Blog Articles
Tess shares her unique expertise on the challenges young people face today.
The Top 3 Mistakes Parents of Adult Children Make
As a therapist and coach who specializes in working with Millennials and Gen Zers I’ve heard countless stories of kids either moving back home after school, returning home at the start of the pandemic, or deciding to never leave home. What do you do when your babies turn into adults and are still living under your roof?
The Top 3 Mistakes Parents of Adult Children Make
As a therapist and coach who specializes in working with Millennials and Gen Zers I’ve heard countless stories of kids either moving back home after school, returning home at the start of the pandemic, or deciding to never leave home. What do you do when your babies turn into adults and are still living under your roof?
The Top 3 Mistakes Parents of Adult Children Make
When I was young I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to leave my house and start my brand new life as an adult. My parents are great but the lure of being on my own was so enticing. At age 18 I flew across the country and started college. I’ve moved back home at various points in my life but never for very long because my focus was always on being out on my own. Today I’m a married mother of one teenage boy who told me the other day he doesn’t want to move out until he’s 35! What?! I think he was kind of kidding, but not really. I also know I’m not alone. As a therapist and coach who...
How to Tell Your Manager You Need a Break
Alexandra, new to the workforce, is finding it tough to know when it’s time to take a break. Her transition from full-time student to full-time employee has been overwhelming. When you’re in school and studying for finals you know you have a long break coming up, which gives you the extra push you need to finish strong and stay motivated. Now it feels like work is just one long final exam and there is no extended holiday vacation to rest and recharge. While you feel exhausted all day long and need more and more coffee to stay awake, you find yourself awake at 2am thinking about the day...
The One Superpower You Need to Develop to be Successful in the New Hybrid Workplace
There’s never a moment in life more lonely than when you’re at home and you’ve had a very difficult meeting with your manager, or you’ve just finished a presentation you’ve been working on for weeks, and you press that blue “leave” button on Zoom. Suddenly, you’re alone with no one to talk to, process with, or even download what just happened. When the pandemic hit and people started working remotely from their kitchen tables and bedrooms, employees experienced a range of emotions. Some were thrilled, while others were unhappy, but whether you love or hate remote work, the biggest loss to an...
The Smartest Business Decision Your Organization Can Make in 2023
This may sound counterintuitive, but helping your employees improve their mental health could be one of the smartest business decisions your organization makes this year. Poor mental health costs organizations and employers a lot of money. It’s estimated that globally, 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of $1 trillion annually in lost productivity. There has always been a direct correlation between an employee’s level of happiness and satisfaction at work and their level of productivity. When employees feel safe, heard, and seen, no matter what...
Can A Bad Economy Make A Quarter-Life Crisis Worse?
While it’s never fun or easy to go through a crisis, if you allow yourself to sit with the discomfort of facing the changes you need to make, it can change your life for the better. A quarter-life crisis is a period of uncertainty in which a young person starts to question the direction of their life. It can be a time of great confusion and upheaval but a vital process to better understanding yourself and the kind of person you want to become. Any kind of crisis you go through is challenging. The quarter-life crisis can be particularly difficult because when you’re young, the possibilities...
3 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health This Summer If You’re Thinking About Quitting Your Job
Do you remember that feeling when you were in school as May became June? The days got longer and longer, the weather got hotter and hotter, and everyone started to count the days until summer break. There was this feeling in the air that anything was possible, and you had two and a half months of long blissful days ahead of you. You’re an adult now, and you work, and the days of two and a half months off are long behind you (unless you became a teacher). Even worse, you’re really unhappy at work, and you’re thinking about leaving your job, but the prospect of spending your summer months...
The Key To Happiness During “The Big Stay” Is Resilience
First, it was “The Great Resignation,” then it was “Quiet Quitting,” and now it’s “The Big Stay.” While it may seem employees are all over the place these days with what they want, they’re really reacting to a turbulent trauma-filled three years. At this stage, it makes sense that most people are ready for simplicity and knowing what to expect. What Is The Big Stay? The Big Stay, like The Great Resignation, is a new term to describe what’s happening in the workforce right now in response to the mass layoffs, inflation, and rising interest rates. According to ADP Research Group, the rate is...
