men's mental health awareness series 9
For most men, hustle is self-escape
Dearest Gentle Reader,
We live in a world that glorifies hustle culture. Sadly, men are most hit by that ideology. Here, men are often measured by what they do, ans not by who they are.
For men, productivity is a personality trait. Work is an identity. And rest, softness, and introspection are seen as distractions from the ultimate goal: success.
But beneath the obsession with achievement, there is often something deeper at play. And that thing is a quiet desperation to escape the discomfort of being still.
For many men, work is not just a source of income or pride, it is a refuge from emotional chaos, a distraction from unresolved pain, and a, sometimes, justification for avoidance.
To such men, work gives structure to the day and purpose to the week, but it also creates a barrier between the man and his internal world.
As long as he is busy, he doesn’t have to confront what hurts.
As long as he is achieving, he can silence the question that haunts him in quieter moments: “What would be left if the work stopped?”
When identity is tied too tightly to productivity, burnout becomes inevitable.
Relationships strain.
Self-worth fluctuates with external validation.
And the body begins to signal what the heart has been trying to say—this pace is unsustainable.
Don't get me wrong, now. I'm not disparaging hardwork. Nope… Hard work, in fact, work itself is meaningful, but it cannot carry the full weight of identity. A man is not a machine. He does not need to prove his value through endless doing.
True worth is not rooted in output. It is found in presence felt, in awareness experienced, and in the ability to sit with oneself without distraction.
Dear men, when you untangle your value from your job title, body count, bank account, affluence, biceps, or your to-do list, you make space for something more enduring: self-respect that is not dependent on performance or what you're able to provide, and rest that does not feel like failure or shame.
— Jaachịmmá Anyatọnwụ
Read Issue 1: Why Don't Men Cry?
Read Issue 2: Tough Doesn't Mean Numb
Read Issue 3: The Armour Called “I'm Fine”
Read Issue 4: "Man Enough” is a Performance of Masculinity
Read Issue 5: When Boys Become Men Without Becoming Whole
Read Issue 6: The Loneliness Epidemic
Read Issue 7: Perfectionism: the myth of never enough
Read Issue 8: They Say It's Competence, Yet The Man Is Functioning But Fading