Ep 33: Generation Exhausted: Why Gen Z Opted OuT

What if the real badge of honor isn’t how hard you work, but how well you rest?

In this eye-opening solo episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham pulls back the curtain on the cultural obsession with burnout—and exposes how every generation has unwittingly contributed to making exhaustion seem like a symbol of strength. Tess traces the roots of hustle culture from Gen X’s independent “latchkey kid” mentality, through Millennials’ overachievement during the Girl Boss era, and lands on Gen Z’s radical redefinition of ambition and mental health.

You’ll learn why each generation internalized burnout a little differently, why Millennials became the “burnout generation”, and how Gen Z’s refusal to conflate self-worth with overwork is shaking up workplaces everywhere. Plus, Tess opens up about her own journey to unlearn burnout and offers clarity on how we can collectively move toward a more sustainable, joyful way of living and working.

Key Highlights:

• The evolution of the “hustle” era into today’s burnout epidemic—and how our culture glamorized suffering (00:01:09)
• Gen X’s stoic independence, Millennials’ “girl boss” hustle, and Gen Z’s focus on boundaries and mental health (00:02:40 – 00:10:12)
• How resentment between generations over work-life boundaries is really grief for missed opportunities (00:12:56)
• The toxic cycle of burnout, reward, and repeat that keeps organizations stuck (00:16:20)
• Practical steps for unlearning burnout and redefining success for yourself and your teams (00:18:55)

Ready to question everything you’ve believed about ambition, success, and rest? Tune in and discover why taking off the burnout badge might be the most rebellious—and freeing—move you’ll ever make.

Episode Overview with Timestamps:

00:00:01 – Podcast introduction and the generational divide

00:01:09 – How burnout became a badge of honor and generational differences

00:02:40 – Gen X’s origin story and attitude toward burnout

00:04:11 – Millennials, hustle culture, and the Girl Boss era

00:08:21 – Gen Z’s boundary-setting and work-life philosophy

00:11:10 – Tess’s approach to cleaning up “Gen mess” at organizations

00:12:56 – The grief and resentment beneath generational tension

00:14:19 – Gen Z’s impact on workplace culture

00:15:16 – Why exhaustion became a measure of excellence

00:16:20 – How workplaces promote burnout and reward dysfunction

00:18:55 – Steps to unlearning burnout and redefining success

00:20:58 – Closing thoughts and embracing grace over grit

00:22:19 – How to connect with Tess Brigham and continue the conversation

Subscribe to Gen Mess with Tess for more insights and strategies on bridging generational gaps and building workplaces where everyone thrives!

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