Work life balance, or too much work?

What is something that works best for us?

Raw and Real Conversation

In the past few days, social media is filled with working styles of GenZ.

Some like it and support it. Some hate it and abhor it.

I have a different point of view.

I think if you disregard something new completely, without understanding the genesis of it, we as a civilisation are not progressing.

Similarly, if progress comes at the cost of letting go of what has served the people that came before us, we are digging our own grave.

There has to be a mid-way.

There has to be an intersection, where we take the best of both worlds and merge them into creating a world that serves everyone.

For the starters, here is how most GenZ like to perform (as per social media posts):

• Mental health is their top priority

• Any amount of slight discomfort means toxicity

• More casual conversations even in formal settings

• Asking to be compensated more for working an hour or two extra

• A need for work-life balance, which is slightly more tilted towards the “life” bit.

On the other hand, the more experienced lot on social media thinks about work in a different way:

• Work is their top priority

• They gain strength from discomfort

• Formalised way of conversations, sometimes more than necessary

• They don’t ask for what they deserve for the normal working hours, let alone additional working hours

• Sacrifice their life endlessly, hoping to be promoted. A hope that gets quashed into pieces in a lot of cases.

Please note that I am not advocating for any of these points as correct or incorrect.

I am simply stating the point of view of the world, before I share mine.

For me, I believe you can take care of your work only when you take care of yourself. For you to truly take care of yourself, you must work well so that you enjoy the self-love bit.

It is a flywheel that keeps feeding itself.

So, the question is, where do we begin?

With our intuition. Our wisdom. Our awareness of what is right and what is not.

Here is what is right when we blend both philosophies together:

1. Be happy to face discomfort. It makes you resilient at work. But do not settle for toxicity.

2. If you want to have work life balance and go home on time, then please put your phone away during working hours and work with ulterior focus. You can’t be distracted when you are supposed to work, and then leave. Most companies have budgeted hours for every task. If you are focused and still unable to finish after 2-3 repetitions, please request for change in timelines.

3. When you want to grow in career, it’s okay to keep your organisation’s interest before your friend’s interests who want you to join them at Starbucks now, no matter what. And when it is time for vacations, holidays, or merely chilling-around leaves, if you do your work with sincerity, take it from me—no one will ever object to your leaves.
   The thing is we plan 30 seconds before our leave and expect the management to manage.
   That is gross negligence, not self love. If you really care for your leave and love yourself, unless it’s an emergency, please plan in advance. Including your work. The management will set your example to everyone else. (PS: This is exactly how I always got leave in my job even when most people only complained about them not getting leaves.)

4. We may want to understand that a lot of our mental health issues are due to the brain fog that our phone causes. Here is how you can use it less often. From my experience, even if you hate your current job, if you are curious enough to learn, you will figure a way to enjoy it.
   To keep my mental health sane during the jobs I hated, I would always read a book/listen to a podcast during commute. We are wise people, we can figure how to take care of our mental health.

5. About conversations on emails and messages: You need not write ultra professional tonality. That seems fake and boring. And AI generated conversations are clearly visible that they are not written by a human.
   On the other hand, when you write ngl or idk in work conversations, it oozes out lack of sincerity. No matter how friendly people are in your company, they are not your friends. Even if some are friends, they are working here, before they are your friends.
   A middle-way is to write like you talk. Just like this essay. I am not writing out of lack of care, nor am I writing out of courtesy. I am writing out of curiosity and conversation. So could you.

And at any time you are confused whether you should take care of yourself or your company first, this might help:

At the end of the day, may I want to tell you that maybe you do not have lack of money and your parents are there to feed you, however, in order to win in life, you have to earn something you care for.

Money, your passion, any other big goal—you have to find joy in work even if there is food on your table for the rest of your life. That is the only way of fulfilment and true joy. Which reminds me of a quote by Derek Sivers:

“Mastery is the best goal because the rich can’t buy it, the impatient can’t rush it, the privileged can’t inherit it, and nobody can steal it. You can only earn it through hard work. Mastery is the ultimate status.”

You aren’t here just to live a mediocre life, are you?

One Liners:

• Don’t demand trust. Command it.

• The worst thing in life is not failing at your passion. The worst thing in life is not having a passion anymore.

From Books I have been reading:

• Relaxing is not a waste of time—it’s an investment in well-being. —Adam Grant, Hidden Potential

• Scraping a carrot, peeling an apple—these actions are quite literally food for thought. —Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

• Winning depends on having the best teams, and the best teams include more women. —Trillion Dollar Coach

This is all for this week, friends.

Stay raw, stay real, and never stop reading :)

Nishtha Gehija

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The Corporate Life Handbook: The book everyone working a corporate job needs :)
The Career Changing Guide: My bestseller so far :)
How to Deal with Heartbreak: Because, life happens :(
Every Writer Needs to Read this: I wish I had this one, when I was starting out as a writer

This is What You are Looking for (Paperback): Small Life Lessons for a Happier Life