and friends are performing better than you? Everything that causes you to feel frustrated and under a lot of pressure?

Well, welcome to the Hustle Culture!

Many of us have had those exhausting “9 to 5” days where you’re expected to work until the sunsets. For some of us, it’s more like a never-ending scramble to get the job done, do overtime, and go above and beyond to be considered an effective “employee.”

Hustle Culture is when one part of your life takes precedence over the other. In this instance, your work-life takes priority over your personal life. It makes you feel as if you have to overlook the portion of your life where you’re supposed to enjoy yourself, have fun, and just live happily.

Hustle Culture has a significant negative impact on a person’s mental health, leaving them frustrated and stressed. Panic attacks, anxiety, and despair are common side effects. It has a particularly dreadful effect on the younger generation, i.e., the New Age India.

In New Age India, the hustle culture refers to the younger generation’s desire to achieve everything quickly, ascend the ladder of success, and feel pressurized when someone else succeeds. This stress overwhelms and has a significant impact on mental health, which is more crucial than ever to preserve. In today’s India, the hustle culture simply means, “Go Hard or Go Home.” You must choose between fighting and fleeing. Constant stress causes your body to react negatively, releasing stress hormones and affecting your overall health.

It makes you not just psychologically exhausted, but also toxic in certain ways. Your persistent ambition to be on top causes you to put your career first while neglecting your personal life. While hustling might be viewed positively as pushing yourself to accomplish better, it still requires diligent attention, which the current generation lacks.
Read about the effects of constant stress on your body, right here.

Are You Affected By Hustle Culture?

Consider these points:

You neglect your personal life in order to concentrate on your professional life.
You dedicate the majority of your time aiming to fixing your career.
Seeing other people’s accomplishments makes you feel pressured.
You accept every duty assigned to you, even though you already have too much on your plate.
You’ve been deprived of sleep for the most part.
You’re working more hours but aren’t receiving any rewards.
You are unable to distinguish between your professional and personal lives.
You are unable to take a day off.

If you answered yes to the majority of these questions, you’re stuck in the hustling culture.

Why It Is Important to Break Away From Hustle Culture?

Everything comes down to one thing. This Hustle Culture’s toxicity. It’s exhausting, and it’s a never-ending loop that traps you until you either quit or your mental health deteriorates altogether. It’s a societal expectation that you give your 200 percent in whatever you do. There is no stopping; you must always be on the move; you must work quicker, harder, and more aggressively- EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Your employer tucks you with impending chores every time you consider taking a vacation. You can’t take breaks, you can’t sleep without thinking about your presentation the next day; you’re living a life you never imagined. This is New Age India’s Hustle Culture, in which the younger generation is unsatisfied with a single job. It requires more, and in order to do so, it must work harder.

We’re not proposing you shouldn’t work or celebrate your accomplishment. You ought to. It’s something you desire and need, but not at the expense of your mental health. The hustle culture is harmful because it fosters the erroneous belief that you are only appreciated as a human being if you work continuously, are productive, and can work even harder in the most difficult of circumstances. For all we know, this is the definition of toxicity.

And did we mention that hustle culture even leads to procrastination, mistakes, and losing interest in your work altogether?

What Can You Do to Break Away From This Culture?

India in the twenty-first century is productive, creative, and intelligent. And for that, this hustle culture is unproductive and unhealthy. Now that we’ve established what hustle culture is and how it affects the younger generation, let’s discuss what you should do if you find yourself trapped in its toxicity-

Begin with awakening- You must analyze yourself and assess if you are caught up in the never-ending cycle of hustling culture. Once you’re conscious of it, you’ll be able to progress and change for the best.
Figure out what’s most important to you- Take some time to jot out your long-term goals and consider whether you’re accomplishing them. Is it true that you’re succeeding?
Make a list of objectives for your ideal day- Make a schedule for your ideal day that coincides with your work schedule. Do what’s best for your career and your health.
Take a break- It’s crucial to take some time away from your work to explore and learn what interests you more. That’s how you’ll be able to maintain a healthy balance in your life while achieving your objectives.
Work hard, but relax even harder- Yes, you must work hard to reach your goals. You must be enthusiastic about your job. However, to cure your mental health, you must indulge in self-care on a regular basis. Take a mental health check day to earn some “me time.”

