What Gen Z Gets Right About Burnout and Urgency
Your phone buzzes at 10:47 PM. The subject line says “URGENT.”
You tell yourself you’ll just check it “real quick.” But before you know it, your heart’s racing, your jaw’s tight, and your brain is back in fight-or-flight. Sound familiar?
I recently read an interesting Washington Post article about how Gen Z is pushing back against the “everything’s an emergency” mindset at work.
One line hit me hard: “It’s PR, not the ER.” That’s not cynicism, that’s clarity.
And maybe it’s the wake-up call every generation needs.
The Culture of False Urgency
Many of us, especially high achievers, have been conditioned to treat every email, meeting, and request like a crisis.
We call it commitment, but it’s really conditioned urgency, anxiety disguised as ambition.
When everything feels urgent, nothing is meaningful. We stay trapped in a loop of performance and panic, constantly proving our worth through motion.
But here’s the truth: if you live in emergency mode long enough, your body forgets what peace feels like.
What Gen Z Is Teaching Us
Gen Z isn’t lazy. They’re awake. They’re setting boundaries and rejecting the idea that exhaustion equals excellence. They’re choosing balance over burnout, purpose over panic.
And maybe that’s what the rest of us need to remember, that slowing down isn’t losing your edge. It’s how you sharpen it.
When you stop reacting to every “urgent” thing, you create space for what truly matters: deep work, clarity, and sustainable growth.
Reclaiming Your Power from Panic
The next time your phone buzzes, pause.
Ask yourself: Is this truly urgent — or just familiar chaos?
You’ll be surprised how often the world keeps spinning when you choose to breathe first.
Because your worth isn’t measured by how fast you respond, but by how intentionally you live. When you stop chasing false urgency, you start living from clarity.
That’s where peace and real success begins.
Reflect
What’s one “false emergency” you’ve noticed this week?
Want to Go Deeper?
If you’re ready to pause, reflect, and start rewriting your definition of success on your own terms:
Download a free chapter of my book, Success Starts Within, and learn how to reclaim your energy and create success that actually feels good: Click here to download
P.S. Ready to explore how I can help your team reduce burnout? Click here to learn more
Chazz Scott | Resilience & Sustainable Performance Expert | Founder, Supra Mentem Consulting | Author of Success Starts Within
Creator of the Rise & Reclaim Blueprint™ – Helping professionals and teams break free from burnout, boost retention, and build success that actually feels good.
