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In the modern working world, employees have a lot on their minds. From stressing about high costs of living and pressing political issues, there are no shortage of worries to go around. But worries at work are stacking up, too, with many feeling uncertain about their future employment in the face of AI. While workplaces are seeing some benefits to automating tasks with AI, there’s another not-so-secret problem with the technology taking off: employee anxiety. In part, that’s because workers are deeply stressed about being replaced, but there are also learning curves that come with working alongside the technology. Also notable, one recent study found that AI is making workers’ jobs harder in another way. It messes with managers’ expectations, meaning they end up giving employees more work that they expect completed in less time. Holding space for AI-xiety In the face of such significant change, some say that leaders have a new job to do: They need to hold space for all the anxiety around AI, or, AI-xiety, if you will. Heidi Brooks, a leadership expert and senior lecturer in organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management, tells Fast Company that because anxiety is now “a central part of the workplace experience,” leaders need to meet the moment. But it’s not necessarily about trying to calm or settle worries, and it’s definitely not about ignoring them altogether. Instead, it’s about being present. “Presence isnt just about showing upits about how you show up, Brooks explains. “Its the groundedness, the way you stay in touch with people in the midst of ambiguity or distress, without rushing to fix or smooth things over.” Brooks adds that while it may feel more comfortable to avoid the worries, “choosing to stay steady in the face of uncertainty is a quiet but powerful form of leadership.” Communication is key As concerns around AI are booming, at the same time issues like burnout are skyrocketing. It’s no secret that many employees are feeling unsettled. That means bosses need to do more than just say they’re there for workers. As Brooks puts it, “Presence is in the eyes of the beholder. Therefore, employees have to feel that from you. “Communication, in this anxious context, becomes more than just information-sharing. Its a form of containment, Brooks says. Silence can promote fear, and in the absence of communication, people can fill the gaps with worst-case scenarios.” Therefore, even if leaders aren’t necessarily sure themselves how to fix the issues employees are worried about, keeping communication open is, in itself, still an effective tool. Recent research supports the expert’s insight, too: A recent survey on frontline workers in the AI age found that while only 17% of said their organization is transparent about AI integration, 63% said communication about the technology is essential. If you explain it, well accept it, one worker said. If you dont, well resist. Brooks says employers don’t need to have all the answers to be good communicators and to calm fears. “Its not about false certainty,” she explains. Its about helping people feel less alone in the uncertainty, and perhaps even inviting them to be part of the learning process by inviting their voice.” Leaders need check-ins, too Undoubtedly, leaders are in a new era, too. They have big challenges ahead of them as they learn to work with automation. Brooks says leaders are also learning to “hold space for human experience . . . as we find our way forward” in the AI age. But not only do leaders have to worry about their teamsthey also need to check in with themselves, especially around their own anxieties and struggles when it comes to new technology. “Its a good time not only to be intentional about touching base with people on your teams, but for you to do the same for yourself,” Brooks says. Leaders, then, also need the space to air their own fearsin addition to being a sounding board for others. Brooks adds, “When we can be real about naming what we are going through, we are often wiser together, because we can discuss whats happening and learn our way forward.”
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A snaggle tooth. A gap in someones smile. A birthmark or mole. What do each of these facial features have in common? They all have wabi-sabi. Thats according to TikToks latest trend, which has users highlighting their imperfections and labeling them wabi-sabi.” Not to be confused with the sushi accompaniment, wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection and the natural process of agingsomething we could all use a little more of in the age of preventative facelifts. The concept celebrates imperfection and the natural wear and tear that occurs with the passage of time, whether thats a gently worn step, a chipped mug, or smile lines. A sound featuring the term has since gone viral on TikTok, introducing many to the idea for the first time. Nearly half a million videos have been posted under the viral audio, originating from the animated sitcom King of the Hill. In one episode, the character Bobby Hill picks up a rose and says, I like how mines a little off-center. Its got wabi-sabi. That clip has since been repurposed by users celebrating everything from crooked teeth to aquiline noses as wabi-sabi. As with any concept that takes off on TikTok, some of the subtlety of the original philosophy has been lost as it spreads online. Yet, in an age of unrealistic beauty standards, looksmaxxing, and aesthetic micro trends, one that celebrates individuality and acceptance of perceived flaws is a step in the right direction. In 2019, The New Yorker declared it “The Age of Instagram Face.” Six years on, Dazed wrote We have entered the age of TikTok Face. Aesthetic inflation or the normalization of more and more extreme cosmetic interventions over time, defined by Flesh World writer Jessica Defino, has eaten our collective brain. In just the past few weeks, headlines about the skinny BBL (thats Brazilian butt lift, for the unitiated) and facelifts at 28 demonstrate the pervasiveness of the pursuit of aesthetic perfection. Its a vicious feedback loop that also bleeds into our offline reality, with plenty of research finding a correlation between time spent online and desire for plastic surgery. If youve noticed the faces you see online slowly morphing into one and the same, you are not losing your mind. These days, we could all stand to embrace more wabi-sabi.
