“Echale Ganas” Does Not Mean Burnout
Spanish-speaking Latinos constantly preach the two-word resilient phrase, “Echale ganas.”
“Echale ganas” translates to “work hard” in English.
The Washington Times had an infamous headline titled,
Hispanics work like it’s holy
Rev. Samuel Rodriquez states, “I can tell you that our work isn’t driven by narcissism, hedonism, consumerism, and self-interest in the way that so many others are driven to succeed in our economy. Our work ethic is driven by our commitment to our families, and it is inspired by our faith.”
Okay, Rev. Samuel Rodriquez tell us how you really feel.
To give more context to Rev. Rodriquez’ statement, quick question —
Do you think leaving a country with extremely high levels of violence demonstrates a commitment to your family?
People from Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Brazil, and many more Latin American countries would agree. And guess what? Rogue Planas from Huffpost gives insight into the role the U.S. had in cultivating this violence, and ultimately forcing people to leave their homes and seek security for their families.
What do these families tell their kids when coming to the U.S.?
Echale ganas.
Although resilience flows through the veins of many Latin Americans in the United States. Resilience and hard work are not synonymous with burnout.
Let me repeat —
Resilience and hard work are not synonymous with burnout.
Harvard Business Review authors explain burnout has three distinct symptoms.
- Exhaustion. Draining your mental or physical resources
- Cynical detachment. Lessening your social connectedness
- Reduced sense of efficacy. Seeing less value in yourself
The cure to burnout?
Be kind to yourself and help others.
You owe yourself the love you so freely give to others.
You are human, you are not a machine.
Work hard but make time to see friends, express yourself creatively, and feel the feels.
As someone who experienced and continues to recover from burnout, I urge you to take these pointers seriously.
