This overlooked skill will set kids up for sustainable work success.
And the growing range of climate careers.
Issue 25:
08.01.2023
Privilege is at the heart of the education upheavals currently underway in the US - from affirmative action, debt relief, and the value of degrees. Into this, the point of view that's stood out for me is a reminder from Scott Galloway on last week's Pivot podcast, "No organization can predict greatness at the age of 18 - so what government is supposed to do, give as many 18 years old as possible a shot."
If only.
RS
TTL: This School Year, Teaching Boundaries Is The Way To Go
Take The LongRange (TTL) is our regular look at innovative ideas on parenting, careers, learning, and life that can help better prepare kids for our world of rapid change.
Over the past several months, there's been wave after wave of research and media headlines on how and why the Gen Z workforce is struggling (at scale) to cope with the challenges of their early careers. According to Cigna International Health's 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers worldwide, 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84% on average. The same data shows unmanageable stress affects almost a quarter of the Gen Z respondents (23%), and nearly all (98%) are dealing with symptoms of burnout. Similarly, The Boston-based Mary Christie Institute recently surveyed over 1000 professionals in their 20s with bachelor's degrees. According to the study, more than half needed emotional or mental health support and experienced burnout at least once a week. More than a third said their work environment negatively impacted mental health. One recent trending response is the rise of #LazyGirlJobs, which describes jobs that allow young professionals to achieve the elusive work-life balance goal and bucks the trend of the always-on, hustle culture.
Employers and workplaces need to adapt - and they eventually will (this demographic is too powerful in numbers for them not to). But in the interim, and this school year, we can help individually by actively teaching kids strategies to stop worrying about school and school stress - which later turns into people who worry about work all the time and, in doing so, burn themselves out. Instead, let’s actively teach them early how to draw boundaries, emotionally and mentally, and then reinforce those with habits and strategies that create space. Here are some ideas on how:
Write worries out and make lists.
Encourage the habit of ending the day with a list of “brain dump” that helps them release all their thoughts and anxieties. They don't need to keep or share it, but doing it will help them that day and into the future.
Create rituals around the end of the work day.
The pandemic amplified the lack of clear lines on when work and school days seemed to end. It's time to model and foster habits that transition from work to the end of the day. Pack bags when the work is done, a hot bath, a cup of tea - anything to mark the end of the day and limit school talk after a specific time.
And model these rituals yourself.
Encourage Recharging Activities
Working out, listening to music, time with pets, walking - time away from work and devices are essential. One idea I’m trying this year - is “stations,” where there's a puzzle underway and art that you can just drop into. The hope is these recharging stations provide a quick pitstop for kids of all ages to engage in restorative creative work.
The Must Read/Listen/Watch:
Read: "Hiring to flourish in these fields as humans fight climate change."
"A job title doesn't need to include the words "green," "climate," "sustainable" or "environment" for the work to be important to efforts to both stop global warming and deal with its effects. It also doesn't necessarily require a college degree. Thousands of critical jobs are learned by on-the-job or short-term training, said Stephanie Pincetl, a professor at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles. “You don’t need to get a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies.”
This is an excellent roundup from USA Today.
Watch:
Japanese High School students demonstrating ‘Shuudan Koudou,’ the art of synchronized precision walking (tweet)
This is mindblowing!
Shoutout to this weekly newsletter for bringing it to my attention: https://ckarchive.com/b/r8u8hoh2werz2c2h6
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