I love when I get the chance to share real life experiences and share my perspective as I am so much more than dressing up and going to Fashion Shows.
Let me start by saying for as long as I can remember I have been an overachiever. I was that girl in High-School who was never just ok with a “B” since it’s considered “ok enough”. No, I didn’t have one of those parents who would push me and try to live out their dreams through me, It was all me. There was a time during University when my father literally told me “It’s ok to fail sometimes and I don’t have to push so hard”. I’ve said all that to say, I’ve never just been “ok” with one job, especially living in Jamaica. I’ve always had a 9-5, My Blog and my Side Hustle. If you are new here, let me give you a breakdown of these.
The Toxic Side of Hustle Culture
For my 9-5 I am a Digital Content Producer (Marketing when translated in Jamaica) where I create content for brands to help them grow their online presence. This is my Lifestyle Blog which I’ve deemed my creative outlet that allows me to write on topics relating to Fashion, Lifestyle, Beauty, Entertainment and everything else in between. For my Side Hustle, I create content solely for Social Media Platforms for a maximum of 5 brands per month. We are told as Millennials that we need to have multiple streams of income as one income is never enough to live a comfortable life. I am all for this until those streams start to overlap and you are at the edge of burnout or breakdown (whichever comes first).
When the Hustle Becomes Toxic
These are all my “hustles” which is why I’m a part of the Hustle Culture. Here’s where the toxicity comes in. It’s the start of the month which means it’s that time of the year when brands and businesses are going over their budgets. For the past 2 weeks, I’ve done a total of 3 strategies back to back which are all 360/Integrated strategies and there was a lot of research. Between these strategies, I have to do my usual day-to-day client services + content creation, still Blog and also service my Social Media Clients. This has caused me to become extremely tired, so much that instead of going out on the weekend, I now look forward to the weekends so sleep in a little longer and I get to stay home and just chill! I also slept through an alarm today which I didn’t even hear go of.
When Sh*t Hit the Fan
Things became toxic in hustle culture when I went back to the office. When I was working from home, I was able to manage my time more efficiently, completed all my tasks and ended my day at 2 pm. Now, I struggle to stay awake daily after putting in a full 8 hours in one place and having to use the “what’s left” on the other “jobs”. I know you are probably thinking, “you had a choice and did this to yourself”, but! Hustle Culture is Toxic and can affect your mental health if not managed effectively. The thing that makes it extremely toxic on my end is having a 9-5 which is needed now to help cover and recuperate my money lost during the Pandemic.
The worst part is not being able to stop since you are not sure if things will get better in the world of work, or the world in general so you are able to sit back and enjoy the hustle! You feel you always need to work harder to consistently prove yourself to your peers, colleagues, managers and even yourself. It truly feels like being on a hamster wheel or in a loop.
Let me know if you find “Hustle Culture” toxic and how you’ve been navigating your way through it.
#The Toxic Side of Hustle Culture
#The Toxic Side of Hustle Culture
#The Toxic Side of Hustle Culture
#The Toxic Side of Hustle Culture
#The Toxic Side of Hustle Culture
#The Toxic Side of Hustle Culture
