Millennial Burnout
The Millennial generation (myself included) was built to burnout. Which means that prevention and recovery are that much more important for each of us to prioritize and, unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight. Below are a few key reasons why this generation is uniquely susceptible;
Relationship to Technology - Millennials are the first generation to grow up with technology always at their fingertips and while this has made us tech savvy, it has also created a world where we're always plugged in.
Relationship to Productivity - The Millennial generation has been shaped by productivity, optimization, and efficiency. You would think that since we can do more in less time, we'd feel a sense of accomplishment, but it has the opposite effect because the demands increase to offset any benefits.
Passion Ideologies - The Millennial generation was fed ideologies around finding work that you're passionate about and this has created existential crises for so many. We've been told that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life and we're all chasing that promise.
The Pressures of Parent Olympics - We’re in an age of opinion and information overload, not to mention constant comparison through social media platforms. This leads to moms and dads constantly questioning whether they’re doing the “right” thing when, I think we can all agree, there is no one right answer.
Want more? The Truth About Millennial Burnout and What You Can Do
Question: What is your relationship with productivity? Are your days defined by how productive you are?
Action: Take a break from one social media platform— whichever one, for as long as you think is best for you.
💜 a good quote…
“The general principle in operation is one you might call the “efficiency trap.” Rendering yourself more efficient—either by implementing various productivity techniques or by driving yourself harder—won’t generally result in the feeling of having “enough time,” because, all else being equal, the demands will increase to offset any benefits. Far from getting things done, you’ll be creating new things to do.”
- Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
“This isn’t a personal problem. It’s a societal one—and it will not be cured by productivity apps, or a bullet journal, or face mask skin treatments, or overnight fucking oats. We gravitate toward those personal cures because they seem tenable, and promise that our lives can be recentered, and regrounded, with just a bit more discipline, a new app, a better email organization strategy, or a new approach to meal planning. But these are all merely Band-Aids on an open wound. They might temporarily stop the bleeding, but when they fall off, and we fail at our newfound discipline, we just feel worse.”
- Anne Helen Petersen, Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation
