Work-life balance: A journey, not a destination

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When it comes to our lives, there’s the personal and the professional. For years we’ve been encouraged to keep the two separate, leaving our home selves at the door when we head out for work. But when remote work became a reality for many of us, that changed. Suddenly, we were logging onto Zoom meetings in our sweatpants or workout attire. Team meetings had surprise cameos from kids and roommates. And before we knew it, the lines blurred.?

For some, the breaking down of boundaries was a bit of relief. We unlocked a new way of working that actually led to higher productivity and greater flexibility — but that didn’t come without its consequences. Almost immediately the 9-to-5 workday vanished . And then came burnout .

Working from home made it difficult to fully disconnect from our jobs with our work setups only a few feet away. We worked more and prioritized ourselves less. Now, two years later, millions of Americans have changed jobs or switched careers in pursuit of a greener pasture. For many, that meant greater work-life balance — particularly for Gen Zers.

According to a GoodHire survey in October, 69% of Gen Z was not satisfied with their work-life balance, compared to 63% of baby boomers, 55% of Gen X and 48% of millennials. As the generation least satisfied by work-life balance, they're on the move. Recent LinkedIn data found that Gen Zers are switching jobs at a rate of 134% higher than in 2019 and a quarter are planning or hoping to leave their current jobs in the next few months.

How to improve work-life balance

With many Gen Zers having recently started new positions (or planning to), it's important to establish strong boundaries from day one. To help them do so, I recently asked members on LinkedIn to share their best practices. Here’s what they said :

• “Personally, I find it is all about boundaries and priorities. As a soon to be graduate with a BS in psychology from Pacific University, I believe that setting boundaries can be one of the hardest and most beneficial things that we can do for ourselves. We need that time at the end of our day to decompress and relax from the work that we did during the day. So the one boundary that I do my best to maintain is that the day is for work and school and around 6-7pm is when I will put my books down and do something for myself.” — Anyssa Markowich, a student at Pacific University
• “One thing that works well for me is to utilize my work focus or do-not-disturb features on my phone, they are useful for both areas as personal/private notifications can be distracting while working, and work communications during off-hours can impede the rest and recovery process, thereby potentially decreasing productivity for the next work day.” — Jarrod Butts, a senior dispatcher at Delivery Excellence ?
• “Commit to a time you'll stop working each day. Pencils-down style, like a high school exam. Remove work email and Slack from your phone for a week. Forcing yourself to sit in front of a monitor or desktop when responding to colleagues can keep you more tethered, focused, and efficient. Mute as many notifications as possible on all devices. After work, go outside and spend at least an hour with a friend, phones off. Especially as much of the country starts to thaw with Spring/Summer. It may not always be possible, but possible more often than you think.” — Adam Soclof, a marketing and communications director ?
• “I do the following: (1) Prioritization: what are the most important things that I need to do at work everyday that I can’t miss. Once these are done, the rest can stay in the To Do list for the next day. (2) Blocking time in the calendar for the most important things to get done. (3) Taking time off whenever there is an important family event that I can’t miss. (4) Plan family and work activities in advance. (5) Do one thing at the time, focus, and take a break when needed.” — Elvi Caperonis, a technical program manager at Amazon ?
• “In order for my daily schedule to include work-life balance I have to manage my hours for the entire day to include some down time for myself. If I didn’t include some personal time throughout the day I would be wiped out by noon. Maintaining a positive attitude towards all tasks is necessary for completion. Balanced nutrition and rest also are necessary. Keep smiling, it helps when the days are tough.” — Michelle J., a home health aide
• “The first thing you need to do is determine what your ideal work/life balance circumstance is. What does freedom, happiness, and balance mean to you? After you define that by your own standards, you then need to establish strong boundaries and learn to comfortably say ‘no’ in the workplace. If your plate is full, if you can't stay late, or if you can't work weekends, speak up, delegate and work with your team so that your needs can be met.” — Chelsea Jay, a leadership development coach

For more advice on improving work-life balance, see what else members had to say by clicking here .

The more you know

On the topic of work-life balance, check out this LinkedIn Learning course that teaches you how to manage your time more effectively, shift your mindset to overcome challenges and more. You can watch the course below or by clicking here .

Getting a pulse on Gen Z

• Young people want … life insurance? | Melissa Cantor : What are young people shopping for? Surprisingly, life insurance. It’s a more somber answer than one might expect, but the pandemic prompted people of all ages to consider their mortality, The Wall Street Journal reports. Applications for life insurance jumped 3.9% in 2020 — the biggest year-over-year increase in records dating back to 2012 — and climbed 8% among under-45s. Experts say that because young adults hold more student debt than older generations, they risk leaving behind big financial burdens for loved ones, including parents, if they go uninsured and die prematurely. Here's what people are saying .
• Gen Zer redefines being professional | Alessandra Riemer : Duolingo's owl is making a hoot on LinkedIn. In her viral post, Zaria Parvez , Global Social Media Manager at Duolingo (who you may also know as the owl on TikTok), says she decided to own what it means to be "professional enough" for a job. The Gen Zer says she believes she was rejected from earlier opportunities for being too creative, so when it came to her current role, she decided to bring her "full self," dressed in a "bright yellow outfit" with "polka dot pants on." Here’s what people are saying .
• Where college grads want to be | Cate Chapman : The winner for where college graduates want to live is … Seattle. The emergence of the Emerald City , so-called for its greenery, comes at the expense of coastal powerhouses New York City and Los Angeles, which figured second and third among the more than 2,000 graduates surveyed by Axios. It also shows the extent to which remote work has influenced their prospects: Moving to more established locations is less important than it used to be. Seattle is a tech hub, to be sure, but it also offers a “cool climate, green-energy embrace and music and art scene." Here’s what people are saying .?

Food for thought

Navigating a career pivot

After graduating from law school last year, Shu Qi Poon recently landed her first post-grad gig. Only, it’s not at a law office. Two years into school, she realized law was no longer the career path she wanted to pursue. She stuck it out while trying to determine what it was she truly wanted. That journey has brought her to where she is today: Opening her own gym.

"Don't put a deadline on when you have to find what you want to do. Listen to me — learn to believe in yourself, give yourself TIME, take a small leap of faith, go chase that dream, you never know what will happen my dear." — Shu Qi Poon, owner of The Kampung Too

?? How have you pivoted during your career? Share in the comments below.