Yolo Generation: I am quitting my job and changing my life

If the idea of radically changing your life before the pandemic seemed crazy but now you are asking yourself “why not?”, you should know that you are not alone!

It is actually a very specific phenomenon that experts have called Yolo Economy and that is becoming common in the post-pandemic world, mainly among younger adults – Millennials and Gen-Z in particular. It represents the desire to leave a stable job and the chaos of cities in search of more personal space and a lifestyle more in line with personal desires and inclinations.

A leap into the void: suddenly you feel ready to risk everything.

You may have heard it, about ten years ago, in your mp4 headphones, in a verse by the rapper Drake: ‘You Only Live Once’, acronym: YOLO.

So you only live once, but how did you come to feel this way?

Several studies have shown how the pandemic caused, among Millennials in particular, a form of stress which is called burn-out in its most extreme form. The WHO has classified it as an occupational stress syndrome.

COVID-19 confined many people to their homes, which negatively affected the younger generations in particular. And that is precisely where, between forced smart working and the search for a job that often did not produce the desired results, many started wondering if their lives were really going in the right direction.

The Yolo Generation suffers from anxiety and emotional fatigue, and lives every day feeling they are wasting their time in front of a screen, giving up personal relationships. If this description fits you, it’s not strange that you are beginning to wonder if this is what you really want.

Suddenly, leaving your job doesn’t seem such a big risk and, in the wake of “you only live once”, you start thinking about changing your life completely, imagining a quieter place to live and maybe a new business project.

Yolo generation: poised between emotional fatigue and new opportunities

The pandemic has put a strain on the mental health of many workers and now we are observing and studying the effects in everyday life.

Asking yourself what makes you happy is actually a sign of maturity and courage, an indication that you are putting yourself on the line. Companies are dealing with this phenomenon by reviewing their policies to ensure their employees benefit from greater flexibility, helping them with solutions such as working part time.

So what is the right way to deal with this desire for change? Is it really necessary to leave your permanent position?

Here is some practical advice to more effectively deal with your desire to change:

• Before embarking on a radical job change, talk to your companyto find out if they plan to implement a more flexible policy: this could be an opportunity to find your peace of mind.
• Talk to your friends and family about your wish to change, tell them how you feel and what your projects are: the people you are close to will be able to give you the best inputs to understand how to proceed.
• Gather as much information as possible on how you can develop your projects, talk to people who have already made this big step, carefully analyse the pros and consto make sure you get off to a good start.
• Lastly, try out your passions before investing economically in a project: take part as a volunteer, collaborator or observer in settings similar to the one you would like to create.

If, after following these tips, you are still convinced of your project… “You only live once”, so go ahead!

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