‘Work feels meaningless’: Gen Z employee opens up about burnout and lost motivation

SINGAPORE: In Singapore, there is a growing number of young workers who have been voicing out their concerns about not being motivated to work anymore. For some, it may be burnout. For others, it may be a question deeply related to one’s purpose and meaning in life.

On Reddit, a Gen Z netizen curiously asked: “How do you guys motivate yourself to keep working?” 

In the post, the netizen admitted that everything seems to be meaningless and that he/she does not really look forward to what life has to offer anymore. 

“Maybe part of it is because I’ve gone through quite a few hurdles in life, and they’ve changed the way I look at things. Seeing how fragile and unpredictable life can be has made me question what I’m even working so hard for,” the netizen claimed. 

He/she added: “I’m honestly quite lost. I don’t know whether I need to change my mindset, find a different career, or just accept that work is something we have to do to fund the life we actually care about.”

With this, many netizens shared their thoughts, opinions, and own experiences in the comments section. Many people stated that it is enough to have a job in this economy, and that a person’s ordinary dull life is someone else’s dream. 

One netizen shared: “Most days, I just don’t feel like going to work, but I drag myself to work and do what I need to do. Rely on discipline or habits, not motivation.” 

“When you feel improvements in whatever you do, you will feel like doing more. Focus on something you feel like you have an edge or a strong interest in. Then do so much and hate it till you get good. Then this sense of motivation kicks in naturally,” another netizen admitted. 

For some people, the state of the economy nowadays is what motivates them to work and earn money to survive. One more netizen remarked that people should have something to do after or outside of work that they pay for to give them motivation and reason to earn money. 

“We wanna do meaningful jobs. Or jobs that have meaning for us. I guess you may not find your job meaningful. Most jobs aren’t. People find distractions to keep themselves going. Like funding their obsession with holidays, material stuff, bubble tea, etc., silly stuff— but these are what keeps the sheep going,” a netizen further added. 

“The answer to the meaning of life is not some destination out there you are trying to get to. It’s in your actions, day after day,” a comment concluded. 

This thread did not offer a single ‘fix’ for people to have motivation to work. In reality, staying motivated depends on what people want as the outcome of what they do. For some, it is staying close to their passions and gaining achievements such as promotions, but for others, it is the small, daily choices that keep them going every single day to live.