Why Hustle Culture Might Be Toxic to Your Business

Two competing trends are fighting for the souls of millennials. On one hand, there’s the much-documented commitment to the hustle, side or otherwise. On the other, there’s a backlash to hustle culture. In other words, a commitment to long hours of hard work to earn success has been widely celebrated, but is this tendency turning toxic and actually hindering entrepreneurial goals? Here’s why glamorizing workaholism may be hazardous to your physical and mental well-being, as well as potentially damaging to your business.

Hustle culture sets up unsustainable expectations.

Take this image that made the rounds on Twitter last fall, which read: “Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you are done.” It may sound admirably tough and gritty, but it's not a sustainable approach. If you never stop when you’re tired, you’re simply working yourself into exhaustion. Even if you manage to keep that going for some period of time, you can’t possibly do it over the long haul.

It encourages an unhealthy lifestyle.

Lack of sleep is an American epidemic, including in the business world, where it affects roughly half of all U.S. CEOs. The constant drive to keep working only creates more obstacles to deep, restful sleep. Not everyone needs the…