Let’s think about addictions: Alcoholism, Shopaholism, Ludomania, Nymphomania… They all sound like major red flags, right? Well, there seems to be one exception: Workaholism.
When we think about the word “workaholic” – someone with the compulsion or the uncontrollable need to work excessively hard and long hours, we can certainly recognize the negative connotations (“uncontrollable”, “excessively”) but somehow you wouldn’t think it’s that nefarious.
Workaholism seems to be the one addiction that often gets a pass in our society. Entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are glorifying it, Silicon Valley employees are celebrating their own exploitation with their “Working 9 to 5 is for losers” t-shirts, and movies like The Devil Wears Prada are making it look fashionable.
Today, we call this “Hustle culture”, also known as burnout culture or grind culture. It refers to a work environment where productivity, ambition and success are considered the only things that matter in life, and working to the bone and sacrificing your mental health are the positive signs that you’re getting closer to success.
It sounds uncannily similar to that old tale of the American dream, and like the American dream, it’s just one very large burst bubble. The only thing you might get out of this hustle culture is probably medical bills for treating anxiety, stress and even depression.
Hustle culture needs to end, and this is what you can do to reject hustle culture at work:
Log off and stay off after work
When it’s the end of your work hours, log off and head off. Don’t feel guilty about leaving just because you’re the first to take off or you’re leaving earlier than your manager.
Ignore new messages and emails coming after work hours. It may be easier for you if you delete your work email account and any work messaging apps from your phone. The least you can do is turn off the notifications. Out of sight, out of mind!
Disconnect completely outside your working hours, meaning stop thinking about work-related tasks. If you’re ambitious, read self-help books or listen to career podcasts instead of dreading an actual work task.
Set boundaries
Be crystal clear about your needs, your capacity, and work style to your manager and colleagues. Don’t be a “Yes man”. No one will think you’re so hard-working and indispensable because you’re always there to help. Most likely, they will see you as a pushover. Meanwhile, saying “yes” to everything will cost you your precious time and your happiness. Similar to “quiet quitting”, if the request is outside your job scope and you really don’t have time to deal with it, say “no”. If it’s really part of your duties but you think the deadline is unrealistic, share that thought with your manager, explain why it’s not feasible to get it done by that deadline, and propose a new timeframe.
The rule of thumb is to be outspoken about your boundaries. Update your status on the messaging app when it’s lunch break, for example, something simple like “I’m on my lunch, come back in an hour.” Most importantly, don’t respond if someone messages you. You are entitled to an undisturbed lunch break.
When you’re on vacation, add an email signature saying that you’re out of office and when you will be back. Resist the urge to check your messaging app or inbox. Enjoy your holiday. Most US workers only get around ten days of paid time off anyways, meaning you’re spending most of your time in a year on work. You deserve to take your vacations without thinking about work.
Reject “hustle” behaviors
Some people like bragging about how hard-working they are at work, for example, how they get so little sleep last night because they are working on a presentation, skip lunch for meetings, or wake up at 6am to work on some projects. Don’t be that person. Don’t make “I’m so busy” become your catchphrase.
What you could do is to take as many breaks as you need. Your health should always come first, and your performance should be gauged by your work instead of how many hours you clock in. Remember “work smarter, not harder”.
Reward yourself
Find small ways to celebrate success, whether that be treating yourself with a glazed donut, exploring a new area close to your office or going to that nice lunch place you’ve been wanting to visit. You’ve earned it. It’s important to reward yourself for your work in time, not postpone it to “later” because we all know that “later” will never happen.
Contemplate your purpose in life
A bit philosophical. What do you want to get out of life, and where does your career stand? How much do you want to be defined by work? Based on your reflections, rethink your priorities. To avoid letting work take over your life, channel your energy to something else, for example, develop new hobbies, build your morning and evening routines or even get a side hustle.
If you’re a manager…
Encourage your team to take a short break
Some people might feel shy to go for a break because no one else is doing that, or they’re simply not aware that they need a break. A series of microbreaks during the workday is essential, unless your coworkers are robots. Make sure they get away from their desks from time to time. If you work in an office, grab a cup of coffee with them or have a walking meeting. If they work from home, ask them to take a walk on a sunny day or order coffee to their apartment from time to time. Be creative. If you’re not the outspoken, extrovert kind of manager, you can lead by example. Take breaks from time to time to show your teammates that it’s OK to take breaks.
Master the art of meetings
Meetings can be stressful and overwhelming for employees but they don’t always have to be. When you set up meetings, never schedule several meetings straight in a row without any breaks. Allow your teammates to have at least a 5-10 minute break between meetings to decompress.
Most meetings should be 30 minutes or less, and an hour is really the maximum length. Stick to this timeframe, and if meetings happen to end earlier than expected, allow your coworkers to have their time back instead of blathering or repeating what had been said until the due time.
Respect their time off and let them disconnect
This rule sounds really simple but it is often hard to follow for many leaders. As a leader, you may think it must be harmless to ask your junior a yes/no question 10 minutes after their work hours or to reply to emails where you cc-ed them at 9pm. However, for them, it is very likely to make them question if they need to be always “on” to succeed in their roles or if they will be seen as “lazy” if they don’t answer promptly. As a matter of fact, even if you’re on a manager grade, don’t forget you’re also an employee. You shouldn’t overwork either.
Reassess your team’s workload
Learn about your team’s capabilities and workload, and keep them in mind whenever you are assigning tasks. Be clear about priorities if they are simultaneously working on several tasks and be explicit about deadlines. Avoid assigning new tasks towards the end of the day.
Get better at compliments
Giving compliments can be anxious. Even though we think someone is doing a great job, we probably will just keep it to ourselves. However, when you’re managing others, a little flattery can work wonders. Learn how to be specific about your compliments so they sound genuine. Focus on their output and performance and avoid praising things that might reinforce hustle culture, for example, long working hours.
Read more: