Many of us are struggling with finding it hard to stop working, especially in the current economic climate. 2022 has come and gone and 2023 first quarters isn't looking that great both in the United Kingdom and USA and worldwide.
With high inflations, mortgage, rents, food and the cost of fuel have gone up in price along with tax rates. Many single and family households can feel the squeeze in one form or another unless highly well off.
Due to the above, chances are you’re being affected by the pressure of ‘hustle culture’ – here’s a little glisten of some things to help to ease harmful habits.
Fuelled by day to day trends social media, the TikTok and the Instagram reels.
Outside influences have pressured more and more. In one form or another.
Whether you’ve pushed yourself too hard at work, said yes to every social invitation thrown your way or become obsessed with pursuing your ‘life goals'. Conversations about the importance of setting boundaries, taking time to reflect, relax, regain inner strength and exercising good mental health.
So, to get you started, to better identify toxic habits , we can then implement steps to actively replace them with healthy, positive ones instead.
1. Unrealistic Goals & Harder Expectations
Ambition is a powerful assets to motivate and encourage us to strive to be better individuals- however in todays society the influence of this is to motivate us to compare and seek value in more materialist expectations of what others deem to be our own success.
We need to sometimes STOP and think, "Is putting myself under pressure to achieve something every second of the day taking a toll on your wellbeing.?"
Simply, the opposite to setting unrealistic goals increase your risk of burnout or giving up on your aspirations too early. Research suggests, that burnout, especially at the current pervasive levels, is just as physically detrimental as it is mentally exhausting. Chronic stress and anxiety can cause insomnia, hopelessness, digestive issues, disordered eating, and can even land employees in urgent care.
"Resiliency is essential to thrive in today’s fast-paced work environment from this to this.
When setting goals, try breaking a goal down over a longer period. This can help you to keep track of your achievements and boost your self-esteem. For example, if your aim is to do something that requires a lengthy timeline, loosing weight, career goals, or buying a home. First start by working through shorter goals posts by set yourself smaller tasks of developing your skills and knowledge.
2. Toxic Work Hustle
With the cost of living rising every year, salaries have typically not risen to meet the high prices of our most necessary bills and items, particularly in our major cities.
Having a “side-hustle” has become necessary for many people, enabling them to earn extra.
However, in recent events online both influencers and mental health campaigners brought attention to how harmful "Burnout" and "Anxiety" surrounding work rocketed during lockdown, as people found their lifestyles massively disrupted and the definition between work and home became blurred.
We at times can struggle to maintain a work-life balance, as the normal change of environment fell away. It might continue to have an impact on our ability to define a healthy and manageable work-life balance.
Take time out for your day to do the things you enjoy. If you have a creative flare, make time to do something creative or if you like being outdoors make time to take yourself on a walk or run. These things are important but often get pushed to the bottom of your priority list.”
3. Comparison to others
One of the most toxic parts of hustle culture is its encouragement of competition and comparison – both of which you might find yourself subconsciously thinking about as a result.
“Comparing yourself to others can lower your self-esteem and cause you to set unrealistic expectations for yourself,” Kamara explains. “Focus on your own success – at the end of your working day, why not write down a few achievements? It can boost your self-esteem and keep you motivated and help you to switch off in the evenings.”
She continues: “Similarly, try to reduce the time you spend on social media, this can help reduce the likelihood of comparing yourself to others. Research has found that the more time people spend comparing themselves to others on social media, the more depressed they can feel. Make sure you follow the right people that leave you feeling positive and unfollow or delete any that cause you anxiety.”
4. Sleep procrastination
The pressure to be busy all the time can often lead to people sacrificing downtime.
The need to always been seeming to do something, for wasting time. However, while downtime may not seem important – it’s actually an essential thing we all need. Failing to dedicate time to relax and unwind can often lead to you ‘stealing’ it from other times of the day, like at bedtime.
"A Worn out car is no god to run without a service, the same for your mind and body- in sense, your mental health and well being." Ms C Styles..
Sleep procrastination is the decision to sacrifice going to sleep instead of causing on the above. Although it can be tempting to push the time you go to sleep back a little, sleep procrastination can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health.
Lack of sleep can reduce your productivity levels, leave you feeling exhausted and irritable. Poor sleeping habits can increase your risk of cardiovascular problems ,diabetes and high blood pressure.
“The best way is to set a bedtime routine that works for you. From keeping a consistent bedtime and wakeup time, try your hardest to avoid screen time before bed, that includes Me Too!!
I have started practising relaxation methods, 15 mins of yoga or relaxation music with Thai sound bowls.
5. Overthinking
How do you know if you're overthinking?
The first thing to realize about overthinking is that it can feel an awful lot like problem solving. But the two are definitely distinct.
Problem-solving is when you ask questions with the intent of finding an answer and/or enacting a solution, Overthinking, is when you dwell on possibilities and pitfalls without any real intent of solving a problem. In fact, a problem or potential problem may not even actually exist.
When we Self-reflect an internally inquisitive process rooted whether that's to grow as a person or gain a new perspective. If you're obsessing over something you don't like about yourself that you either can't change or have no intention of improving, it's not self-reflection —it's overthinking.
Still, in the moment, overthinking can be hard to spot.
Signs include:
Fixating on things you can't control, change or improve
Imagining the worst-case scenario or outcome
Following your worries out of the present moment and into an unchangeable past or unforeseeable future
Dwelling on past events or situations
Second-guessing decisions you've made
Replaying your mistakes in your mind
Rehashing challenging or uncomfortable conversations
"Running your list" while trying to fall asleep
Questioning but never making a decision or taking action
How does overthinking affect you?
Overthinking can affect how you experience and engage with the world around you — preventing you from making important decisions, keeping you from enjoying the present moment and draining you of the energy you need to handle daily stressors.
Also when you're fixating on the past or catastrophizing about the future, thought patterns that are more destructive than constructive can take a toll on both your mental health and physical health.
From a mental health standpoint, anxiety can affect your ability to cope with everyday stressors, and depression results in sadness, loneliness and feelings of emptiness."
Studies have indicated, "That generalized anxiety disorder is linked to high blood pressure and poor cardiovascular health, while depression can increase your risk of heart attack and suicide. Now that you know how to tell if you're overthinking and why it's bad, it's time to talk about your action plan for stopping this unhealthy habit in its tracks.
How to Cope? Well that's in the last and final tip:
6. Not Showing Yourself Compassion & Self Praise
Inspire Her Orchids Says:
Don't sweat the small stuff
Identify the decisions that do warrant careful analysis, consider your priorities and know what's truly meaningful to you.
Only take action on the things you can control
As soon as you notice you're "in your head" about something, ask yourself if your thoughts can be made more constructive — towards making a decision or finding a solution.
We can't control or change some situations we are faced with in life, but we can work on the aspects that we can change instead.
Yoga and meditation to take the edge off our reactivity.
Set a decision deadline and/or take a break
The more time you allow yourself to think through a decision, the likelier you are to overanalyse it. Bigger decisions will require more time, so consider taking breaks to distract yourself when or if the decision-making process becomes overwhelming.
Combine critical thinking with instinct
Ask your questions, do your research and collect the facts, but don't be afraid to trust your gut to help you make a final decision. Going with your intuition or gut is sometimes far more accurate than being slow and delibere thinking.
6. Showing Yourself Compassion & Self Praise
Inspire Her Orchids Says:
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