On the surface, it seems like it should be simple to reject hustle culture. We’re all out here trying to avoid burnout, right? But in order to establish a healthy relationship with work, it’s important to learn what your specific needs are and how to address them.
While the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) isn’t meant to put you in a box, it is a really helpful tool on how you can use some aspects of your personality to make necessary changes in your life. Here are just some of a few ideas, based on your Myers Briggs type, on how to find more balance.
INTJ: Try a new hobby for fun
If you are an INTJ, you typically find energy from learning. Knowing everything about your passions may be tiring for some, but it’s something that gives you joy. It may seem counterintuitive to reject the “hustle” by adding something to your schedule, but it will remind you to make time for the things you love. Engaging with your hobby each day will direct your attention away from your work and allow you to relax. Since you tend to be passionate and discover a hobby from all of its angles, you won’t run out of ideas. Take time to learn a new language, instrument, programming code — the possibilities are endless!
INTP: Go on a daily walk
Thinking comes second-nature to you. You tend to get lost in your own thoughts — which, if trapped simply in a work context, can quickly take over. Stepping away from your desk every day and going on a walk may invite you to process and be creative in a new environment. The beauty of nature, in particular, may take you outside of your head. It presents the fine balance between processing reality and appreciating the beauty right in front of you. The physical removal of yourself from your work situation will help you find balance each day.
ENTJ: Read “Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life”
Some solutions of avoiding burnout and rejecting hustle culture may feel pointless to you. As an ambitious, efficient person, you will stop at nothing to achieve your goals, even if it causes fatigue. On the other hand, you may always be looking for feedback and opportunities for growth, both for yourself and others. Credible resources will be helpful for you to look into this. This book by Henry Cloud is a great and respected guide on how to help people find the relaxation they are looking for. It will encourage you to look at yourself and those you lead with a new lens.
ENTP: Be specific about your needs to your boss and coworkers
As an ENTP, you are more likely than others to make your opinions well-known. Independence is something you value, and you are not afraid to offer up new solutions if something is not going your way. This is valued in your work, but it can also be used for the way you find balance — both for yourself and others. By brainstorming ideas for work-life balance, you may be able to help those who are not as forward with the things they need. Explicitly stating your needs to your boss can set the tone for others to do the same, and your readiness for feedback can make it an ongoing conversation and culture shift.
INFJ: Connect with a close friend
Many times, INFJs are perfectionists. While this typically makes your work and your relationships meaningful, it’s easy for you to take on too much in fear of disappointing others. Burnout can still occur, regardless of your altruistic motivations. That’s why the opportunity to meet up with a close friend may help you recognize your own limits. Few things are more rejuvenating to you than your close connections, and you value those who are able to help you grow. Sometimes, the thing you need is a friend to help you realize what’s going on and how to make a shift.
INFP: Take time to journal
Your thoughtfulness makes you someone who wants to make those around you happy. While this comes from selfless motivations, this may prevent you from realizing your burnout. It may not feel like you rejuvenate with alone time, due to your empathetic nature, but this solitude may help you realize if you are feeling burnt out. Take some time to journal, and truthfully explore how you are feeling. The opportunity to express yourself in this way may be revealing of the things you weren’t able to see in a season of busyness.
ENFJ: Put a friend in your shoes (hypothetically)
Few things motivate you more than serving others and helping them become the best versions of themselves. If another person came to you and told you he or she was struggling with burnout, what would you tell them? Sometimes, taking yourself outside of the situation and seeing it from another perspective can help you come up with a way to reject hustle culture in your own life. Whatever answer you would give in this hypothetical situation may not be too far off from the answer you are looking for — and will help you address the answer at a later date if it ever arises!
ENFP: Explore the place you live or work
With your enthusiastic, free-spirited disposition, you can turn anything into an adventure. You see the beauty in the ordinary parts of life and have a heartfelt view of the world. What better place to rediscover beauty than in a place you encounter daily? If your office is located in a city, go to lunch at a new place each week. If you work from home, try working in a different spot for a day. Although your circumstances aren’t changing, it’s a great way to find some variety. If you are feeling restless due to a lack of balance, this may be the shift you need to take some time away from your desk and find new things to enjoy about the mundane.
