In that environment, hustle culture can feel seductive because it offers a very clear message: work harder, optimise more, achieve more, and you’ll finally feel successful, secure or fulfilled. The problem is that many of us have already lived through one version of the “girl boss” era and saw the emotional cost that often came with it. Constant productivity can easily become tied to self-worth, where rest starts to feel guilt-inducing instead of restorative.
From a psychological perspective, burnout often doesn’t happen because someone is lazy or incapable - it happens because they’ve spent too long overriding their nervous system’s signals. We can admire ambition and drive while also recognising that chronic stress, over-identification with work and constant performance can have significant impacts on mental and physical wellbeing.
There’s also something important about the way hustle culture is packaged online now. It’s often wrapped in “wellness”, self-improvement or empowerment language, which can make overworking feel healthy or aspirational when, for some people, it’s actually masking exhaustion, anxiety or fear of slowing down.
At the same time, I don’t think all aspects of “girl-boss” culture are inherently negative. There can also be something genuinely empowering about women feeling ambitious, financially independent, creative and confident enough to take up space professionally. For many women, particularly those who historically weren’t encouraged to pursue leadership, entrepreneurship or visibility, seeing other women succeed can feel motivating and validating.
I think the key difference is whether ambition is coming from alignment and purpose, or from chronic pressure and self-worth being tied entirely to achievement. Healthy ambition allows room for boundaries, relationships, rest and identity outside of productivity. It’s possible to be driven and successful without living in a constant state of exhaustion.
Q: Ambition is an entirely personal experience, but what are the warning signs of the turning point from ambition to burnout?
Bec: Healthy ambition tends to feel energising overall, even when it’s challenging. Burnout, on the other hand, often feels like chronic depletion.
Some common warning signs include emotional exhaustion, irritability, reduced motivation, difficulty concentrating, increase in cynicism, disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, feeling disconnected from yourself or others, and no longer enjoying things you previously cared about. I also often see people become stuck in “survival mode”, constantly busy but emotionally flat.
If rest creates guilt, if downtime feels unsafe, or if achievement is the only thing making someone feel “enough”, it can be a sign that the relationship with ambition has shifted into something more emotionally costly.
Q: How can seeing this content and our workplaces play into the creation of burnout?
Bec: Humans are wired for belonging, so workplace culture and social norms have a powerful influence on behaviour. If everyone around you is overworking, skipping breaks, answering emails late at night or glorifying exhaustion, that can quickly become normalised.
People often compare themselves against the environment around them. So if the collective message is “successful people are always available and constantly productive”, many people start ignoring their own limits in order to feel valued, accepted or secure.
I think this is particularly amplified online because we’re no longer only comparing ourselves to colleagues or friends - we’re comparing ourselves to thousands of highly curated versions of success every single day.
Q: Is there a psychological impact to constantly consuming “high-achieving” content online?
Bec: Yes, absolutely. Our brains are constantly absorbing social information, even when we don’t realise it consciously. Repeated exposure to “rise and grind” style content can slowly shift what feels normal, expected or acceptable.
For some people, motivational content can genuinely inspire action and growth. But for others, constant exposure to highly curated productivity content can increase comparison, inadequacy, anxiety and pressure to optimise every part of life.
Social media also tends to compress reality. We see someone’s achievements, routines or success without seeing their support systems, privilege, struggles, burnout, editing or recovery time. That can create unrealistic internal standards.
Humans also have a tendency to move the goalpost. Once one milestone is reached, the nervous system quickly adapts and starts chasing the next thing. Without intentional reflection, people can end up stuck in a cycle where external achievement never quite creates the internal feeling they were hoping for.
Q: For someone listening who feels stuck between wanting success and wanting peace, what advice would you give them?
Bec: I’d encourage people to stop viewing success and peace as mutually exclusive. Sustainable success usually requires some degree of rest, recovery, connection and nervous system regulation.
I think it’s important to ask yourself: “What does success actually mean to me personally?” Not what social media says. Not what other people value. But what genuinely aligns with your values, lifestyle and wellbeing.
There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious. Ambition can be purposeful, creative and deeply fulfilling. But if someone is constantly sacrificing their health, relationships, identity or emotional wellbeing in pursuit of achievement, it may be worth exploring whether they’re building a life that actually feels meaningful to them - or one that simply looks impressive from the outside.
Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is redefine success in a way that includes being a human being, not just a high-performing one.
