For the younger generation, achieving work-life balance is a more important goal of success than making money, and "soft living" is the way to do it. This means rejecting excessive competition and pressure, and instead focusing on happiness and the present moment. In life, some people spend money to buy happiness or choose to love themselves; at work, they directly give up the work they hate or focus on the work they love; in terms of financial management, they emphasize saving money comfortably to maximize happiness and minimize pressure.
Tay Ladd, a millennial influencer in New York, has more than 60,000 followers on TikTok. Even in a white-collar lawyer's high-paying position, living in the world's most expensive city to live in, she admits that she simply doesn't think she has a way to retire. However, if you click on Rad's account, you will find that she always does not hesitate to spend a lot of money on her dog. Dogs not only enjoy pet grooming, but also wear silk scarves and sweaters that are more expensive than their owners' clothes. Importantly, Rade is happy about this and writes in her self-introduction: "I work to make my dog's life easy and comfortable. 」
Instead of lying down passively, it is better to be active and comfortable
Following the passive "quiet resignation", Gen Z and millennials in Europe and the United States have found another gentle and firm way to actively fight back - "Shuhuo", which refers to rejecting the pressure and anxiety caused by excessive competition, but focusing on happiness and the present. On TikTok, compared to the hashtag of Quiet Resignation (#quietquitting), which has about 500 million views, Shuhuo (#softliving) has more than 10 billion views, and Shuhuo Life (#softlife) has also reached more than 700 million, indicating that the younger generation is now yearning for this positive attitude towards life.
According to a report released by Intuit, a U.S. financial software company, in January this year, nearly three-quarters of Gen Z in the United States believe that the current economic environment makes them hesitant to set long-term goals, and two-thirds are unsure whether they will be able to have enough money to retire, both of which are much higher than the public average. While the high cost of living has made young people feel less and less wealthy, the pandemic has also made mental health more important. As a result, people began to look for an effective solution to burnout. "I still try to get to work, but I'm more concerned about leaving my time for the things that are important to me. Radt said that achieving work-life balance is a more important goal for success than making money, and "Comfort" is the way to do it.
Maximise happiness and minimize stress
In terms of life, some people like to share luxury items such as food, high-end vacations, buy cars or designer clothes, and turn money into what they want, while others focus on self-care through self-affirmation, walking, chatting with friends, setting boundaries, healthy eating, etc.
When it comes to work, instead of quietly quitting and doing the bare minimum to counterwork, you can simply give up the work you hate and harm, or bury yourself in the work you really love, and use the above methods to maximize happiness and minimize stress. Rurad shared that the morning before work, the must-do things are skin care, breakfast, and pilatis. Not only life and work, but also the financial news website MoneyWise adds that the "comfortable living" attitude also applies to financial management – saving money comfortably.
"Don't feel too pressured to save too much, don't keep feeling behind your financial goals, don't completely spend your savings, and don't compare yourself to others. An expert who is certified as a Financial Planning Consultant (CFP) explains that a simple financial plan can be drawn up by evaluating a budget and reviewing income and expenses. Once you've done your best, you can say, "I haven't saved enough money for financial buffers, retirement, or housing advances, but I'm still going to set aside some money to spend where I like. Then continue to work hard to earn money.
In the case of Rade, although she insists on living in an apartment with high rent, she has the habit of saving money and investing, and neither aspires nor spends a lot of money on luxury travel. Even if "Comfort" cannot sweep away the stress of life, it can help people achieve the greatest work-life balance, whether it is to create consumer demand, or Gen Z employers who urgently need to retain talent, it is worth thinking about the future development space of Comfort.