It’s no secret that we are living through unprecedented times. Some of the world’s biggest and busiest cities are in lockdown, and most industries have come to a total standstill. Millennials, dubbed as the Burnout Generation, have found themselves at home, with nothing to do and nowhere to go for the very first time in their adult lives.
Given the hectic nature of the Millennial routine, one would expect that this rare moment of stillness would, in some ways, be a welcomed breath of fresh air. But (un)surprisingly, our social media feeds continue to be inundated with our generation’s hallmark devotion to performative workaholism as people race to demonstrate their dedication to bettering themselves and “making the most” of this downtime.
From sophisticated WFH setups and productive self-isolation routines to career-related online courses and physically challenging workouts, Millennials are working to keep up appearances and build their personal brands. The rat race has gone virtual and the winners are those that are able to turn a global pandemic into a period of high productivity.
I’m a Millennial and am very guilty of all of the above. My husband and I have effectively been in self-isolation for a full month now. Our routines have involved waking up early, working out and sitting on our “desks” until 6pm, followed by some kind of online course, chores, dinner and a bit of Netflix before bed. Work has been quiet as day-to-day operations are down to a minimum but still, we have filled the void with industry articles, webinars, administrative tasks, research, getting a side hustle going – in essence, anything to ensure we are able to hit the ground running faster and harder when work resumes. And it’s not just us, a few friends I tried calling said their “days were packed and will let me know when they have some spare time”. We did speak eventually but it required coordination and planning; something you wouldn’t expect when really, we will never have this much quality time available ever again.
One day, when we slept in, my husband guiltily said, “I shouldn’t have slept in, I feel like I’m behind schedule.” What schedule you ask? His self-appointed jam-packed timetable that was developed to ensure maximal productivity, so that he is ahead of the curve by the time this is over. That may not sound like much, but you would be hard-pressed to find any other demographic that would prioritize their career-growth over their wellbeing.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a time of widespread uncertainty and whilst its admirable that Millennials are staying positive and productive, you have to wonder as to whether we have actually dealt with the emotions that such an event understandably evokes. Anxiety, depression, fear and lack of motivation are natural by-products of crises and can require a little extra patience and TLC for our bodies to process.
We aren’t called the Burnout Generation for no reason; being stressed is our default setting as we navigate through working in an era where hyperconnectivity inhibits us from switching off. Work-life balance is a foreign concept to us, and we have never known “overtime” as its completely normal to send emails from bed – whether its just before sleeping or immediately after waking up. For most of us, we have worked relentlessly to build our careers in economic turmoil as we graduated from university just before or after the notorious 2008 market crash. We are used to working in overdrive; accepting endless hours for lower-than-fair pay, minimal benefits and temp contracts. Being employed full-time and keeping a job is like the Hunger Games, where only the fittest survive. Couple that with the unequivocal pressures that come with social media and it’s no wonder that we are all on the verge of burnout.
Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that when the chance to step back and slow down does present itself, we remain paralyzed in our constant state of trepidation. The pace of our lives before this pandemic was unsustainable and, simply put, a one-way ticket to total mental and physical burnout. We were always just so busy and what’s worse is that many of us wore it like a badge of honor. But according to Tim Ferriss, visionary entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author, what busy represents is a lack of control and is believed to hinder productivity so why is it that we continue to chase such an unfulfilling state of being?
This period of social distancing may just be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Millennials to reflect, recuperate and reset to get that much-needed big picture perspective of our lives, ambitions and long-term goals. So if you need to sleep more, do it, if you feel like doing nothing for a day, go for it. Now is the time to nourish your mind, body and soul in whichever way benefits you most. Stay productive, be positive but also, see this time for what it is – a historical event where the world stood still, so you can too.