How To Combat The Dangerous Effects Of Grind Culture

In America, money is the token to freedom and your time is the bridge to obtain it. There is an unspoken rule that any individual who wants to be successful should grind 24/7, sacrificing their health, and personal life. Getting a few hours of sleep per night is celebrated because ‘sleep is for broke people.’ While working hard is a key to success, it may be dangerous to chase after a dream without making time for life.

Here are four tips to combat the dangerous culture of grinding.

According to the United States Department of Labor, there are no federal requirements for an employer to offer paid sick leave. Unfortunately, it is still common for people to arrive to work with a cold and feel forced to stay because they need the paycheck. An even more unsettling fact is that only 49 percent of the country’s population (equivalent to 156,199,800 people) receive employer-sponsored health insurance, according to ehealthinsurance. Many of us are putting our lives at risk for businesses that don’t even want to implement health coverage in our benefits package. Let that sink in.

It is easy to get so caught up in success that you don’t make time to smell the roses. In a recent interview with Lebron James, the basketball superstar expressed his absence of guilt for spending time with family. According to NPR.org, James said, ‘I didn’t feel bad in Boston, when I went to go see my son two hours away in Springfield. We had a game that night. We got our ass kicked. And I didn’t feel bad at all.’ Constant grinding is not the only path to success and neither should missing priceless memories with loved ones. Developing a work-life balance may take time, but it is best to create stability instead of regret.

Sleep is such an important part of not only success, but life. According to Harvard Medical School, we should be getting at least seven hours of sleep per night for optimum function and health. The article further mentions a conducted study where individuals only got four hours of sleep for six weeks. The results saw individuals with higher blood pressure, insulin resistance, a shortage of antibodies, and a higher level of stress. While staying up late every now and then may be necessary, neglecting your sleep is never the answer.

From grade school, it is ingrained in our minds that success is birthed from hard work and sacrifice. From losing sleep to study to skipping a family member’s birthday celebration for work, we continuously sacrifice our personal lives to receive a ‘reward’. According to Forbes, there are plenty of ways to be successful and build a successful company using healthier methods. The article further states that success will not be simple, but abandoning your life outside of work will hurt you in the long run. There is no reason to sacrifice your happiness for a never-satisfied definition of success.

As a millennial, I am around aspiring millionaires who are skipping life experiences to accomplish their goal. I notice their ‘by all means necessary’ mentality to prove that they have a strong work ethic, but as a result they experience depression. Grinding is an action that can bring an abundance of money, connections, and opportunities to level up in life. However, grinding too much may leave you feeling empty to a point where those accolades and rewards mean nothing. When we take a step back and look at grind culture, is it worth it?