The Surprising Connection Between Hustle Culture, Stress, and Eating Disorders
While hustle culture might seem motivational on the surface (“Do more!” “Make it perfect!”) many of the beliefs and values associated with hustle culture bear a striking resemblance to diet culture.
I was deep into hustle culture as a new entrepreneur nearly seven years ago. As a not-so-surprising coincidence, I was also deep into my disordered eating.
I lapped up the articles that perhaps you’ve seen too: “5 things every successful person does before 5am”—exercise for two hours, have a green juice for breakfast, practice intermittent fasting. The list continues… and diet culture is having a field day.
I now know that a framework that enforces such rigid, inflexible routines will leave you with chronic stress, burnout, or—in more extreme cases—eating disorder behaviors. So, let’s dig into this often overlooked connection. I’ll also share some practical ways to ditch hustle culture and restore the gentle balance you deserve.
The Harmful Side of Hustle Culture
Shockingly, a recent survey found that most Millennial and Gen Z adults reach their peak stress levels by age 25, and about a quarter experience burnout before they turn 30. Meanwhile, another poll found that 56 percent of teenagers feel pressure to have a clear game-plan for the future, and 53 percent think they need to be “exceptional and impressive” at all costs.
Not only do these narratives take a serious toll on mental health, they’re not helping Millennials or Gen Zers attain the kind of lifestyle that hustle culture promised them.
In fact, nearly 75 percent of Millennials and 65 percent of Gen Zers feel behind the curve financially. More than half of surveyed folks in these age brackets don’t expect to achieve society’s traditional (and let’s be honest, narrow) definition of success—no matter how hard they work.
Given all the stress of trying to live up to hustle culture norms, it’s no wonder young adults are prone to depression, anxiety, emotional distress, loneliness, and a lack of meaning in life. The constant barrage of social media content aimed at perfectionism doesn’t exactly help matters either.
Young adults, who believe their friends on social media have more successful lives than they do, are more susceptible to low self-esteem, poor mental health, and a sense of inferiority, which can fuel body image issues.
Where Hustle Culture and Eating Disorders Intersect
Do you have unrealistic goals or unreasonable expectations for yourself, with little tolerance for mistakes? I did—and this didn’t just occur in my work life. We are connected individuals. What shows up in one place often shows up in other areas.
So, if that way of being rings true for you (intense goals and low tolerance for mistakes) it may also be showing up in the way you approach food and your body. For example:
You could be at a higher risk of body dissatisfaction, fixation on thinness, caloric restriction, or other weight-control behaviors.
You could be prone to rigid habits such as compulsive exercise.
You are more likely to develop anorexia or bulimia early in life.
If you want to be perfect at work, you may also find it appealing to have a perfect body or maintain a perfect weight. Plus, weight bias at work is real and Computers in Human Behavior found that many folks evaluate their own success or social capital based on how much they weigh.
This is the insidious nature of hustle culture. It can push us to the brink of stress and burnout, urge us to adopt extreme behaviors that masquerade as healthy choices, and influence how we view ourselves and others.
Fortunately, I stopped living this way, and you can too.
Debunking the Myth that Hustle Culture Leads to Success
It’s a misconception that success (however you define it) is only attainable through inflexible routines. While effort and consistency are valuable traits, they do not need to come at the expense of your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Prescribing one-size-fits-all habits such as early wake-up times, restrictive diets, or intense fitness regimens do not account for variations in genetics, circumstances, and other lifestyle factors. Just another diet culture lie that’s become a truth for so many of us.
For example, some folks naturally feel most active in the morning, while others hit their stride in the evening. Likewise, some folks have different nutritional requirements and movement abilities as well.
How to Ditch Hustle Culture and Embrace Healing
Ready to break free of hustle culture’s influence and cultivate a more balanced relationship with yourself? Here are a few strategies that can help you embrace radical, unapologetic self-love, regardless of societal expectations.
Determine what success means to you. Success is a subjective concept that can take many forms based on your goals, values, and priorities. Consider what inspires and fulfills you—personal growth, healthy relationships, career aspirations, social justice, travel experiences, starting a business, raising a family, or all of the above. This is your life, which means you call the shots on what to pursue. (And no, the way your body looks has nothing to do with any of those areas of success.)
Prioritize self-care as more than a box to check: Hustle culture might persuade you to believe that self-care is another item on the calendar to maximize productivity (or show off on Instagram). But in reality, self-care is not an output—it’s all about replenishment. Take a walk with friends, close your laptop after dinner; whatever it is that fills your cup and slows life down a little.
Cultivate healthy coping mechanisms. Instead of turning to compulsive exercise, binge-purge cycles, or food restriction when you feel stressed, lean into alternative coping mechanisms to process your emotions. Here are some ideas: write in a journal, read a book, learn a hobby, listen to a podcast or your favorite music, spend time in nature, practice mindfulness, or speak affirmations to yourself.
Work with a mental health professional: Some of us are more susceptible to hustle culture and disordered eating than others because of past trauma and conditioning. If you can’t seem to ditch hustle culture on your own, it can be helpful to ask for support from a mental health professional who can help you understand why it’s so appealing and how to safely find another way.
Life is So Much Better on the Other Side of Hustle Culture
Hustle culture is appealing. But when those rigid habits and perfectionistic ideals leak over into body image and eating habits or push you to the brink of burnout and beyond, it’s time to say goodbye.
I hope these insights and ideas feel supportive for you. If you’re craving mental health support and/or need financial support in getting it, check out Project HEAL’s programs.
