When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, I think there was a bit of a lull in the world.

Like many who were stuck at home, I tried searching for things to do. However, I’ve always loved being really busy. I’m now starting to realize how constantly doing something can actually be toxic.

I started realizing relatively recently that I just adhere really well to hustle culture, which, in my case, worked well, but I also noticed  I got burned out quickly.

For those who don’t know, hustle culture is defined as overworking yourself, to put it simply. The definition of hustle culture is “the state of overworking to the point where it becomes a lifestyle.”

Unfortunately, I think that’s the life of most high school students; we overwork ourselves to the point of burnout and exhaustion.

But as I transition into a more adult world, I’m beginning to realize that having an overworking lifestyle is neither sustainable nor healthy. Those are two of the biggest reasons hustle culture is awful. When people are so busy, they can avoid self-care.

Another reason hustle culture is awful is it prevents us from a good life balance. Without that, people end up getting burnt out too quickly. Personally, I burn out so quickly that sometimes I have the intention of doing something and I won’t do it in favor of sleep or doing something fun. Finally, hustle culture is awful because it doesn’t allow people to hear themselves think. People spend so much time consumed in going through the motions of their day to day life.

When that happens, people really can neglect their health, which can affect so many other areas of our health and overall wellbeing. This can impact other aspects of our lives as well, like grades, work and relationships. However, it is also important to me, as someone who falls prey to hustle culture, to make a few minutes for myself. I always try finding time to do things I like to do in my free time. And you should do that, too. The times we’re getting into are difficult for so many students that it is important to feel like you aren’t doing enough. Even though it may feel like you aren’t doing enough, I promise you that you are doing great.