Read time: 2.5 min.

Hustle culture is obsessed with hard work.

• They are proud of skipping family dinners.

• They brag about working 16-hour days.

• They think rest is a waste of time.

The strategy is to ’’outwork everyone’’.

It seems like the logical thing to do.

But in reality, it sabotages your chances of success.

Here’s why:

The physiology of hustle

Pushing yourself 24/7 triggers the sympathetic nervous system.

It's the body's ’’fight-or-flight'' response.

If this system is active for too long, you'll be plunged into a cycle of chronic stress.

• Your decision-making abilities become impaired.

• Productivity and creativity levels plummet.

• Your immune system (protects you from illness) weakens.

The very aspects hustle culture praises—efficiency, productivity, and consistency—get undermined by the hustle itself.

Think about it:

How many times have you been sick because you didn't respect your body's limits?

How many times have you struggled to concentrate after pulling an all-nighter?

How many times did working a 16-hour day result in brain fog the next day?

Sustainable success

The truth is, success isn't born from exhaustion.

It's built upon a routine you can repeat for decades.

What does a sustainable routine look like?

It strikes a balance between effort and comfort activities.

Effort Activities

Effort activities activate your sympathetic state.

It prepares the mind and body for action.

Examples of effort activities:

1. Studying for an exam

2. Creating a YouTube video

3. Writing a newsletter

4. Doing client calls

5. Playing a soccer match

6. Solving a tech problem

Comfort Activities

Comfort activities activate your normal, relaxed state of being.

This is called your parasympathic, or ''rest-and-digest'' state.

Examples of comfort activities:

1. Reading a book

2. Taking a bath

3. Meditating

4. Going on a walk

5. Enjoying a hobby

6. Watching a movie

It takes little mental and physical effort to do these things.

Your body can relax, recover, rest, and digest.

Final thoughts + exercise

A 2-minute exercise you can do right now:

1. Take out your phone.

2. Note down all your activities today.

3. Mark "comfort" activities blue.

4. Mark "effort’’ activities yellow.

5. See if you're striking a good balance between them.

Success is meaningless if you’re miserable, burnt out, or ill.

Adjust your strategy from hustling harder to working smarter.

You’ll stress less, be happier, and achieve more—I promise you.

Talk soon,

— Martijn Douw