Four Ways Gen Z Gets It Right

With “cozy cardio” and “lazy girl jobs,” we can’t help but wonder if this new generation is ridiculous OR ridiculously genius. Older millennial and writer Elise Cedrone investigates.

Ah, the eternal clash between the seasoned, slightly jaded millennials and the fresh-faced Gen Zers – a cultural tug-of-war that spans everything from memes to life philosophies. I’m an older millennial. An Oregon trail millennial. IYKYK. We may judge Gen Z but we love you. As the quiet older sibling of you, such as those of us who are Xennials, the members of a "micro generation" born between 1977 and 1983- we champion you but also tease some of your questionable choices. We are all about you… except for the tide pod thing. Not sure what happened there.

Quick recap on Millennials and Gen Z: According to Google, anyone born between 1981-1996 is considered a Millennial while 1997-2012 is Gen Z. Some, however, may argue that the quirks of Gen Z are apparent in those baby Millennials.

As proud members of the older millennial crew, we can't help but chuckle at the perceived differences that make our generational gap so apparent and also applaud a few things Gen Z may be getting right. So, take notes as we present a millennial's guide to envy and curiosity where we investigate the intriguing concepts of “Cozy Cardio,” “Lazy Girl Jobs,” “Soft Life,” and a strange notion called boundaries.Have you heard of these things? Me neither.

Lazy Girl Jobs

While the ongoing showdown between the seasoned workforce and the Gen Z newcomers may have escalated into a workplace saga of epic proportions (think clash of titans, only with more memes and less thunderous battle cries) we can actually learn from what we witness out on the battle field. In our heyday, we championed the “Girl Boss” vibes and embraced the hustle culture. The notion of "Lazy Girl Jobs" seemed blasphemous, a betrayal to the blood, sweat, and tears we poured into our careers. However, as we scroll through TikTok (though many of us are more comfortable on Instagram, TBH), witnessing Gen Z redefine success and advocate for work-life balance, it's hard not to admit they've got a point. Perhaps it's time to reassess our grind-centric approach and acknowledge the value of a breather amidst the chaos.

As the fresh-faced Gen Z-ers strut into the professional arena, they're not just bringing their résumés; they're also toting demands for work-life balance and flexibility They have questions on all the things: workplace culture (employers best show don’t tell), environmental concerns, community impact and where does this company see itself in 5-10 years.   Cue the collective gasps from us in the Millennial workforce, who, let's be honest, are mostly happy to get paid with direct deposit and are still trying to decipher the Gen Z lingo and figure out what a VSCO girl is.

Gen Z, in their quest for a life less confined by the shackles of the 9-to-5 grind and with a post COVID remote work surge to back them up, has incurred the raised (and probably overplucked) eyebrows of the elder generations. The Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials, who once proudly championed the virtues of hard work (done from an actual office desk) are now scratching their heads at the audacity of these young upstarts.

Having witnessed the turmoil of the 2008 financial crash (ahem, as in witnessing when most of us Millennials made their debut into the workforce), weathered the storm of a pandemic, and endured mass layoffs, Gen Z-ers aren't exactly gung-ho about the corporate hustle. Some are even taking their grievances to the sacred land of TikTok, bemoaning their desk jobs, and flirting with the idea of "lazy-girl jobs."These positions are characterized by an excellent balance between work and personal life, laid-back supervisors, and reasonable salaries. Individuals in “lazy-girl jobs” prioritize signing off promptly at 5 p.m. and abstaining from responding to emails outside of working hours. These roles typically entail low stress levels and are ideally suited for remote work. Yes, you heard it right – a rebellion against the conventional grind is brewing, one hashtag at a time. Business Insider's Tim Paradis has even suggested that Gen Z is forcing a workplace reckoning by asking whether the old ways of working still make sense today. 

This shift in mindset has triggered a collective sigh from us manning old guard, who grew up believing that success was synonymous with climbing the corporate ladder. I am guilty of workplace judgment: “It’s not like they’re ON vacation, it’s a ‘vacation day’, they can answer my email. What is he like 25? You’re basically a child. Do your time!” Whilst secretly being filled with admiration and a pang of jealousy.

