Hustle culture in Singapore: Mental health impact

The hustle culture, with its focus on working long hours and sacrificing self-care for success, has been affecting the mental health of Singaporeans. According to a recent survey, 50% of employees in the country feel burnout due to work. In an interview with Eric Feng, the founder of a professional training and coaching company, he spoke about the impact of the hustle culture on Singaporeans.

Two years ago, 52% of 16 to 24-year-olds in Singapore embraced the hustle culture. However, last year, a study showed that Singapore employees have the poorest mental health among Southeast Asian countries, leading to a rejection of the hustle culture. Eric explained that while hustling can increase productivity, it can also negatively affect mental health. Many Singaporeans are giving up their rest and leisure in exchange for work. Only 25% of them get the recommended seven hours of sleep or more, leaving 75% of the population sleep-deprived.

According to Eric, the hustle culture of working long hours and neglecting self-care is becoming too much of a burden on Singaporeans' mental and physical health. Instead of constantly striving for success at the cost of wellbeing, he emphasizes the importance of finding balance between work and self-care. Eric believes that a healthy and fulfilled life should be the ultimate goal, and to achieve this, employees need to practice gratitude and see work as a journey rather than just a means to an end.