Why are you stuck in the same place despite working hard?

Are you working hard every day but life is not getting better? You may be stuck in the "hamster wheel" syndrome. Here's how to get out of the "hamster wheel" .

What is "hamster wheel" syndrome?

Hamster Wheel Syndrome was born from research and discussions about personal finance in the West since the 2000s, then spread to forums about investing, spending management and simple living. Basically, it is you work very hard, not afraid of overtime but the results do not improve, almost like a hamster running forever on a wheel.

If you have ever watched or owned a hamster. Take the time to watch it run on a wheel. You will see that at times it gets carried away in the wheel, the momentum is so great that it takes up all other energy. Eventually it has to run to keep up and flips over and lands very gently in the sawdust. Once it has put in the effort to get the wheel going, it takes less effort to keep it going, but when it takes up all of its energy, keeping the hamster in the wheel takes more effort and concentration.

Some people in the workplace seem like hamsters in a wheel; everything has gone haywire and now they have to act to keep that wheel turning. Their behaviors, choices, and decisions are becoming less and less effective. Their to-do lists are getting longer. They are constantly going from meeting to meeting, and then to meeting. There is no time to think, breathe, and catch up. You may hear this in someone's language sometimes – ' I have to do this… I have to get that done… and if I don't do this then [negative cognitive outcome]… and I still have 3 days of emails to read… and… and… '.

How much control do you feel? Or are you reacting to the system to maintain it? Do you feel like a hamster in a wheel? As a leader, how can you help your employees avoid hamster wheel syndrome?

Tips to Get Rid of Hamster Syndrome

1. Help employees manage their energy and focus levels.
2. Set clear priorities – not everything is urgent or important, there needs to be a hierarchy.
3. Reward results and achievements rather than actions and task completion.
4. Model the behavior you want to see in your employees and colleagues.

Lesley Montoya

Update 20 August 2025