It's like a workplace soap opera, where the characters are divided not by love triangles but by divergent views on hustle culture.

So, as the generational skirmish unfolds, with each side clinging to their ideals and memes as weapons, we can't help but marvel at the spectacle. After all, who knew that the battle for work-life balance would be waged with hashtags and TikTok videos? It's a brave new world out there, and we're just here for the popcorn (and maybe a few snarky comments).

Cozy Cardio and Hot Girl Walks

CrossFit sessions, Mama Beast type boot camps,and protein shakes are our thing. We may scoff at the idea of "Cozy Cardio" and "Hot Girl Walks," which are exactly what they sound like thinking, "How can a leisurely stroll compete with our sweat-inducing, high-intensity hardcore workouts?. A quick Tik Tok search for cozy cardio reveals young women lighting candles and sipping mugged beverages while strolling on a walking pad in front of a movie on tv, at what I can only describe as a snail pace. Meanwhile when I was 25, I was laying on the concrete, reaching for my Redbull [at least it was sugar free?] after being whistled at by my drill sergeant boot camp instructor recovering from an ass-whooping.  

But honestly – there might be something to a more nurturing type of exercise. As we grumble about sore muscles, bad knees, Gen Z is out there, prioritizing physical well-being through gentle exercises and mindful walks. Maybe they're onto something; perhaps our knees, er, I mean, we could use a dose of Cozy Cardio every now and then. Am I envious that they may know about health and wellness at their young age, than I did? Probably. But I do have to remind myself, and you fellow readers- they have a wealth of knowledge literally at their fingertips- whereas we would have had to go to the library, utilize our old pal Dewey Decimal and his system, and look up a book on how to make a green juice. So let’s give ourselves grace, we know more now- and that’s a start. 

Soft Life

Remember the days when being overscheduled and tortured by a packed calendar was a badge of honor? Like every day as a millennial mom, you mean. Gen Z, on the other hand, some may embrace the "Soft Life" – a more laid-back stance that leaves room for self-care and downtime. Totally rejecting the “boss girl” mentality, and aggressively trying to climb the corporate ladder so hard your fingers bleed- not embracing working yourself into permanent fight or flight mode, and fighting for success to the detriment of your own mental and physical health. Basically, everything our age group was taught and learned to glorify.  So, not “hard core” at all.  (This sounds like a no-brainer to me, do we have it wrong?)  While we may scoff at their seemingly carefree attitude, deep down, we envy their ability to prioritize their own mental health over constant productivity. It's a lesson worth learning, even for the most hardcore multitaskers among us.

Boundaries

Gen Z has somehow learned (maybe from embracing therapy?) that if they don’t want to do something ... they don’t have to. Crazy right? Boundaries remain an enigma to much of our generation. A concept akin to “the cloud”, (another mystery), boundaries are commonplace in both the lives and the jargon of the Gen Z crew. Is this the death of the people pleasers? They already know how to set and enforce boundaries- and we are jealous as hell. 

As we playfully untangle the quirks that set millennials and Gen Z apart, it's hard to resist a bit of cheeky banter. We might side-eye your Hot Girl Walks and Lazy Girl Jobs, and boundary laced auto email responses but we will give credit where credit is due.   You’re looking out for yourselves (we can’t hate on that) and you've added a pinch of zest to our millennial melting pot. This writer is curious to sample some of your ways…just a little…a Costco sized sample to start. 

So yes, we may chuckle at your unconventional choices.  Sure, we might bad mouth your work ethic.  We may even turn our noses up at your fashion preferences (I will never wear my socks OVER my leggings).  Our hats are off to the members of Gen-Z for injecting some very unsolicited influence into our tried-and-true millennial scene. Keep on breaking the mold, Gen Z, and we'll be over here, sipping our artisanal coffee and trying to figure out what we can (fake) hate on next.

Elise Cedrone is a nurse, writer and consultant. She’s also a proud older millennial and remembers the simpler times of Oregon Trail, perforated printer paper and when you had to take out library books to learn things. A mom to three boys, she’s open-minded and intrigued by these young kids. Follow her on Instagram @cedronee_lise if you like to laugh and learn.