Both science and common sense tell us that TikTok is not the best place to go for high-quality financial or relationship advice . But you might be seduced by the tips of product manager turned burnout coach Gabriella Flax . Many people have been.
Her viral recommendations for how to regain your energy and sense of agency at work have been shared by millions of people and featured in publications like Upworthy and The New York Post . After all, many of them seem like sensible-sounding ways to cut distractions and save time when you're feeling overwhelmed. Put your phone on focus mode? Sure, plenty of experts suggest that.
Get an automatic feeder bowl for your pet? Why not? Take pictures of things you need to buy at the supermarket so you don't forget them? Clever, I think I'll try it. But as someone who has been writing about what causes burnout and what the latest science suggests you need to overcome it for well over a decade, one central part of her advice strikes me as misguided. In fact, a host of experts (including one Nobel laureate) say you should do the exact opposite.
Flax groups a lot of these tips under one simple, master tip -- if you're feeling burnt out, you need to be more boring . Here's a sample video: Now, I understand what she's getting at here. Burnout makes you exhausted.
If there are areas of your life where petty decisions are creating unnecessary stress, then eliminate those decisions. Mark Zuckerberg used to wear the same type of T-shirt every day for.