5 Ways To Turn Your Quarter Life Crisis Around In 2023
There is so much pressure in a new year to make big changes, stop bad habits, start better habits, let go of the past, and on and on. If you’re in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, or if you’re at a place in your life where you feel stuck and unsure of which way to go, a new year can create added pressure to have it all “figured out” so this year can be different than the last. Getting through a tough time in your life isn’t about closing your eyes and hoping for the best, and it’s not about looking around and seeing what other people are doing and thinking they know something you don’t....
Why GenZ is Turning to Social Media to Expose Toxic Workplace Cultures
In previous generations, the corporate culture was whatever the branding and communications department put out there about a company. Gen-Z is the first generation to turn to social media to share their work experiences – the good, the bad, and the toxic. It’s giving employees a voice while also changing the way companies build a reputation for themselves. By 2025 27% of the workforce will be Gen-Z, and just like when Millennials entered the workforce, there are a lot of misconceptions about what Gen-Z really wants. The Gen-Zers who are entering the workforce right now were in grade school...
Young People: Use This Technique To Teach Your Boss
There are currently five generations in the workplace. Having employees from so many different generations means there are a lot of different perspectives, which can be challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to change the outdated ways workplaces have run for so many years. These varying perspectives can either be a tool to improve retention and increase engagement, or they can be used as a way to stay stuck in thinking that younger employees don’t have anything to add to an established organization. What Is Reverse Mentoring? One way companies can address this issue is by creating...
What Young People Can Do When Colleagues Steal Their Ideas At Work
Your hands are shaking as you click “leave” to exit your team’s weekly check-in. You had been talking to a “friend” of yours at work about an idea you have that will save your team a lot of time and money, but you were still trying to figure out when to present it to your boss. Toward the end of today’s meeting, your manager asked if anyone had anything else to say, and before you knew it, your “friend” was talking about your idea! You’re frozen in shock. You think you might have misheard her because she couldn’t have just passed off your idea as hers?! And when you look over at her little...
4 Mindset Shifts for Young Workers Thinking Of Quietly Quitting
Have you been thinking about “quietly quitting?” It seems like everywhere you go these days, someone is talking about the recent trend of “quiet quitting.” If you’re unsure about what exactly it means to quit quietly then you’re not alone because there doesn’t seem to be one strict definition. Some say “quiet quitting” is doing only your job, simply doing the tasks you’re paid to do and no longer doing anything outside of your specific job duties. Others say it’s not just about the work you do or don’t do; it’s about how you feel about the work—not beating yourself up when you leave early or...
4 Steps for Young Workers to Find a New Job After Leaving a Toxic Workplace
Jane finally decided it was time for her to leave her first post-college job. She wanted to leave last year but worried about her lack of experience in the workplace so she held out until she hit her two-year mark. The plan was to leave her current job at the end of June, spend the rest of the summer decompressing, traveling and seeing family. Now that summer is winding down, Jane is back and ready to focus all of her time and energy into finding a new job. She knows what she needs to do: revamp her resume, reach out to her network and work on interview prep. So far, Jane hasn’t done...
Signs of a Quarter-Life Crisis and What to Do About It
What are the signs you’re having a quarter-life crisis? Let’s start here – have you been asking yourself these kinds of questions? What am I doing with my life? Is this what the rest of my life is going to look like? What’s the point of everything? Have you been considering quitting your job, selling all of your possessions and moving to another country? Do you feel unsatisfied in your life and feel stuck and unsure of how you’ll find your way out? If so, you may be going through a quarter-life crisis. The concept of having a crisis in your mid-to-late twenties isn’t new, it’s something...
