How And Why Millennial Women Are Quitting The Rat Race And Embracing The ‘Soft Life’
As millennial women face ambition burnout at work, many are quitting the rat race and leaning into the “soft life” – a term trending online related to living a life of low stress.
As concept of the “soft life” started trending online, it evolved to include a response from millennial women who were disillusioned with the “rat race,” adding contrast to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s once-popular message of “leaning in” to the corporate world.
Here’s how a few women have embraced the “soft life,” and how they’ve redefining their approaches to ambitious pursuits:
Regina Lawless, Author of ‘Do You,’ Founder And CEO of Bossy And Blissful
After 20 years working as the Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Meta’s Family of Apps, Lawless lost her husband of 21 years – the catalyst that would push her to leave her career and pursue a different version of life. In a conversation with Her Agenda, Lawless said her last text from her husband – which said, “Do you babe, don’t worry about anything else” – helped her realize she’d spent her whole life chasing success up the corporate ladder.
“Through my grief journey, I came to realize I had gotten so far away from who I was and ‘doing me,’ what I believe in, what I enjoy that I had lost,” she said. “I’d lost myself.”
Isa Watson, Tech Entrepreneur And Author
When Isa Watson’s father died unexpectedly, the tech entrepreneur was faced with a grief that inspired her to consider whether she’d been neglecting to create meaningful connections in her life outside of social media. Watson told Her Agendathat one of the key lessons she learned through the process is how to refocus on self care.
“I tell people to put one day a week on their calendar and pick a block of time: Thursday night dinners, Saturday morning brunches, that’s friendship time that is blocked out,” she said. “Because the reality is that if we’re not strategic about refilling our tank and being intentional about joy, it’s actually going to drain us, and when we’re drained, it makes it much easier for a lot of those negative thoughts, that ‘not enoughness’ to creep in.”
Esmeralda Baez, Music Executive And Author
Esmeralda Baez has led international business councils, run her own PR firm and has become a two-time best-selling author, but behind her success is a story of transformation and resilience. In a conversation with HerAgenda, Baez shared her health journey and recovery from a stroke-like illness, after which she reevaluated what she was prioritizing in her life.
“I made major changes after that,” she said. “This time around, I wanted to do things a little bit different. I became more appreciative of my time on earth and more appreciative of the people around me.”
