Give Me a Moment! Micro Break Recovery Strategy to Cope with the Hustle Culture Workers Amongst the Urban Population

 

Have you ever posted a story on social media about how busy you are at work? Or do you feel anxious when you see that your life is going nowhere, even though you’ve been working so hard? If you feel that, its called “hustle culture”. The cultural phenomenon of workaholism, which is now a trend, particulary amongst urban population. Essentially, hustle culture is a set of positive activities. However, only to a point. If hustle culture becomes unmanageable it means it has crossed a line and can become a persistant problem. The first symptoms to appear are physical health problems, over time and without one realising it, psychological problems may develop. 

Indrayanti, M.Si., Ph.D., Psikolog says that in a work environment characterised by workaholism. People will eventually start to worry, a toxic mindset takes hold, leading them to believe that being productive means working hard and doing overtime, and that they will feel guilty if the do not do so. So, how should we respond to this hustle culture? The younger generation needs to maintain genuine connections with their communities and collaborate with others. Taking such steps can broaden their horizons and help them realise that the challenges they face are not uniqe to them but are also experienced by others.

Septiawan & Salsabil says mediator between perceived job demand and work engagement is micro breaks. The findings of the study indicate that a perception of high job demans has a negative impact on work engagement. Furthemore, the perception of job demans can encourage employees to take a short breaks, whilst a climate that supports short breaks can mitigate this impact by creating an environment that encourages taking breaks. Moreover, a climate that strongly supports short breaks reinforces the positive impact of short breaks on work engagement.

Hustle culture may demand that we keep running, but true productivity isn’t about working non-stop. Through short breaks (micro-breaks) and close social connections, we not only maintain our physical and mental wellbeing, but also rekindle a healthy work ethic. Remember that taking a moment to breathe isn’t a sign of weakness, but rather the best strategy for surviving and thriving amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.



Ditulis oleh: Aan Fatwa Setiawan, S.Psi., M.Sc. (Kabid Kaderisasi dan Keanggotaan DPP)