Modern-day “hustle culture” has convinced us all that we don’t just work to live anymore — we live to work. We live in a society where it is collectively believed, and wrongfully so, that rest is for the weak and that stopping, even for a moment, means failure.

Productivity has evolved from what it once was; it has gone from a goal to an expectation and a measure of our worth as human beings.

But if the grind never stops, what happens when we do?

To most, stopping the momentum gained by the never-ending tasks of our day-to-day lives can be jarring. Why does that relaxed state make many of us feel uneasy? The answer lies in the way that hustle culture has rewired our very minds.

I’ve noticed that people caught inside the never-ending tunnel that is hustle culture often equate rest with laziness and productivity with self-worth. They keep moving forward, believing that if they just work hard enough, they’ll finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel — the point where they can rest, feel accomplished and enjoy their success.

Eventually, those same people come to realize that this light is a moving target. Just when you think you’re close to finally catching a break, another deadline, another test or another expectation appears, pushing the finish line further and further away from where you first started.

When you get caught in this cycle of pressure to never stop working, it can become very difficult to get out of. This constant state of motion comes at a cost — the manifestation of an inescapable sense of anxiety and burnout.

Think about this: When was the last time that you took a whole day to yourself without checking your email, Moodle or work schedule? Did you feel refreshed, or did the guilt that comes with the feeling that you should be doing something “productive” instead creep in?

For many, including myself, the answer was so long ago that you probably can’t even remember it.

For those who have taken shorter breaks, such as an hour or two to collect themselves after completing that big assignment, do you remember coming down from that adrenaline rush, where you continually thought of the next big project, meeting or test that you had coming up?

There is this constant fear of falling behind or being “counterproductive” that many people face when trying to escape the hustle culture tunnel. The walls may feel like they are closing in on you, and you may feel like you don’t have the time to stop and breathe before starting your next big project.

And if you’ve ever felt like you cannot stop working, you are not alone — psychologists have even come up with a name for the feeling. According to the journal “Frontiers in Psychology,” approximately one in seven people may be affected by “workaholism.”

Ironically, the very thing that workaholism and hustle culture glorify — constant work — doesn’t actually lead to a higher level of productivity.

Overworking can lead to feelings of depression, burnout and anxiety — all of which contribute to a lower level of productivity than those who take breaks to maintain a healthy balance of work and leisure.

This is especially relevant as all of us enter exam season; a time when we all push ourselves to our limits, sacrificing meals, sleep and even our mental well-being at times to secure that A+. But cramming all night for that organic chemistry exam, running on a triple shot of espresso and refusing to take a break doesn’t help our performance — it hinders it.

So, if stopping seems counterproductive, remember that the most effective way to succeed isn’t to grind non-stop; it is to give your mind the time it needs to recuperate and function at its best. Rest shouldn’t be seen as a failure, it is a necessity. Slowing down isn’t a sign of weakness or giving up — it is us reclaiming control over our time, our health and our lives.

If hustle culture continues to tell us that we must always be in motion, the most radical action a person can take is to stop.

As the grind continues, we have to ask ourselves: What kind of success are we really working towards, and is it really worth the cost?