- Jimmy Donaldson recently discussed his approach to work on an episode of "The Colin and Samir Show."
- The YouTuber said he does not have much of a life outside work and has regular "mental breakdowns."
MrBeast, the world's biggest YouTuber, said he is so focused on making content for videos that he has a "mental breakdown every other week."
In an interview on "The Colin and Samir Show," a YouTube show hosted by filmmakers Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, which was posted on June 27, the YouTuber discussed his approach to work and making content for his channel.
"I don't have a life. I don't have work-life balance. My personality, my soul, my being is making the best videos possible, entertaining my fans as best as I can. That is why I exist on this planet," he said.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, said he does not recommend that other people take on the same approach to working as he does.
"I'm miserable a lot of times. I have a mental breakdown every other week because I push myself so hard," he said.
Donaldson did not specify what exactly he meant by "mental breakdown," but Rosenblum asked the YouTuber how he recovers after periods of overworking, and Donaldson replied by saying, "I just take a couple of hours off, I watch some anime, and then I'm good to go."
The YouTuber, who has 163 million subscribers, also mentioned that his daily routine revolves solely around three activities: working out, producing YouTube videos, and building his chocolate brand, called Feastables. He said he feels that exercising takes time out of his day that he could be using to work, so he also tries to take calls while walking and attempting to meet his target of 15,000 steps a day.
Donaldson has previously spoken out about his "grind mode" approach to work, in a January interview with Russian-American computer scientist Lex Fridman, who hosts a podcast on YouTube. The YouTuber said there have been periods where he has decided to work for up to seven or eight days non-stop on YouTube content.
"Weirdly enough, the best thing for my mental health was giving into my innate nature to work. And the most depressed I get is when I try to restrict it, like, 'I don't work weekends' or 'I don't work this day.' What's best for me is just to work when I feel like working," he told Friedman.
Experts have in the past warned that an extreme "hustle culture" mentality can lead to burnout for workers, and advise prioritising a work-life balance to help promote mental wellbeing.
On YouTube, Donaldson has developed a reputation among fans for giving away large sums of money to viewers. He rose to fame in 2018 by donating thousands of dollars to small Twitch streamers and YouTubers.
More recently, he has filmed elaborate competitions where fans take part in videos with the chance to win large prizes. Last year, he recreated the Netflix show "Squid Game" for a competition involving 456 supporters, and in June, he gave away $500,000 to a fan in a competition inspired by "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."
He became the most-followed individual YouTuber in the world in November, overtaking vlogging and gaming creator PewDiePie, who previously held the title for nine years.
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