In today’s fast-paced hustle and bustle world, the rising cost of living has led many individuals to seek additional revenue streams to make ends meet. As a result, the “hustle culture” concept has gained popularity, encouraging people to work tirelessly and pursue multiple business ventures simultaneously. 

While the idea of financial freedom and success may be enticing, it is important to shed light on the dangers of hustle culture, particularly regarding mental health and overall well-being. Wendy Pikelela is a young working mother juggling a full-time job and two businesses:  one a network marketing business selling beauty products,s and the other selling hair weaves. Wendy serves as a prime example of the challenges and potential pitfalls individuals face in this demanding lifestyle.

Hustle culture, often glamorised on social media and in entrepreneurial circles, promotes the idea that working around the clock and sacrificing personal time is the key to success. However, this mindset fails to acknowledge the toll it can take on mental health. Wendy’s situation reflects the external pressures faced by many individuals who feel compelled to maintain multiple streams of income. The need to keep up with the rising cost of living and provide for her son drove Wendy to establish two businesses—an admirable feat, but one that comes with its own set of challenges.

Wendy’s commitment to her full-time job and two businesses places a heavy burden on her shoulders. Delivering orders after a long day at work can be physically and mentally exhausting. And “ if work is too hectic then the business suffers. There is basically no rest and if I decide to rest then I lose clients.  Advertising every day seems to work, and should I not advertise for a while then customers forget and move on to the next person,” she says.

And building up businesses takes time and energy. “There is the issue of trust, where you need to build relationships with people because they have been scammed before and they may think the same will happen and in most cases you end up losing those clients because there is no easy way to make people trust or believe that you are legit,” Wendy says.

While Wendy acknowledges the taxing nature of her multiple ventures, she ideally would love to relax and enjoy her hard-earned money, but that would come at the risk of losing clients, and so she tries to find pockets of relaxation without compromising her businesses or her job.

For many, the relentless pursuit of multiple streams of income can lead to neglecting other aspects of life, such as family, hobbies, and personal growth. Furthermore, the constant need to generate more income may even push individuals into questionable business practices or force them to compromise on ethical values. The long-term consequences of such compromises can outweigh the short-term financial gains, resulting in damaged relationships and reputational harm.

The hard life of always trying to hustle can be detrimental to one’s life, but it’s not that people want to live like that. We all want a life without financial difficulties, and it just happens that it can be expensive – sometimes even at the cost of our mental health.

Tell us: What would say to someone who is always hustling?