The Reality of Hustle Culture
Your alarm goes off at 5 a.m., you open your eyes with a start, notifications on your phone keep piling up, not to mention the blaring horns and loud swearing that accompany traffic. Your brain quietly whispers, “How long are we going to do this for?”
This is the reality of a lot of women, especially in this hustle-obsessed world. It’s the default setting. We are juggling a 9–5, plus a side gig, an online course, plus family responsibilities, coupled with church or mosque, and a social life that we’re mostly too tired to enjoy. Although everyone praises us for being “strong women,” very few people are asking if you are really okay.
Hustle Culture: The Grind Never Ends
This is what hustle culture looks like. You wake up tired, and the first thing on your mind is “Go!” ”
Hustle culture is the glorification of hard work. Social media wants to motivate you to “secure the bag” and says you must have multiple streams of income before 30 or you’ve failed your generation. However, in real life, it often feels like you don’t have a grasp of your life.
How Hustle Culture Sneaks into Women’s Lives
Women often carry extra baggage of family expectations, emotional stress, and that silent pressure to hold everything together without complaining.
Hustle culture affects everyone in some way, so it’s easy to assume it’s only for corporate elites.
- You work overtime just to prove your worth to your boss.
- Saying “yes” to every request because you want to be seen as efficient.
- You feel guilty on days when your body forces you to slow down and still “try to do something.”
- You turn every hobby into a side hustle because “money must be made.”
The Other Side of Hustle Culture
Then there’s social media. While you are struggling to finish one project, somebody’s caption is telling you how she just launched her third business this year or got international funding for a project. And even though you don’t know the full story, you start questioning your capabilities and efforts.
Add culture to the mix. Aunties gossip about why you are not achieving success like your peers. Colleagues praise the “stand-up guy” that knows how to sort out everyone’s issues at the office. As a result, you start to think of how to be valuable. You don’t consider the stress; you just want to show how serious you are.
Signs You Need to Slow Down
The problem with constant hustle is that it doesn’t come free. There’s always a bill, and your body, mind, and relationships are usually the ones paying.
- Physically, your body is the first to complain. You wake up tired, your muscles are tight, and your menstrual cycle may start misbehaving. But you ignore it and move on.
- Emotionally and mentally, things quietly start to crumble. You feel restless when you’re not doing anything, you’re thinking of the next thing to do, and you are anxious whenever you’re not “moving forward.”
- Then relationships take the hit. You cancel plans with friends because of your busy schedule. You’re present physically with family but mentally stuck in your to-do list.
Success is Beyond Stress
Many people are stuck in hustle mode because they’re chasing a version of success that’s built on struggle. Somewhere along the line, success became sleep deprivation, multiple jobs, constantly being “on the move,” and always talking about the “next big thing.”
But what’s the point of “making it” if by the time you get there, your body is damaged, your joy is gone, and your relationships have scattered?
What if we redefine success as:
- Taking care of your body while earning money.
- Having time for the people you love.
- Being able to rest without feeling like a failure.
- Being proud of yourself beyond what your LinkedIn profile should look like.
How to Slow Down Without Feeling Like You’re Failing
Slowing down doesn’t mean you’re not ambitious. It means you want your life to last longer than your grind.
So, how do you start?
- Be honest with yourself. You shouldn’t see admitting that you’re tired or overwhelmed as a weakness.
- Audit your life like a budget. Write down ‘how you are spending your time’ and ask yourself what is necessary. Anything that is draining you and not adding real value needs to go.
- Rest is non-negotiable, not something you squeeze in when everything else is done.
- You don’t have to monetize everything. Read a cheesy romance novel, and take a walk without listening to a podcast about productivity. YouTube is not just for free courses or tutorials; watch movies.
- Set softer daily goals. Instead of writing a to-do list with 15 things and ending the day feeling like a failure, pick your top three must-do tasks and make sure that anything that is not a requirement doesn’t make the list.
Creating Balance
Think back to that 5 a.m. alarm version of you. The one dragging herself out of bed, overbooked, overcommitted, and overstretched. Now imagine a version of you who still has goals, still works hard, but is not constantly running on reserve energy and the grace of God.
You won’t escape hustle culture in one day, but you can start with one small choice: remove one unnecessary commitment this week. Give yourself one guilt-free hour to rest. Say one honest “no” where you’d normally force a “yes.”
It’s okay to be soft and still be successful. So, slow down and still move forward. The bag will still be there tomorrow. But your body, your peace, and your joy? Those are not as easily replaced.
