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A majority of Gen Z workers are turning to AI chatbots during the workday for personal reasons, including mental health support, with 40% saying they talk to AI for at least an hour every day, according to a new Resume.org survey. Many Gen Zers entered hybrid or remote jobs where casual mentorship or watercooler chats never formed, so AI fills that relational void,” said Kara Dennison, Resume.orgs head of career advising. “It listens, it responds thoughtfully, and it never criticizes.” She added: That creates a sense of psychological safety thats often missing in corporate hierarchies. Its about connection, control, and immediacy. Theyre using AI the way earlier generations used coffee breaks or hallway chats: to decompress, problem-solve, or feel understood. While older generations might describe ChatGPT as a tool, 47% of Gen Z say it feels far more personal: 25% of Gen Z describe ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AI bots as their therapist or coach, a friend, or coworker, while 34% admit to confiding in AI chatbots about things theyve never told another person. Some 16% say they frequently discuss personal topics such as mental health or relationships with AI, while 33% say they do so occasionally. Resume.org’s survey collected data from 1,000 full-time U.S. Gen Z workers ages 18 to 28 who used an AI chatbot such as ChatGPT or Copilot in the past week. Gen Z may be using ChatGPT for therapy, but mental health experts say it comes with risks. “Using a general-purpose chatbot as a therapist compromises the fundamental elements of safe care: clinical oversight, legal confidentiality, and a dependable route to human intervention,” Gijo Mathew, chief product officer at Spring Health, a global mental health platform for employers and health plans, told Fast Company. “This can introduce significant risks, particularly in multi-turn, emotionally charged discussions,” Mathew continued. “Most chatbots and large language models (LLMs) were not designed for mental health support and may overlook warning signs or offer articulate yet clinically unsound advice.” According to the survey, 43% of Gen Z workers spend at least 30 minutes per day using ChatGPT or a similar AI chatbot; 13% use it for one to two hours a day; 6% for two to four hours a day; and 5% for more than four hours a day. When it comes to dealing with stress and well-being on the job, 38% of Gen Z are turning to AI to take breaks, and 33% to talk through work-related stress or frustrations. That’s time that could be spent interacting with other humans. The findings also come at a time when 89% of corporate workers say they faced at least one mental health challenge in the past year.
Category:
E-Commerce
Every office has that coworker that turns up to a meeting coughing and sniffling while proudly proclaiming they have never once taken a sick day in their career. (If there isnt one, maybe its you.) But as one viral TikTok makes clear, those attitudes towards taking sick days may be changingjust as sick days themselves are changing, as some think being sick isnt a real excuse to not work in the WFH era. The skitwhich has more than 2.3 million viewssees popular TikTok creator Delaney Rowe adopting the role of that coworker, turning up to a meeting with a hospital tag still on wrist, oh-so bravely battling through the workday while simultaneously making it everyone elses business. Person you work with who thinks theyre a hero for ‘powering through’ while sick, she wrote. The days of powering through are now gone, as nearly a third of Americans say theyd rather you didnt show up to work if youre feeling sick, according to a new Talker Research survey of 2,000 people in the US. Many in the TikTok posts comments agreed. I get so mad when people risk ME getting sick, one wrote. Get away from me. Another joked: This is me but I’m just soft-launching calling out the next few days. Others have even offered scripts for how to successfully call in sick without guilt or fear. Take your sick days. Those days are for you and theyre not just for when youre sick, one TikTok creator advised. Theyre for when you just want a day to lay down all day and watch movies and eat food. You can do that. Theyre for when youre feeling a little bit off and you just dont want to deal with it today. The workplace is a minefield of unwritten rules which workers have long abided by. Not taking sick days, even when allotted by an employer, is one. However, 31% of those surveyed by Talker Research say theres no longer a badge of honor or admirable quality to employees turning up to work ill. Just a quarter of Americans strongly believe it would impress bosses or superiors. As one Reddit thread put it: Never taking sick days is not a flex some people think it is. One commenter went on to describe a coworker who point blank refuses to take sick days, writing: All of this goes unnoticed by management. No one gives a damn. No one is asking him to do it, no one is patting him on the back. They added: Then he proceeds to get frustrated with the rest of us that we don’t do the same. The COVID-19 pandemic permanently changed workers’ attitudes to sick leave, making clear the importance of staying home to avoid infecting coworkers. At the same time, Gen Zers entered the workforce in droves, championing mental health days, worklife balance, and the importance of boundaries at work. But some workers may still feel compelled to show up and put in face time with the boss. That translates to remote work, as well; a green active light on Slack or Teams communicates availability. But whether its in person or online, working while sick sets a bad example for the rest of the staff, chipping away at work-life boundaries that are already blurrier than ever. Working while sick can also lead to presenteeism: working while sick, but since youre sick, youre less productive. Presenteeism is bad for business, especially when it risks infecting an entire office with a cold or flu picked up over the weekend. And after witnessing layoff after layoff, todays employees may be more inclined to take that R&R thats available to themrather than give their all to a job that deems them disposable.
