A 26-year-old employee at EY Pune, Anna Sebastian Perayil, sadly passed away recently within four months of starting her job, due to work-related stress according to her family.
According to her mother’s heartbreaking letter to the company, the combination of heavy workload, unfamiliar surroundings, and extended hours took a toll on her physical, emotional, and mental well-being, yet she continued to push herself, convinced that dedication and determination were essential for achieving success.
In her letter, her mother criticized the company for “glorifying excess work”.
The workplace’s high-pressure culture, excessive workload, and extremely short deadlines have negatively impacted our health. The modern work culture known as ‘hustle culture’ places a strong emphasis on success being achieved through hard work and long hours.
The concept of ’Hustle Culture’
Hustle culture is characterized by prioritizing productivity, ambition, and success in the workplace, while neglecting rest, self-care, and work-life balance.
This way of living has gained more attention in recent years as individuals aim to reach their career objectives quicker and more effectively. Even though it is widely liked, the fast-paced, anything-goes attitude has been associated with mental health issues such as heightened anxiety, stress, and depression.
Dr Jini K Gopinath, Chief Psychology Officer of online counselling firm YourDost, says “In many corporate environments, workers experience high levels of stress due to factors like insufficient support, extended work hours, and fierce competition. Employees hesitate to share their work challenges because they are afraid of being “criticized.”
Also read: Labour officials inspect EY’s Pune branch after employee’s death sparks row
Glorification of ’Hustle Culture’
Entrepreneurs who are viewed as successful glamorize the hustle culture by working long hours without taking breaks for themselves or their families. These people are frequently seen as examples to follow for people wanting to start their own business, even though they may not understand the consequences of prioritizing work above all else.
The relationship between social media and mental health is robust, and social media has exacerbated the issue. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have simplified the process for influencers and celebrities to post pictures of themselves burning the midnight oil, glorifying and promoting a harmful mentality among youth who admire them for motivation.
Perayil’s mother shared a moment when her daughter’s supervisor gave her an assignment in the evening with a due date the following morning. “Her assistant manager once called her at night with a task that needed to be completed by the next morning, leaving her with barely any time to rest or recover. When she voiced her concerns, she was met with the dismissive response: ‘You can work at night; that’s what we all do’.”
Negative Impact on Mental Health
Hustle culture has widely spread in society, as individuals strive to achieve success by pushing themselves to their limits. This constant drive for efficiency and achievements can negatively impact mental well-being.
Anxiety: The hustle culture promotes a mindset of extreme dedication that can result in feelings of stress and anxiety in the workplace when objectives are not achieved or deadlines are not met. Additionally, the constant expectation to operate at peak efficiency each day can overwhelm individuals, causing them to spiral into a pattern of anxiety and concern about their future.
Guilt: Individuals who embrace a harmful work ethic may experience feelings of guilt when they choose to rest or take breaks. As previously mentioned, social media can worsen this feeling of guilt. Seeing posts from successful peers, family members, and friends with a strong work ethic can lead us to view taking breaks as unproductive or lazy.
Apathetic attitude: Continuously seeking more without taking a break can push someone towards a perilous journey. All of a sudden, everything appears insufficient or lacking in satisfaction. Having a lack of interest in life will harm mental health over time.
Also read: 26-year-old EY India employee dies due to ‘work stress’; mother writes to firm’s India head
Need to stop glorifying ‘Hustle Culture’
The most harmful aspect of this situation is that we have fully embraced the belief that ‘work is worship’, making it difficult to consider any other way of living. We are so intertwined with our jobs that anything not related to work appears insignificant or trivial. We always strive to outdo each other in a never-ending cycle of demonstrating our “productivity.”
The effects of this can be seen everywhere. India has a high percentage of mental burnout at 59%, much higher than the global average of 20%, as per a report from the McKinsey Health Institute. We are experiencing physical illness – the number of cardiovascular diseases is increasing, particularly among the younger generation, partly because of work stress and extensive working hours.
Assessing the values that our culture prioritizes is another significant aspect to consider. A genuine “work-life balance” involves more than just dividing time evenly between work and non-work activities. It entails finding equal or greater significance in areas outside of work and understanding that there are alternative lifestyles beyond the focus on work and hustle culture.
