It is no secret that students at Notre Dame are high-achieving and very driven individuals. Everyone worked incredibly hard to be here and this tenacity only grows upon arriving on campus. Such a high-achieving nature is even more enhanced on Notre Dame’s campus as students are all grouped together in an environment where greatness is the norm. There is a constant competitive battle to become the best, achieve the greatest and stand out the most. However, this has become an issue as the competition and hustle culture has grown out of hand, greatly interfering with personal well-being and mental health.
As I look at those around me, I see exhausted faces on my classmates. I watch students chug coffee, trying to magically erase their dark circles and puffy eyes. I hear my friends saying how they have gotten six hours of sleep in the past two days. Exhaustion is in the air on Notre Dame’s campus, and we have the overbearing hustle culture to thank for that. We have to ask: is it all worth it? Is putting down eight different clubs, activities, countless service hours and a 4.0 GPA on a resume really worth sacrificing your health well-being? Apparently, Notre Dame’s culture thinks it is.
Not only are grades and internships part of the competitive nature, but it has now become a competition in itself to have the busiest schedules and to “do it all”. Quantity of work has become more important than the quality of work, resulting in people putting themselves as their last priority.
This needs to change. Notre Dame students need to start putting themselves first, listening to their bodies and realize that it is okay to not do it all.
It is so hard to break this cycle and overturn the dominant narrative that working your mind and body endlessly is the only way to achieve greatness. It is true that success requires hard work, commitment and dedication. However, a balance must be found between putting in this hard work for your academics and extracurriculars and putting in hard work to uphold your well-being and mental health.
No one benefits when one’s mental health is not taken care of. People can only do their best work when they are in a good space mentally, and this is a major point that the hustle culture overlooks and ignores.
It is critical to remember that everyone is on their own unique path, moving at our own pace There is no point in comparing yourself to someone who is at a completely different point in their lives. Though they may be the same age, everyone matures and grows differently. Comparison and competition are what controls and maintains the nature of the hustle culture, but it is also what diminishes and ruins mental health.
This goes back to the question: if you are not happy or healthy, is it all worth it?
It’s time to reevaluate the balance of hustle and rest in the lives of Notre Dame students. Right now, Notre Dame students seem to treat rest as a reward only after an intense burnout. We should not feel guilty for taking time for ourselves, yet the prominent hustle culture instills a negative connotation with rest and downtime.
Yes, rest time and self-care are vital to maintaining a healthy mind. Whether this is in the form of exercise, meditating, reading or practicing one’s faith, some form of rest and restore is simply necessary in order to excel and stay afloat in a high pressure environment.
It is much easier said than done. Particularly here at Notre Dame, we are all inthralled by the competitive nature and tenacity to excel amongst all the pressure. We strive for it, glorify it and are blinded by it. We don’t see the harm it is causing to our wellness and mental health until we are exhausted to a point where our bodies and minds break down.
It must change.
Let’s glorify hard work and hard rest. Let’s rework our priorities and start putting our well-being first. Let’s slow down and give ourselves time to recharge.
Things will get done, projects will be completed and success will be achieved, but it all will be much more fulfilling when you can get this done with a healthy and well-cared-for mind.
Give into the rest your mind and body needs. Find a balance that works for you. Most of all, stop comparing your achievements to those of others. We are all moving at our own pace, working towards our own goals. Resist the urge to keep up. Push back on the hustle culture.