Skimm Money: Work Burnout Is Getting Extra Crispy

The money stories everyone’s talking about.

You may not believe in ghosts, but unless you come up with a “digital death-cleaning” plan, your past is likely to haunt your great grandkids.

“You’re doing great!” Here’s why this type of feedback is maybe not what you want to hear from your manager.

“The financial lives of [Tim Walz and JD Vance] are both versions of the American dream.” It’s not just their policies — the two candidates’ bank statements tell a very different story, too. 

Before, we had flip cup. Now, we have…PowerPoint presentations. You know the party’s cranking when someone says “next slide, please.”

Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy are selling their home for almost $10 million — and you have to see the rooftop terrace. Check it out.

P.S. Wake up to today’s most important stories right in your inbox by signing up for the Daily Skimm. Millions of your friends have already done it.  

How the news affects your finances.

Work Burnout Is Getting Extra Crispy

The job market has been going through it lately — and last week’s opposite-of-rosy unemployment numbers are just one of the whiplash-like changes. There’s also the shift from “The Great Resignation” era toward “The Great Talent Stagnation,” where neither employees nor employers are particularly satisfied. And you can’t forget the usual return-to-work mandates or layoff threats.

Take all that, plus what experts say are some residual effects of the pandemic — the pressure to answer Slacks in seconds and the ever-more blurry boundaries between work and life — and it’s no wonder burnout rates are reaching record highs. In fact, one survey showed that close to 90 percent of people feel burned out at work — and women (of course) may be faring worse. To help, some people are turning to burnout coaches, who can work with them to find specific solutions. If you need help like yesterday, here are a few more ideas to help ease and prevent burnout. 

Your Move: 

• Try “physical grounding.” Workplace burnout often manifests as anxiety, says Jenny Maenpaa, LCSW, EdM. Using physical grounding techniques, like sitting up straight in your chair, putting your feet on the ground, placing your hands on an armrest can help you feel in control when you feel panicked. Box breathing and the “5-4-3-2-1 method” can also be helpful, she adds. 

• Practice saying no. Feel bad because your manager is stressed, too? "If you keep dropping everything to attend to other people's emergencies, real or imagined, you are telling everyone you encounter that your needs are not as important as theirs, and they will respond accordingly," says Maenpaa.

• Use time off strategically. Plan for one day a quarter (use a sick day; mental wellness is health care) when you stack some medical appointments (dental cleaning, annual physical) in the morning, then spend the afternoon at the spa, recommends Maenpaa. 

• Schedule moments of joy that are all yours. Find ways to “infuse things that you enjoy in different parts of your day,” says Shavon Terrell-Camper, LMSW and CEO and founder of Leveraging Your Reality. For example, listen to music while doing admin tasks at work or stream a podcast as you make dinner. (P.S. Take this concept further with the “saving the day” trend.) 

• Go deeper. Often, you're only addressing what’s on the surface (stressful work situations) without getting to the root of the problem (e.g. poor boundary setting), says Terrell-Camper. Reflect on what isn’t working, and consider talking to a therapist or coach to gain perspective from an outside source, she says.

We asked you to vote on a question you’d like answered. The winner was:

Do I have to split the bill for a meal if I’ve purposely ordered frugally?

FEATURED EXPERT:

Suzy Lins

etiquette expert and founder of The Manners Maven

Short answer: No. If you’re sipping on an iced tea and having an app while your friends are indulging in sides, desserts, and multiple rounds of cocktails, it’s perfectly fine to speak up about chipping in only for your share. (Related: What to Say When You’re Not Splitting the Bill) )

“There’s no need to feel guilty about it,” says Lins, who adds that throwing in a few extra bucks to make sure your server gets a solid tip is always polite. To avoid awkwardness in the future, ask for a separate check from the server before the meal begins. You can also ask the group how they plan to split the bill ahead of time, making it clear you’re not in on the mozzarella sticks and guac for the table. (Related: 8 Ways to Split the Bill Without Awkwardness)

Side note: If it’s your friend who’s ordering on the cheap, speak up for them, she says. Try: “Annie only had a salad and a Diet Coke, so she shouldn’t pay the same as the rest of us.” That way, you save your pal the do-I say-something dilemma.