Wake, work, sleep, repeat. This is the epitome of the hustle-and-grind mentality, a cultural mindset that teaches you that success comes from constantly working — and when you’re not working, you should at least be thinking about it.
But the hustle is exhausting. You’re constantly striving to be better and stronger, chasing after success that’s never going to be good enough. The reality of the hustle is burnout and exhaustion, and it’s not as pretty as social media makes it look. Americans are waking up to this fact, and it looks as though the hustle may finally be done.
4 Trends Driving the Shift Towards Entrepreneur Well-Being
It’s clear the hustle-and-grind mentality isn’t sustainable, with over 70% of startup founders seeing their mental health affected by their new career path. Fortunately, current trends show a shift towards a slower pace of working life. With an increasing focus on well-being, this could signal the end of grind culture.
1. Covid Impact
There’s no doubt the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns caused a shift in how Americans perceive their work-life balance. Working from home created an increase in work-related fatigue, forcing entrepreneurs to rethink the overlap between their work and personal life. It gave many a taste of better balance, and we’re not willing to let that go just yet.
Covid created a world in which work was laid-back, with Monday meetings held from bedrooms and longer lunch breaks spent with family. For many, this marked the beginning of the end for the hustle mentality, showing entrepreneurs that a work-life balance is possible.
2. Digital Transformation Makes Lengthy Processes Simple
Technology is a daily part of business. Modern software and digital devices have transformed how entrepreneurs create a startup, with many processes now partly or fully automated. Email templates from companies like Brevo make for simple marketing, contactless card readers from the likes of SumUp can easily track your income, and inventory management software can automatically reorder items when your stock is low.
The point here is that technology can save hours of an entrepreneur’s time, and there’s not always a need for the hustle mentality. With clever thinking and some software know-how, you can create a startup that almost runs itself.
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3. New Buzzwords: Quiet Quitting and Soft Life
Social media is a big indicator of current culture, including in the startup industry. Go back a few years and #grind and #hustle were all the rage, with business buzzwords centered around going harder than everyone else. Now, though, there’s been a shift.
Quiet quitting — term to describe clocking in, doing no more than you have to, and clocking out at the end of your day — has blown up, with the hashtag being viewed by over 100 million TikTok users. Soft life is another buzzword of 2023, which describes a life free of stress and challenges, whilst #bareminimumMondays has gone viral and encourages entrepreneurs to do less at the start of the week.
These buzzwords aren’t just a social media fad. They mark a real turning point in people’s mindsets. Could they be the nail in the coffin for #hustle?
4. Rise of the 4-Day Workweek
71% of Americans support the idea of a four-day workweek, and it looks as though it’s closer than ever to becoming a reality. As a direct result of the pandemic boosting demand for better work-life balance and a decline in hustle culture, some businesses have already made the change.
Citing improvements in productivity, happiness, and efficiency, it’s a signifier that times are changing. Even if you don’t implement a four-day workweek for yourself, as a startup founder it could be wise to consider it for your staff.
5 Tools and Resources for Startups to Avoid Burnout
As a startup, you might feel the need to go full-steam ahead and jump on the hustle bandwagon regardless of current trends. But, you’ll be putting yourself in danger of burning out far too quickly. Instead, embrace a more laid-back working life with these tools and resources.
1. Fellow: Meeting Time Management
Fellow allows you to get every minute out of your meetings, optimizing efficiency. Collaborate on agendas, take digital notes, and share them quickly. Record actionable items during your meeting for your entire team to quickly get to work afterwards.
2. Buffer: Social Media Marketing Scheduler
Draft entire social media posts, including hashtags and tagged images, and schedule their posting. Write up all of your marketing posts for the week in one go and let Buffer do the rest.
3. Pumble: Communication and Collaboration
Pumble allows you to chat with your team, using different channels for different topics. You can also pause your notifications to help you focus or when you don’t want to be disturbed, which is essential for that work-life balance.
4. Streak for Gmail: Email Optimizer
Staying on top of emails is time-consuming. Become more efficient and optimize your inbox with Streak for Gmail. Track your emails to see if your recipient has opened them, schedule emails for later, and create shortcuts for recurring messages.
5. Headspace: Meditation and Stress-Relief
Switch off from work during your lunch break or at the end of your day with Headspace. Designed to encourage mindfulness and relaxation, their meditation features are the ideal stress-buster when you’re stuck with a busy schedule.
The SuN Takeaway
The hustle-and-grind mentality might not be extinct just yet but it’s becoming a thing of the past. As mental health awareness grows and even entrepreneurs become tired of 24/7 work, embrace a soft life while building your startup. Remember, your well-being is always more important than your work.
