{"id":3739,"date":"2025-08-08T15:31:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T20:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nabjmonitor.com\/2025\/?p=3739"},"modified":"2025-08-12T14:26:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T19:26:01","slug":"always-tired-gen-z-is-over-hustle-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nabjmonitor.com\/2025\/always-tired-gen-z-is-over-hustle-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Always tired\u2019: Gen Z is over hustle culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Kimora Wong Sing, The Monitor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty-two-year-old Jamannie Morgan wakes up early to brainstorm content, send emails and push creative projects, all before class. The Morgan State senior says he often sacrifices sleep and health just to keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes it feels like you\u2019re working just to prove you\u2019re trying,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many Gen Zers, born between 1997 and 2012, the pressure to be productive and monetize hobbies is reshaping how they view work, rest and success. Hustle culture, once seen as ambition, now feels like burnout waiting to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hustle culture<\/a> glorifies constant productivity, side gigs and self-sacrifice, a Forbes Business Council post says. Once praised as ambition, it now takes a mental and physical toll, leading Gen Z to question whether the grind is worth the emotional cost. Some say they feel burned out before they even enter the workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m always tired,\u201d said Malik Thompson, a shift manager at Bloomingdale\u2019s. \u201cWith how expensive everything is, hustling feels like the only way to stay afloat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others say hustle culture isn\u2019t about ambition anymore\u2014it\u2019s about survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople get comfortable,\u201d said Isaiah Nisbett, a 21-year-old security supervisor. \u201cTime doesn\u2019t wait. You have to take control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also many in Gen Z who say hustle culture isn\u2019t just always about ambition but has now blended with the need for some to always grind for monetary survival. They don\u2019t believe in \u201csob\u201d stories. Everyone has one. What matters is how you push forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nisbett stated that he doesn\u2019t have strong feelings about the direction of hustle culture because he feels that if it leads to a successful future, it can be worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou gotta want better for yourself and your family,\u201d Nisbett said. \u201cEveryone has a story, but at some point, you have to take control.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeling guilty for taking breaks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While mental health breaks are often encouraged, younger generations struggle with the idea. Isaac Davis Jr., a computer engineering student at Howard University, said taking a break doesn\u2019t feel like an option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven resting feels like I\u2019m falling behind,\u201d Davis said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nusi Addae, a senior at Morgan State University, added, \u201cI\u2019m in class Monday through Friday, then work weekends to support myself. It\u2019s hard to rest without feeling guilty or like I\u2019m slacking.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media often intensifies these feelings as people scroll through curated images of productivity and perfection. Many people find it hard not to compare their lives to those of influencers or peers who seem to have it made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone looks successful online,\u201d said Jared Still, a recent graduate of Morgan State. \u201cYou don\u2019t see the skipped meals or late nights, just the Instagram highlights. But comparison is the thief of joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older generations say that Gen Z experiences hustle culture differently. The blending of work, identity and online life creates new pressures they didn\u2019t face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo us, hustle meant doing what was necessary, not proving it constantly,\u201d said Angela Reed, a millennial project manager. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carlos Jennings, a retired electrician, added, \u201cYou worked, saved money and minded your business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mental health professionals warn of the long-term cost of burnout. Dr. Erin Burke, who works in adolescent medicine at Mount Sinai Health Center, said relentless hustle culture affects emotional regulation and increases stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRest must be normalized as essential, not seen as a weakness,\u201d Burke said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
@_samanthadaily<\/a>

What if you\u2019re too lazy to hustle\u2026 but too driven to rest? In this spicy solo episode, we\u2019re diving into the emotional whiplash of being a feminine high performer in a world that loves to slap a label on your lifestyle. Is it ambition… or just internalized hustle culture? Is the soft girl trend freeing\u2026 or lowkey performative? And can we actually build a soft life with passive income without grinding first? Answers to these questions & more so hit play to join the convo. We chat: 1:00 \u2014 The paradox of the feminine high performer 2:23 \u2014 Is ambition truly a dirty word? 3:13 \u2014 The more space I give myself the lazier I get \u2014 why I don\u2019t fit the soft girl archetype 15:21 \u2014 What if hustle culture and soft life are both lowkey scams? 20:12 \u2014 The soft girl & girl boss archetypes explained: are you having an identity crisis or just being a woman? 24:22 \u2014 Why do you keep swinging between burnout and boredom? 35:00 \u2014 The convo no one\u2019s having: the secret to finding your middle ground between go mode and rest. 38:02 \u2014 Everyone\u2019s selling passive income like a dream\u2026 but here\u2019s what they\u2019re not telling you. 43:01 \u2014 The real reason I want to work so much 46:12 \u2014 How to tell if your dreams are yours or just conditioning in a pretty bow 52:17 \u2014 What if your happiness isn\u2019t in the hustle\u2026 or the softness? EPISODE OUT NOW ON ALL PLATFORMS<\/p> \u266c original sound – MAKE SHIFT HAPPEN PODCAST<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>