Our coworkers want hookup rooms now?

Hustle culture is baaaaack.

Flashback to 2014: The era of the girl boss, the side-hustle, the “work hard, play hard” mantra, and the in-office keg of cold brew. 

Then came the burnout, the pandemic, the “quiet quitting” trend, and embracing the concept that maybe work didn’t have to be an always-on thing. Right?

Bad news. Hustle culture isn’t just back… it’s bigger than ever. “Productivity-maxxing” is going viral on social. CEOs are loudly bragging about cutting benefits and replacing people with AI. And, for the surviving workforce, the “infinite workday” is an unspoken requirement.  

We’ve seen this before. So let’s not make the same mistakes and end up “revenge quitting” and then “career catfishing” some poor recruiter. 

Here are some strategies for surviving the hustle culture renaissance while protecting your peace… and your paycheck.

• Learn to say “no” the right way. People-pleasing is a fast track to burnout –– and bad for your career. Next time you hear the words “quick favor,” use this one-question test to decide whether it’s worth your energy. 

• Make AI your executive assistant. You already use ChatGPT to write your meeting summaries. Level up by having AI manage calendar invites, copy editing, email prioritization, etc. Here’s a list of tools to try. 

• Book secret buffer time, and then use these five other easy hacks for setting boundaries under the radar.   

• Be strategic about face time. Turn on the Zoom camera. Go to the happy hour. Get to the meeting a few minutes early and chat. Just a little more effort will make you –– and your work –– much more visible. (But warning: Our younger coworkers are taking the face time thing too far.) 

• Take better breaks. Here’s how. Because you deserve more than a fridge cigarette. 

• Get by with help from your friends. When work is weird and life is too much, it’s hard to find time for your people. That's why we're holding a workshop with a therapist to talk through staying close through career shifts, moves, expanding families, and everything in between. Join us by signing up here.

— Anna “I Salute Your OOO” Davies, writer 

Read More

• Why Hustle When ChatGPT Can Do It for You?

• At Least We Can Always Count on the Europeans To Call Out the Crazy

• Are You a Manager? Here Are Some Small Ways To Create a Better Culture

Are lab-grown stones a “huge con”? We’ve entered the name-calling stage of the diamond wars.

When it comes to saving money, who’s better: Men or women?  And… why?

Car insurance premiums are way up in recent years. Here are ten low-lift strategies to lower your bill. We’ll start with #3.

The unemployment rate for Black women is nearly double that of white women… and a potential “red flag” for the economy at large. 

PSA: AI is listening to your pre-meeting small talk… and creating plenty of “yikes” moments in the process.

Interns aren’t holding back when it comes to asking for time off. But would you hit send on this "embarrassingly unprofessional” excuse to skip work?

Think you’re ready for a wildfire, hurricane, or flash flood? This list of lessons from LA wildfire survivors is your new disaster prep manual.

If you think you didn’t get a big enough tip, have you tried just changing it on the receipt?

Stark Industries ... we mean Meta’s latest earnings report has all the makings of a Marvel movie. Kevin Feige, give us a call, we’ve got the storyboard ready…

👽 New villains? Mark Zuckerberg says AI is nearing “superintelligence” (translation: “smarter than humans,” that could theoretically do everything, including “crack the secrets of the universe”), which is not at all ominous.💰Mega comp packages. Meta’s throwing BIG money at the engineers that would create these new robot overlords. 

🏢 Manhattan Project 2.0? The company is spending up to $72B on AI infrastructure within the next few years, with one planned data center boasting an insane footprint.

You have to admit, this is a lot more interesting than the Metaverse.

How many hours do we spend thinking about money per day?

Nothing worse than staring into your fridge at 7 pm and realizing… you’ve got nothing to work with.

It’s time to give meal delivery services another try. Whether you’re cooking for one, feeding a crew, or just trying to eat something green, here are our go-tos — no late-night grocery run required.

Most Effortless:

Factor (starting at $10.99/serving)

Best for: Nutritious meals with zero prep. These dietitian-approved, ready-to-eat meals heat up in minutes and are packed with protein, veggies, and flavor. Great if you’re flying solo or have a household with wildly different food preferences. Bonus: They run frequent promos.

Family-Friendly: 

Hungryroot (prices vary, starting at $9/serving)

Best for: Feeding a household without the chaos. Think of it as a hybrid between grocery delivery and a meal kit. Their detailed quiz tailors the experience to your dietary needs and lets you stock up on both recipes and ready-to-eat staples.

Cook-it-Yourself:

HelloFresh (prices start at $45.96/box or $11.49/serving) 

Best for: People who want to cook but not think about cooking. This OG meal kit keeps things simple with pre-portioned ingredients, clear recipe cards, and meals that are genuinely good. Great for beginners, couples, or anyone wanting to zhuzh up their weeknight routine without meal planning.

Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.

Your landlord gets the rent. You get the rewards. This program — now worth $10.8B — has 4 million-plus members turning points into everything from pilates to plane rides. Yes, really.*

Curious about clothing rental services? To sweeten the deal, Armoire is offering Skimm'rs up to 50% off your first month, plus two free bonus items.

Brooklinen's Big Bath Sale is taking 20% off select bath products and up to 40% off when you bundle. You deserve the fancy towels.