Why Gen-Z Is Publicly Quitting Their Jobs On Tiktok
There’s a new trend on TikTok: videos of young people secretly recording their bosses and then publicly quitting their jobs. If you spend any time on the social media platform you’ve seen at least one of these videos. It’s no secret social media has changed how we communicate and interact with each other. It has amplified and memorialized people’s stories and experiences. Each generation has a different relationship with social media. While Millennials were introduced to social media when it was still in its infancy, young people today (Generation-Z) have always had social media so they’ve...
Young Workers Changing Jobs During The Great Resignation
When you were in high school fantasizing about your future career, my guess is you didn’t see yourself working long hours doing the most mundane tasks for a boss who dismisses your ideas at every turn. And I’m pretty sure you didn’t imagine working for an organization that doesn’t align with your values, working on projects with unsupportive co-workers. Now maybe your fantasies center on changing jobs instead. Yet this is the experience for so many young people, which is why movements like the Great Resignation don’t surprise anyone who has been in the working world...
Having Friends at Work Can Boost Happiness for Young People
Adulthood brings so many challenges. The most difficult, and least talked about, challenge is making friends at work. When you were in school, you were surrounded by people your age with similar goals as well as similar stressors. Before you know it you’re out on your own, working full-time and all of your friends have scattered across the globe to pursue their goals. Suddenly you look around and realize you’re going to have to start being more intentional about making and maintaining friendships. Then the pandemic hit and now you’re working from home unable to even attempt to create...
Journal Prompts for Problem Solving
When you’re facing a problem, the first solution that comes to your mind might not involve journal prompts, but hear me out… You’ve heard the phrase, “Life’s a journey, not a destination.” Or maybe you heard this version, “Life’s a journey, not a race.” And even better, “Life’s a journey, there is no one ahead of you or behind you. You are exactly where you need to be.” These are the phrases we’ll say to our friends when they’re struggling but when it comes to our problems we don’t want to hear about life’s journey – we want to know exactly how to get there, and once we’re there, exactly...
6 Ways Young People Can Practice Self-Care at Work
Ugh…self-care…again! It seems like anytime you complain about feeling stressed out or overwhelmed the response is always, “You need more self-care.” It comes up so often, it’s easy to simply tune that person out, nod your head and go back to ruminating about work instead of incorporating self-care at work. There are a lot of misconceptions about what self-care actually is. It’s not taking bubble baths or going on long walks alone on the beach contemplating life. Self-care itself is simply the act of caring for yourself. It’s a mindset. You have to believe that self-care will benefit you in...
One Mindset Shift 20-Somethings Can Make to Break the Cycle of Negative Thinking
These past two years haven’t been easy for anyone but for young adults, it’s been especially hard, and it has been so easy to fall into negative thinking patterns. Instead of being able to walk across a stage with your family cheering you on, you were handed your diploma through a car window. After years of fighting for that promotion you finally got it but there was no fanfare or a lunch out with friends. You spent your entire life imagining your wedding day only to realize you either have to compromise on your big day or wait it out. Young people are learning one of life’s hardest lessons:...
How to Combat Burnout in Young Adults
It’s no secret that after being in a heightened state of anxiety you’re not just burned out…you’re crispy. But how do you combat burnout? You know that anxiety is a part of life and something you need for your survival. You have your day-to-day anxieties like getting out of bed in the morning so you don’t get fired or running across the street when you see a car barreling down the road. There are also anxieties like giving a major presentation. You feel anxious leading up to the big day, more anxiety as the day goes along and the biggest jolt during the actual presentation. Then the...
Tips for Managing Younger Employees
Allie’s post college graduation life isn’t turning out the way she expected. She finished her senior year in her childhood bedroom followed by a Zoom graduation. Pre-Covid-19 Allie had landed a job but two weeks after graduation she learned the company laid-off 30 percent of their workforce including younger employees like Allie. She was disappointed but not surprised. She got back to it and after eight months of sending out resumes and networking with friends, family and anyone who would talk to her she landed her first post-college role. “This is it. I’m an adult,” Allie thought when she...
