less is more.
But in a world where making stupid money and achieving overnight fame is no longer the end game, but rather a mid-level checkpoint on a never-ending to-do list, it’s all too easy to get swept away in the quicksand of instant gratification that never really lasts. How much is too much and how do you know when to stop?
The human body and mind may be nature’s most enduring machines. But – they both keep score. Needless to say, there aren’t a dime a dozen hacks to ‘fix’ what’s going wrong. Take, for example, Chinese influencer Tom Jia, who gave up his mainstream career to follow his ‘flat-out lying’ ideology. This is code for taking it easy and not letting the rat race control you. But it would take more than one shocking example, and mind you, millions of dollars, for most of them to be stopped, let alone let go. Then again, for those willing to constantly present quantitative metrics of success, this may never actually be the real end game.
We asked experts to help us navigate the complex dynamics of striking this sacred balance.
Can hustle be ‘healthy’?
The answer should be a simple yes, but the burnout-induced narratives that pop up on every platform present an entirely different story. Clinical psychologist and author Pulkit Sharma says, “The criteria is very simple. If your ambition gives you intrinsic satisfaction and if you can strike a balance between activity, entertainment, rest, and can take phases where there is not a lot of activity in your life and those phases don’t bother you, then I think that is healthy ambition. But if you are consistently participating in activity after activity and if you measure your progress in this context If you measure how the world is viewing you, I think that’s a problem. Crisis.”
Life and executive coach Dr. Krishna Athal confirms, “Hustle should be cyclical, not a permanent climate”, explaining, “The trap starts when hustle becomes identity. I see it in high achievers who mistake anxiety for ambition. The loop strengthens with constant comparison – LinkedIn wins, Instagram reels, family WhatsApp groups with cousins. Let’s benchmark. When every milestone creates restlessness for the next best thing, you have replaced growth with compulsion. My rule of thumb: If your accomplishments stop enhancing your potential to be present, your hustle is not building you up, but using you up.” Lesson? “Healthy hustle respects biology and returns you to yourself after a push. Anything other than that is performance art.”
lose control
all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And there will always be signs warning you when you are not only adopting hustle culture, but being held hostage by it. Pulkit says, “If someone comes to me and says that not achieving, not getting likes or not getting appreciation is creating a feeling of very deep emptiness in their life. Your achievement should never be a drug. It should not be that you can be relaxed only when you are achieving something and when you are not achieving, you start feeling restless or depressed.”
Dr. Athal, in turn, outlines the need to justify the concept of relaxation for oneself, as well as view connection and interaction (not work around) as the primary gifts that relieve stress. “It’s a bond, not an ambition,” he says. For those who really want to avoid quicksand the counter procedure is quite simple. “I ask clients three questions monthly: What did you secure? What did you postpone? What did you pretend not to know? If the answers are around sleep, family, and health, you’re held hostage. The antidote isn’t vacation; it’s boundaries.” The next plan of action is to come up with a ‘sacred three’ list. He suggests general health, a relationship, and a creative practice. Crossing the line is definitely acceptable here – we are all human after all. But he warns, “If you have to walk away, just know how to walk back.”
avoiding crime trip
Just like any bad habit needs regulation and accountability, pandemics also need regulation and accountability. Pulkit says, “My suggestion to such people is to always have a completely different activity and for God’s sake don’t measure your progress in that activity. For example, if you are going for a walk or a run, don’t strap this gadget on you. (Don’t track) how many steps you took, how many calories you burned, how much weight you lost in a month.”
Dr. Athal additionally suggests a weekly ‘effort audit’, but this can yield results only if implemented. Sharing a client anecdote, he explains, “(A Delhi sales lead) logged twelve-hour days and felt constantly ‘on’. We cut two standing meetings, set a two-hour no-meeting block per day, and created a one-page deal-progress template. Within three weeks, his pipeline velocity increased while hours dropped. Sounds demanding hard work but like a good workout. Looks neat. Working hard feels sticky, you end the day tired and groggy.” The bottom line – always listen to your body.
Final Takeaway
Tom Jia may be a popular face for the anti-rat-race demographic, but he’s not alone. The Internet is home to many thriving subreddits that make their contrarian points, while earning millions in the process. From traditional wife culture to tiny house living, there’s a platform and a rapidly growing audience for every weird ‘alternative’ way of life you can imagine. But in real-world terms, there needs to be a balance between swinging extremes of unbridled luxury (influencer Becca Bloom is a great example) and surviving happily on the bare minimum.
Dr Athal reflects on how hustle has essentially become a ‘beauty’ thing, but your work doesn’t need to be public, nor glamorous. Being lazy isn’t the biggest danger here – “their risk is over-commitment and under-recovery”, he claims. Pulkit suggests, “When you’re taking input or information from anywhere these days, don’t take it blindly, and try to see two things. Number one, what is the motive of the other person who is giving you this message and number two, is the other person practicing what he preaches or not.”
