Unlike the generations that came before the gen-Z, this evolved generation seems to know the definition of how to balance it all. The millennials daily get to see a rise in the Gen-Z list of excuses and different perspectives on the ways of doing life, which might just be the key to a better, healthier and mentally fit lifestyle after all.
What started as self-care sundays, days off from university and work, sitting out a family function or event or even attending one to boost happiness on account of poor mental health and tackling stress by prioritising themselves and their boundaries is now a priority. This article further explores how Gen Z have made boundary setting and burnout prevention a top priority.
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Self-Determination and Goal-Oriented Focus
Self-determination is the conditions and the choices a person is in and makes to achieve a better mental well-being and reach their desired goals. The self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan focuses on how humans innately need motivation, whether internal or external, to be able to move forward in life. This, along with the need for growth and personal development, as well as the autonomy to do the same, is essential to grow.
This is what the self-determination theory entails (MSEd, 2024p). In this context, having a goal-oriented focus and bettering mental well-being can be made possible by preventing burnout by strengthening one’s boundaries, and Gen Z has well understood this and is implementing this as a priority after observing the lifestyle, stress, and struggles through social learning from the previous generations, like the millennials and more.
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How do Gen Zs cope with stress?
Amidst the increasing accomplishment standards, work ethics, changing and growing technology, the Gen Z are more likely to be exposed to a pool of information, technology and multiple choices. This can lead to choice overload as well as increased stress, overthinking, anxiety, depression and more, resulting in overall declined mental health.
The Transactional model of stress and coping by Lazarus and Folkman (APA PsycNet, n.d.-e) talks about the coping taxonomy and ways to deal with stress. A few being time management, self-care days, emotions, means of coping, physical exercise and more. To avoid negative and avoidant coping standards and instead pivot to stronger boundaries about one’s emotions, feelings, and capabilities, the genZ can prevent burnout. The conservation theory of resources by Hobfall only elaborates on the same (Egozi Farkash H, Lahad M, 2022).
Work-life Balance and Internal Conflict Management
Work-life balance for the genZ is one of the most important things in today’s unstable and ever-changing economy. Being able to take off days for personal life as well as mental leisure is just as crucial as the hours one spends at work grinding. Being able to set clear boundaries to avoid burnout that comes from long work hours, as well as poor mental and physical health, can be a challenge. Therefore, being clear about one’s open limitations and boundaries helps.
If our elders or people around us have taught us to put work and chores before our sanity, it can result in cognitive dissonance(MSEd, 2025d). Therefore, acting in line with our beliefs and thoughts happens when one sees a clear goal, maintains boundaries like clarity, communication and self-love, it can create wonders, and one can potentially navigate through role conflict well enough (Waheed et al., 2013)
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Recognition of Emotional Labour and response to it
Gen Z has also mastered recognising the difference between actual work and emotional labour. Additionally, Gen Z prioritises detaching from stressful situations, viewing it as boundary-setting rather than just a mental health tactic. They openly seek professional help, improving both their performance and overall well-being in the long run.
Read More: Emotional Labour in the Workplace: The Hidden Cost of Smiling for a Paycheck
Conclusion
Overall, this generation values assertiveness and resilience, prioritising well-being and mental health above all. This is made possible by having stronger personal boundaries and reducing burnout by actually prioritising these in your daily life.
To conclude this article, the ability to have stronger boundaries and a more goal-oriented focus makes them more self-determining. Their ability to recognise what is true work versus what is the toll it takes on them converted to emotional labour exchange their chances of setting and building better boundaries. Followed by their ways of coping with stress, including work-life management, self-care days and feeling less of FOMO and rather more of recuperative actions to reduce burnout overall. These ways of coping with stress, as well as a balanced boundaries-filled lifestyle, lead to GenZs having stronger prioritised boundaries and less burnout.
FAQs
1. How are Gen Z prioritising boundaries?
The Transactional model of stress and coping by Lazarus and Folkman (APA PsycNet, n.d.-e) talks about the coping taxonomy and ways to deal with stress. A few being time management, self-care days, emotions, means of coping, physical exercise and more. To avoid negative and avoidant coping standards and instead pivot to stronger boundaries about one’s emotions, feelings, and capabilities, the genZ can prevent burnout.
2. What leads to lesser burnout?
Work-life balance for the genZ is one of the most important things in today’s unstable and ever-changing economy. Being able to take off days for personal life as well as mental leisure is just as crucial as the hours one spends at work grinding. Being able to set clear boundaries to avoid burnout that comes from long work hours, as well as poor mental and physical health, can be a challenge. Therefore, being clear about one’s open limitations and boundaries helps.
3. How does prioritising mental health affect emotional labour?
The Gen Z have been seeming to master well the mere recognition of what is actual work and labour, and how much of it is emotional labour. This helps make Gen make it a priority to detach themselves from stressful situations that are more than just a tactic for better mental health, but more of a boundary-setting attempt.
References +
MSEd, K. C. (2024p, July 18). Self-Determination Theory in Psychology. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-determination-theory-2795387
APA PsycNet. (n.d.-e). https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-19288-021
Egozi Farkash H, Lahad M, Hobfoll SE, Leykin D, Aharonson-Daniel L. Conservation of Resources, Psychological Distress, and Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Public Health. 2022 Aug 31;67:1604567. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604567. PMID: 36119444; PMCID: PMC9472268.
Waheed, A., Malik, S., Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan, & Lecturer, (Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. (2013). Impact of Role Conflict, Role Balance on General Well-Being with Students Who Work. In IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (JHSS) (Vol. 6, Issue 4, pp. 26–30). https://www.iosrjournals.org
MSEd, K. C. (2025d, January 27). Cognitive dissonance and the discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-dissonance-2795012
MSEd, K. C. (2020, April 9). What is ego depletion? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/ego-depletion-4175496
What is psychological detachment? (n.d.). Monitask. https://www.monitask.com/en/business-glossary/psychological-detachment