What To Say To Your “Languishing” Employees Post-Covid
You’ve noticed your best employees haven’t been on top of their game lately but you’re not sure what’s going on. They’ve been meeting deadlines but their work isn’t the same. When you check in during your weekly one-on-ones they seem fine. You’ve asked several times if there is anything you can do but they just tell you, “I’m fine. As best as I can be at this time.” You don’t say anything because, quite frankly, you don’t feel great yourself. You can’t put the feelings into words but each time you sit down in front of your computer you can’t concentrate and find yourself actively trying to...
Pandemic Creates Opportunity For Companies To Explore New Ways Of Supporting Mental Health Of Workers
Millions of people across the globe watched Meghan Markle tell Oprah about her own struggles with mental health. Markle recalls being pregnant with her first child and desperately asking “the Firm” for some type of help to address her increasingly frightening suicidal thoughts. No matter how you think about Markle, Prince Harry and the royal family, it’s alarming to hear about someone desperately asking for help and feeling unheard. Anyone who struggles with mental health in this country knows what Markle went through is incredibly common. In October of 2019 Harvard Business Review in their...
The Key To Being A Great Virtual Leader Is Empathy
While both organizations and individuals are unsure of what life will look like post-Covid-19, one thing is for sure: remote work is here to stay. A 2020 Gallup poll found at least 72% of office workers would like to work remotely at least two days a week, while one-third said they would prefer to never go to an office again. This means leaders will have to learn how to effectively manage their teams virtually. Leaders will be leading individuals in different time zones in various environments with little or no information about what’s really going on for their employees. As strange as this...
Stop Trying to Make ‘Multitasking’ Happen: 5 Ways to Beat Workplace Distractions and Keep Yourself on Task
Your plan was to start working at 9 a.m. on the dot. It’s now 9:13 a.m. and you’ve opened up the Google doc with your notes. “I’ve got to get this done,” you think to yourself. Then an email pops up…”Let me check. It might be something important. Oh...it’s nothing. OK it’s time to start really focusing...oh wait...I need to send an email to my son’s school. After I write the email, I’ll get started on the article.” It’s now 9:45 a.m. and you realize you won’t get as much completed as you thought but you think, “That’s OK, I’ll work on it tomorrow...ooooh a text….” Maybe this wasn’t the first...
Why Millennial and Gen Z Employees Are Changing the Way Companies are Looking at Mental Health
In today’s hectic and fast-paced work culture, burnout and depression are at an all-time high. While employees of all ages are affected, the stress is taking its greatest toll on Millennials and Gen Z. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, 50% of millennials and 75% of Gen Zers claimed they left a job for mental health reasons. Millennials have always led the way – and not by choice. It’s all the major changes that have taken place since they were born. Millennials were the first generation to come of age during the time of the Internet and social media. For the first time in...
The Impact of COVID-19 on Millennials and Gen Z’s Mental Health (And What You Can Do About It)
While everyone is struggling during COVID-19, Millennials and Gen Z are facing a unique set of challenges. Internships are being cancelled, jobs are being furloughed, and they’re unable to network through normal channels for career opportunities. Along with the isolation that accompanies working from home, virtual networking is causing high levels of stress and burnout. All of these combined factors are taking its toll on Millenials and Gen Z’s mental health. With everything subject to change and so much that’s beyond their control, it’s normal for Millennials and Gen Zers to feel anxious...
How managers can talk to their employees about mental health
Management has never been a simple or straight-forward role, but now that our world is in the middle of a national crisis, leading a team is more complex and requires you to be present for your team while managing your own anxiety. As outlined in this article, being a young person in the professional world has changed drastically due to technology and the development of smartphones. No matter what generation you fall into, you’re feeling the pressure to always be connected and respond to emails and other messages at an increasingly rapid pace. Now imagine being in your 20s and at the...