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Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Zillow economists just published their updated 12-month forecast, projecting that U.S. home pricesas measured by the Zillow Home Value Indexwill rise 1.5% between October 2025 and October 2026. Heading into 2025, Zillows 12-month forecast for U.S. home prices was +2.6%. However, many housing markets across the country softened faster than expected, prompting Zillow to issue several downward revisions. By April 2025, Zillow had cut its 12-month national home price outlook to -1.7%. In late spring, Zillow stopped issuing downward revisions. In August, it revised its 12-month outlook to +0.4%. In September, the forecast increased to +1.2%, and in October Zillow upgraded its 12-month national home price forecast to +1.9%. This month, Zillow revised down its 12-month outlook for U.S. home price growth just a tad to +1.5%. While Zillows national home price forecast is no longer negativeit isnt exactly bullish either. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); Among the 300 largest U.S. metro-area housing markets, Zillow expects the biggest home price increase between October 2025 and October 2026 to occur in these 15 metros: Atlantic City, New Jersey +5.3% Rockford, Illinois +4.8% Concord, New Hampshire +4.6% Knoxville, Tennessee +4.3% Saginaw, Michigan +4.3% Jacksonville, North Carolina +4.2% Kingston, New York +4.2% Fayetteville, Arkansas +4.1% Green Bay, Wisconsin +4.1% Torrington, Connecticut +4.1% New Haven, Connecticut +4.0% Hartford, Connecticut +3.9% Hilton Head Island, South Carolina +3.9% Manchester, New Hampshire +3.8% Norwich, Connecticut +3.8% Among the 300 largest U.S. metro-area housing markets, Zillow expects the biggest home price decline between October 2025 and October 2026 to occur in these 15 metros: Houma, Louisiana -7.8% Lake Charles, Louisiana -7.3% New Orleans -4.7% Shreveport, Louisiana -4.3% Lafayette, Louisiana -4.2% Beaumont, Texas -4.0% Alexandria, Louisiana -3.9% Odessa, Texas -3.0% Monroe, Louisiana -2.7% Punta Gorda, Florida -2.7% Austin -2.6% Chico, California -2.5% Corpus Christi, Texas -2.4% San Francisco -2.2% Texarkana, Texas -2.2% U.S. home prices, as measured by the Zillow Home Value Index, are currently up 0.01% year over year. If Zillows latest 12-month outlook (+1.5%) comes to fruition, it would represent a small acceleration nationally. Below is what the current year-over-year rate of home price growth looks like for single-family and condo home prices. The Sunbelt, in particular Southwest Florida, is currently the epicenter of housing market weakness. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); In a report published in October, Kara Ng, a senior economist at Zillow, wrote, A year ago, 6 of the nations 50 largest metros were buyers markets; this September, buyers have the edge in 15 metros. Zillows market heat index shows the strongest buyers markets are Miami, New Orleans, Austin, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis. Thats due, in large part, to a surge of new construction in many of those areas in recent years. The hottest markets for sellers are in the Northeast and Bay Area: Buffalo, Hartford, San Jose, San Francisco, and New Yorkplaces where builders face some of the most stringent land use restrictions.
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