Overall, make smaller goals to avoid procrastinating or making errors during work. Keep track of how much energy you have. Try journaling, going for a walk with your pet, or trying your hand at pottery. Simply said, your mental health should take precedence over your professional life. Don’t worry about the ongoing project if you have your week off on Sunday. You are not compensated to be stressed out or worried about work when on vacation.

Also check out our blog on how to manage stress : Stress Management And What To Do!

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I am born and brought up in Delhi, to an awesome couple ( both working ) and taking care of all the needs, demands, desires of me and my elder brother with utmost care and love. I am a mother of a 6 year old girl ( my gift from God ) and spouse of a great human being. I am extremely attached to my family and friends and I am extremely fortunate to have beautiful souls around me.. I have always been an extrovert and opinionated female. I started my career with India today, and have been working for more than 10 years now. Currently, I am working with Elve Media, an influencer Marketing platform for the last 3 years.

my journey of life has been a great ride, full of new situations at every step since the last 13-14 years. from jobs to relationships, from wrong professional decisions to the responsibilities at home, from some nasty skin ailments to my own self doubts., and overcoming my own lesser self and meeting my happier self each day.

There were things that I could never say or point out straight, and it’s not possible to reach out to everyone. When i started sharing my writings/thoughts with my friends, almost all of them found meaning and encouragement in them. Specially my thoughts related to stopping gender bias, domestic violence, etc. Hope is the driving factor of my life, and all my writings and the way I think, hope is at its center. I started this initiative called ” A Quill of Hope “ with a dream to spark hope and light through my writings/thoughts.

The optimistic and hopeful soul in me always carries a virtual quill, an observing and compassionate heart which sings a song all the time. The core of the song is – Hope is not a destination, it’s a journey, the most beautiful and worthy journey. I truly believe that all of us are made of millions and zillions of emotions and that is what connects us. It’s the Heart that is important. I started this page to share my heart with my fellow human beings, especially on subjects like – breaking the gender bias and taboos around the same, mental illness, breaking the stereotypes,etc. I have been unflaggingly hopeful to bring a change, and trying to make this world a better stage.

how are you trying to make a difference with it? I have been trying to make the difference by voicing out issues that have been covered under the carpet for years, by normalizing the discussions around child molestation, awareness around good and bad touch, that any of us can need therapies, and we should never shy away if a need arises. very importantly, i have been trying to focus on mindful parenting, by understanding them – Emotionally and mentally. I have associated with a set of learned counsellors on important questions of parents in their daily lives.

lessons learnt/ other details that you would like to share! Since the time I started sharing my thoughts, I have come across many situations that women people me have dealt with, but could never voice it out. I have learnt that each one of us can make a difference if our intent is right, if we stand up for the right,accept the unpredictability of life and face it with wisdom and courage.

First and foremost, mental illness exists, but it’s not visible like physical illness. Hence it is difficult to understand the former. Also, it is still considered as a taboo, but it certainly is not. When a bone is broken, we visit the doctor and get an X-ray done and get the plaster done on the damaged body part. We all know this, and this is what everyone follows in India, in a similar situation. The first step is to accept that mental illness exists, and it can happen to anyone – Me, You, our closest family member or friend. Acceptance is the ker here, and we have excellent therapists and hospitals around us to help!

I shall keep living every moment of my life without begrudging myself and demeaning anyone, respecting the fact that every life is precious. I shall keep spreading awareness on issues like emotional well being, equality, co existence

Know your core, stand up for the right. Live every moment!

Please know that all lives are precious, and it starts with you. Respect your existence, never look down upon yourself, and most importantly – Do not compare yourself to other women, we are not here to compete with each other. We are here to enjoy life and cherish and uplift each other.