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E-Commerce
Have you ever felt like your brain was one of those viral egg experiments, cracked open and sizzling on a bare sidewalk that was truly, much too hot? You may have been experiencing signs of burnout (and dehydration). As an introverted professional, Ive been there as well, many times in my career. Over the years, Ive developed healthy reflective coping methods to recharge my batteries and prevent (or at least combat) that intense feeling of overwhelm. As a LinkedIn Top Voice and a very public keynote speaker whos learned to grow in the spotlight on my own terms, Im not the best at pretending to be an extrovert for any extended period of timeits too tiring! Instead, Ive found success by setting clear boundaries both online and offline, especially with growing my personal brand. Its how I stay true to my brand and avoid the dreaded burnout. And guess what? You can do the same. Youve probably tried a few personal branding tips that didnt work as well for you as an introvert, because they possibly felt too extroverted for your style. Here are my real-life strategies grounded in my own experience and ones that I feature in my new book Personal Branding for Introverts. These are the ideas that let me recharge properly while building a real, lasting brand. Overcoming Overwhelm With Boundaries As an introvert, youre likely to think more deeply and be more overwhelmed during events, big meetings or conferences, and that takes a lot of energy. Performing personal branding steps like making content, networking, or being active online can be really tiring for you (and me). Setting boundaries is the ultimate learned superpower for an introvert to combat the drowning feeling of being overwhelmed both in your daily life and at big events like conferences. It allows you to decide when and how you interact with others, which helps keep your mental health in check and allows you to show up as the best version of yourself at work. When you allow the people and activities that give you energy into your sphere and avoid the ones that take it away, you can create a brand that is easier to maintain in the long run. Lets go over four ways to think about boundaries as an introvert. 1. Establish Clear Boundaries Between Work and Personal Life While organizing my own work week, I think of this quote by Stephen Covey: The key is not to prioritize whats on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. Focus on what is the most important work task for your week and use an energy-first approach to encourage your own balance and focus. Consider the following strategies: Match Work Hours with Your Energy: Prioritize the times of day when your energy and focus are highest. For example, if you are wide awake and alert in the morning, try scheduling meetings between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. rather than later in the day. These morning (or afternoon) hours are your core focus times and should be protected. Designate Time for Focused Work: Save specific blocks of time for your best uninterrupted, quiet work. Lessen the general distractions around you by limiting your email inbox and message time. Create A Habit For Your Work Day End: Start an ongoing ritual or task that marks the end of your work hours. This might include taking a comforting walk, writing in your journal or blog, or simply turning off your social or Slack notifications for a bit. These cues help reinforce the boundary between work and personal time, allowing your mind to transition and recharge. 2. Rethink your Endless Meetings Ever hear of the office saying This could have been an email? Not every meeting needs an in-person chat. If youre able (and allowed to) express your thoughts in an email or message, do that. Fewer live meetings means more energy for focused work. Group similar meetings together on the same day or days if possible so theres less distractions. That way, the rest of your schedule stays more open and quiet. Also, leave time between meetings. At least 15 minutes and a quick walk outside or inside the office will help you reset. Back-to-back calls can wear you down quickly and harm your focus. 3. Strategically Manage Your Digital Energy Ive watched many introverted professionals experience burnout from attempting to maintain a constant presence across multiple platforms. Focusing your energy on one or two channels leads to being able to deep-dive more into those spaces, and introverts excel in being thorough thinkers. Try these energy-saving tactics: Pick One Platform: Focus your energy on one or two social media platforms where your target audience is active. This platform should also be where you feel comfortable and capable of maintaining a presence that wont fizzle out in a month. Batch Content Creation: Create a bank of posts by setting aside dedicated time once a week or month to write, record, or design your content.This method lowers the pressure to be constantly working on new ideas and allows you breathing room for more thoughtful, consistent content creation. Determine Your Response Times: Find and segment out specific time blocks for responding to all of your messages or comments across social media platforms, such as 30 minutes every Tuesday at 11am. Its helpful to do this so youre less distracted by a ton of notifications at work. As your audience grows over time, this method will help you maintain balance and sustainability. 4. Prioritize Rest and Recharging Throughout the day, I intentionally give myself short breaks. A walk to feel the sunlight and get some vitamin D. A few deep breaths away from sitting in front of my screens. These pauses allow me to reset mentally and clear my head.. I treat alone time as part of my daily rhythm. Reading. Writing. Walking. Or just sitting quietly. These deliberate time pauses replenishes my energy while keeping me grounded. Persistent fatigue, lessened focus or the need to hide from everyone (social anxiety, anyone?) can be a clear and early indicator of burnout at work. Instead of ignoring these signals, consider them thoughtful invitations from your body to begin to slow down and rest before you fully burn out. Establishing and maintaining boundaries is crucial to growing a personal brand as an introvert and will stop overwhelm and burnout before they spiral out of control. Boundaries are wonderful tools that enable your brand to grow consistently and in a healthy way. You do not need to be everywhere online or offline or constantly available. Instead, focus your energy and attention on being present during specific blocks of time that you choose. Your audience will recognize the intentionalityand so will you. Adapted from Personal Branding for Introverts. Copyright 2025 by Goldie Chan. Available from Basic Venture, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Category:
E-Commerce
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