The United States is known to cultivate a culture of workaholism which occurs when individuals work excessive hours, find themselves thinking frequently about their job, or experience a lack of enjoyment surrounding their work. According to a study cited in Harvard Business Review, 72% of successful entrepreneurs struggle with depression among other mental health impairments. From the time they are young, many individuals dream of achieving success, but fail to ask themselves one crucial question: at what cost?
The definition of success may vary for different people, but historically, the idea of success in the U.S. has been defined by factors such as earning a high salary, owning a house, or starting a family. In many cases, the act of following what is seen as the typical road to success upholds a society of conformity in which people are restrained from expressing their individuality or pursuing ambitions that are seen as unconventional. Therefore, the prioritization of this one size fits all definition of success has detrimental impacts on an individual’s mental health and wellbeing.
The idea that a person has to place their personal ambitions on the back burner in order to achieve success is instilled in individuals from the time they are young. Children are taught that, in order to have a well-paying career, they must focus their energies on school so they can later attend a reputable university.
The problem with this is that students are given incredibly heavy workloads that take a considerable amount of time to complete if they wish to receive good grades. As a result, it is difficult for students to maintain a balance between academic excellence which they are taught to prioritize if they wish to be successful, and pursuing non-scholastic passions, as well as maintaining a social life outside of school.
When students fall victim to hustle culture, they adopt the notion that they will not be accomplished if they do not spend an unhealthy amount of time working. This can cause students to suffer from numerous detrimental impacts to their mental health. For example, according to the National Library of Medicine, academic stress can be linked to anxiety, depression, and have negative effects on academic performance.
Furthermore, young individuals are often taught that if they pursue an unconventional career path related to an activity they are passionate about outside of school, they are less likely to achieve stability and success. This can result in children giving up on creative outlets or various forms of self-expression to spend excessive amounts of time completing school assignments.
The perpetuation of this toxic messaging contributes to a society of conformity. Rather than seeking personal fulfillment, individuals give up on passions that bring them joy because they are told that only certain careers will grant them financial security.
That said, success isn’t solely defined by financial status. According to an infographic by the World Economic Forum, for many Americans, achieving success can also include being married and having children.
The upholding of these traditional values places harmful pressures on individuals to conform to such expectations if they wish to be perceived as successful. This can have significantly negative effects on individuals because these societal norms are not fit for everyone, and may serve to restrict the individual goals a person has.
Finally, the desire for success has a negative impact on and individual’s wellbeing because it instills a fear of failure. As a result, individuals may be unnecessarily harsh on themselves when they make mistakes.
Furthermore, people may avoid taking risks out of worry that their gambles may not pay off. Both of these actions take a severe toll on the emotional wellness of an individual because they can result in low self-esteem as well as a lack of meaning in one’s life.
While some may argue that certain pressures are necessary for an person to reach their full potential, no amount of success is valuable if it comes at the expense of an someone’s mental or physical wellbeing. Ultimately, happiness should never be sacrificed in the process of pursuing success.
Because of this, the best way for people to strike a balance between ambition and personal well-being is to redefine their idea of success so that it pertains uniquely to them. Individuals should strive to find what brings them joy and fulfillment on a personal level rather than submitting to the expectations of others as their key to accomplishment. This will allow for their success to be measured by contentment rather than superficial achievements.
Additionally, this will positively affect an individual’s mental health because people will be less burdened with social pressures. Instead, it will be possible to prioritize one’s personal goals and freedoms.
The mainstream concept of success often causes people to sacrifice their mental stability and perpetuates a society of conformity. For these reasons, true success can only be measured on a personal level and accomplished when an individual puts their own needs first.