Why it’s harder than ever to create a work-life balance
So many of us are chasing that elusive work-life balance. When you’re young, you just don’t have the experience or perspective to recognize that careers are a marathon, not a sprint and you have to remember to pace yourself because we’re all going to be working for a long, long time. While you may want to be seen as a “team player” and respond to your manager’s email on Saturday “just this once,” it’s these little moments that add up over time and start to chip away at your motivation and productivity. Why is it so difficult to create a work-life balance these days? Technology has made it so...
The Surprising Reason Why You’re Feeling Unproductive
At some point in our lives, we’ve experienced feeling unproductive and stuck. Despite our best efforts, there are times when it’s hard to get (and stay) motivated. In a culture that places a high emphasis on being productive, many of us have become addicted to busyness. There’s an enormous pressure to meet these high productivity standards and an even greater fear of underachievement. All you have to do is spend two minutes scrolling through social media and you’ll see different ways people are winning in the world: job accomplishments, fitness transformations, home renovations, and the list...
How To Combat Seasonal Depression During COVID-19
As the days get shorter and the darkness sets in, it’s normal to get into a slump. While many of us feel the “winter blues” to some extent, it can prove to be more difficult for others if seasonal depression sets in. And with holiday stress and COVID-19 to top it off, this winter will be a new level of challenging. Traveling to the East Coast for college, I’ll never forget my first winter. People just disappeared, as if there was some unspoken rule to start hibernating. From a psychological perspective, I found it interesting. Why does winter equal depression? When the sun came out it meant,...
The Art of Asking Questions: How to Ask Questions That Connect Ideas and Drive Deeper Insight
When it comes to inspiring and motivating others, it’s not about what you tell them. It’s what you ask. So, what makes a great question? What types of questions can overcome resistance in an organization? What will spark a thought-provoking dialogue? Asking good questions is important because it elevates us beyond current thinking boundaries. As an employer, ask yourself: What am I hearing underneath the variety of opinions being expressed? What new connections am I making? The most effective leaders know how to stimulate curiosity and drive reflective conversation. Through brainstorming and...
Why Doing “Nothing” Isn’t Nothing
“I’m so burned out...I know this is what everyone has been saying but this has been a really hard year,” Sarah cried as soon as we started our session, “I mean I had all these summer plans that got cancelled and now I have no idea if I’ll be able to travel home for the holidays.” Sarah went on to tell me about her ever increasing workload and the difficulty she has been having setting boundaries with her manager who messages her at all hours of the day and night with questions and requests. “When was the last time you took time off from work?” I asked. Sarah stopped for a moment and thought...
Communicating During Uncertainty: How to Bring Clarity to the Chaos
It’s one of the most critical life skills nobody talks about. It has the ability to transform our personal and professional lives. And the pandemic has been the ultimate test, forcing all of us to reexamine our strengths and weaknesses. I’m talking about communicating during a crisis. While communication today is a struggle for everyone, it’s especially difficult for employers. Faced with new and unexpected challenges, they are being asked questions they don’t have the answers to. And this is completely understandable; with everything changing so quickly, it’s hard to keep up and make...
A Reason to Keep Looking for Love After Heartbreak
When I sat down to write this week’s article II felt incredibly stuck. This past week has been a hard one for me and my family. My husband and I had the make the decision to put our almost 15-year-old dog Rocco down.We got Rocco when he was only 10 weeks old. He was my first “baby.” When we got Rocco I had just finished graduate school and wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do. I wasn’t working and wasn’t even sure of what to do with myself but I had Rocco and he and I would spend all day, every day together.Rocco and I would go to the local dog parks, we went shopping...
If You’re Always Focusing on ‘The Hustle’ You’ll Miss This Important Thing
This past week I’ve been sick...really, really sick. I haven’t been this sick in a long time and it has been rough.When you’re a kid being sick isn’t great but you get a few days off from school, your mom takes extra care of you and you get to watch bad daytime TV.Getting sick when you’re adult...it doesn’t have that same allure. Life continues to move, work piles up and dishes, laundry and all the other things you planned to do are still sitting there waiting for you once you feel better.As I sit and think about the past week all I can think about is how annoyed I am that I...