Authors : Warren P. Liwana

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 1 - January

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2s3abmws

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/5x7d3f9y

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jan368

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : This research explored the lived experiences of millennial employees grappling with the pressures of hustle culture in Calamba City, Laguna. It employed a qualitative research design utilizing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as the methodological framework. Six (6) participants were selected through purposive sampling, each engaged in multiple job roles across corporate and service-related industries. Data were gathered through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews conducted in person. Transcriptions were thematically analyzed to interpret the participants’ lived experiences. Ten (10) superordinate themes emerged: Constant Workload and Sacrifice of Personal Time; Familial Obligation and Passion as Sources of Strength; Living Up to Expectations While Navigating Self-Worth and Role Identity; Exhaustion Fueled by Responsibility Overload; Joy and Rest Eroded by Demands; Disconnection, Emotional Withdrawal, and Sacrificed Social Bonds; Fluctuating Self-Worth amidst Continuous Productivity Demands; Planning, Releasing, Recharging, and Pushing Through; Slowing Down, Reprioritizing, Taking Breaks, and Setting Boundaries; and Support, Boundaries, Joy, and Self-Awareness. The study revealed how hustle culture deeply influenced the mental health and emotional well-being of millennial employees, highlighting both adaptive strategies and the quiet toll of continuous productivity. It emphasized the emotional labor involved in proving one’s worthwhile underscoring the value of boundary-setting, cognitive control, emotional grounding, and self-care. Grounded in the participants’ narratives, the study produced the P.A.H.I.N.G.A. Program—Promoting Awareness, Healing, Intentional Nurturing, Growth, and Assertiveness as a proposed intervention framework to foster well-being, intentional rest, and self-compassion amid the demands of hustle culture.

Keywords : Hustle Culture, Millennial Employee, Coping Mechanisms, Psychological Impact, Lived Experience.

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