ISTJ: Schedule time to rest in your calendar
If something is scheduled on your calendar, you are the type of person to actually follow through. Regardless of what is planned within the block of time, you thrive on integrity and structure and will honor what you have mapped out beforehand. What you do in that time is up to you! It can be fifteen minutes in the middle of the day, or a couple hours a week to relax and unwind. Other personality types may be more likely to ignore the calendar and readily “cancel” their appointment to rest. However, this could be a good way for you to find relaxation in a more structured way.
ISFJ: Keep track of your energy levels
You are not only detail-oriented, but often remember details and recognize patterns based on what you see. A good recommendation for you is to start tracking when you are feeling most energetic throughout the day and/or when you are the most tired. After noticing for a while that you get tired at the same time each day, it will allow you to take breaks when you actually need them. Additionally, as someone who leans toward humility, you’ll more readily address where you fall short on energy. On the other hand, when you are more energetic, you’ll have the motivation you need to get things done. This will help you use your time more efficiently and leave you with more energy overall.
ESTJ: Take your work email off of your phone
Rejecting the “hustle” will likely be harder for you than for other personality types — you are a strong-willed, hard worker who thrives on challenging situations. As someone dedicated to order, the constant reminder of your work on your phone will distract you from everything. Removing your work email from your phone will help you turn work-mode off when you should be resting. If you’re in a job where you need to be checking your work email during off hours, leave it on a home computer; that way, you’ll need to intentionally move to check your email or plug back in.
ESFJ: Find an example of someone with good boundaries
You have a sense of duty to those around you, and live that out in a very organized way. You are more “by the book” than others, so you may need a resource to help you reject hustle culture. As an extrovert, what better guidebook than someone you trust and respect? Find a mentor or close friend/relative who lives with a work-life balance you are hoping for. Observe how they do it, ask them how they got to this point, and see if they can offer you any advice. Sometimes, the people closest to us are our best models of what we are striving towards.
ISTP: Rethink your goals
You are eager to take on new projects — especially those that are hands-on. Is this matching the work that you are doing now? Success will look different for you than it does for each personality type, and it may be helpful for you to define what this looks like in your life. If you feel that the work you are doing is not leading to the hands-on work you love, it may be time to reconsider a new path. Your unpredictability makes this more natural for you, and your energy will make you ready to take on something new quickly. If a job change isn’t in the cards right now, consider taking on a side project that fulfills this need.
ISFP: Go on a vacation
For many people, hustle culture includes not using vacation days for fear of not looking like a good employee. But paid time off is given to you for a reason. As a more spontaneous personality, and one in tune with the present moment, take a day off and explore! You can drive an hour away and stay in a cabin, or take a trip to a big city to explore major landmarks. Few things are more rejuvenating for you than an impromptu adventure. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you find the fine balance between leaving room to explore and making sure you plan enough to enjoy the experience.
ESTP: Propose a new project
The less interested you are in the things you are doing, the more prone you will be to burnout. You thrive on risky, bold tasks that allow you to explore your originality. A solution for you to reject hustle culture could be to see if you can rework your responsibilities. It’s not necessarily about adding something new — it’s about seeing if you can step back from other things to explore something else you are passionate about. You’ll have to see if your supervisor would be okay with it, but there is no harm in asking. Shifting what you are doing into something that gives you more joy may help you feel less burnt out.
ESFP: Find little ways to celebrate
You are all about making life interesting. Luckily, there are many ways to do so! Celebrations can be related to the work you are doing, such as making a deadline or welcoming a new member to the team. You can also go more outside of the box with it. There are many holidays throughout the year, such as National Ice Cream Day or National Talk Like a Pirate Day, that can be easily celebrated. Finding innovative ways to celebrate each day will remind you and others around you of the simplicities of life. Your generosity makes you the perfect person to help others celebrate as well.
There is no one-size-fits-all for finding work-life balance and rejecting hustle culture. It may require you to recognize your patterns at work, or take a second to remind yourself of the joys of life outside of it. Ultimately, boundaries look different for everyone. The more you know yourself, the better you’ll be able to find the solution you need to a more balanced life.
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