
Recently Deloitte made the Global Survey<sup>[1](#additional-reading)</sup> which explores the views of more than 27,500 Millennials and Gen Zs about their stress level, attitude towards remote work, individual responsibility, pandemic, and other topics.

In the article, I'd like to share some most important insights into the survey and my opinion about them because understanding the views of our generation regarding different topics might help to understand the direction we are going to go.

## Table of contents

- Part 1. [Remote 2.0 (The changing nature of work)](#remote-20-the-changing-nature-of-work)
- Part 2. [Decentralization](#decentralization)
- Part 3. [Stress and Personal Anxieties](#stress-and-personal-anxieties)
- Part 4. [Individual Responsibility](#individual-responsibility)
- [Additional Reading](#additional-reading)

## Remote 2.0 (The changing nature of work)

The survey among 27,500 respondents shows that 2/3 of millennials and Gen Zs would like to have an option to work remotely. I must admit that I personally also notice the tendency across a lot of IT specialists on social networks, conferences and discussions started to speak about challenges and opportunities that remote work brought to us. As you can see from the charts below respondents say that remote work relieves their stress and enables a better work/life balance.

![Survey on remote working](/images/blog/remote-chart.png)

Although remote work has some challenges (going to write about it in near future, so [subscribe](https://t.me/oganisyancom) to blog to stay tuned ^\_^), I think the post-pandemic world is going to be remote-friendly and need to start to bring some best-practices how to resolve issues like asynchronous chatting, online meetings, human communication, etc.

At the same time, companies like Twitter announced that they are going to have remote-first (keeping office spaces too) approach even after pandemic so in near future we might have examples of remote-friendly environments even among companies with more than 4 thousand employees.

This is the challenge for a lot of businesses because now they should change their management practices. And if in "previous" world it was easier to have things done just because humans are able to self-organize, in remote-first environment companies will face issues connected to their processes and management.

## Decentralization

Past decades have created centralized environments near big cities like New York, Moscow, Shanghai, and regions like Silicon Valley. It makes impossible for us to live outside of the big cities and work with the best companies, universities and on the projects. Hence people started to leave small countries and towns and the difference between the strongest of the world and others. Employers also face issues connected to abnormal salaries and competition among specialists in those big cities and regions. Companies are also unable to reach the best professionals because of the territorial location (and vice verse).

For now, the survey shows that more than half of respondents would prefer to live outside of a major city in case of opportunity to work remotely. And if businesses start to give such an opportunities I guess in the near future we are going to see the decentralization of the world and tons of specialists, companies, and universities all over the world will be able to cooperate.

## Stress and Personal Anxieties

Another important topic is stress and anxieties. Survey shows that almost 50% of all millennials and Gen Zs facing daily stress and the main reasons for anxieties are family welfare, financial future and job/career prospects, social networks (FOMO), and many others. In my opinion, one of the main tasks of Gen Z is to improve the ways we handle our stress in the world where one needs to consume more information that he can ever handle.

![Stress and Personal Anxieties](/images/blog/stress.png)

For now, I'd recommend to read more about [concentration and flow mode](top-apps-for-concentration/) and try to apply them into daily life.

## Individual Responsibility

Events across the whole world: debates regarding constitutional changes in Russia, #blacklivesmatter movement in the USA, and many others showing us that people in the post-pandemic world are started to realize the importance of individual responsibility. People started to sympathize with the needs of others and most importantly the needs of themselves.

The chart below shows that a lot of people were inspired to make positive changes in their life after the pandemic.

![Personal Responsibility](/images/blog/responsibility.png)

Sadly, we still need tragic events like COVID-19 to start thinking on topics like individual responsibility, sympathy and wishes to change the environment that we live in. Anyway, I hope that at least these events will make us be more responsible for our lives.

### Additional Reading

Below you can find a link to the actual survey. I'd recommend to give some time and explore it.

Source:
[Deloitte Millennial and Gen Z survey](https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/millennialsurvey.html)


In the article, I'd like to share some most important insights of the Deloitte's survey which explores the views of more than 27,500 millennials and Gen Zs and my opinion about them.

The changing nature of future


Nowadays, when consuming information is so easy, it's become almost impossible to keep yourself concentrated even an hour without being distracted. Being able to work in a focus mode is the primary goal of every person who wants to be productive and avoid attacks of anxiety.

## Table of contents

- Part 1. [The Flow Mode](#part-1-the-flow-mode)
- Part 2. [Applications](#part-2-applications)
- Part 3. [Notifications](#part-3-notifications)
- [Literature](#literature)

## Part 1. The flow mode

The flow mode (or focused mode, or deep work) is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity <sup>[1](#literature)</sup>.

ℹ️ You can find additional information about the concept in the [literature](#literature) section.

> “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” ~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

For now, let's talk about different tools that may help you to keep this flow mode.

## Part 2. Applications

In this part, I'd like to share applications that helped me to keep focused mode on by taking the "massive attack" of distractions.

ℹ️ Note, you don' t need to use all mentioned applications together, just choose the ones that fit for you. However, I highly recommend giving a chance to all of them. After some time you'll start to see their positive influence.

### Pocket

❗️Availability - [Web](https://getpocket.com/) / [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pocket-save-read-grow/id309601447) / [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideashower.readitlater.pro) / [Browser Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/save-to-pocket/niloccemoadcdkdjlinkgdfekeahmflj?hl=en)

> Pocket allows you to save the information and read it later. When you find something you want to view later, put it in Pocket.

![pocket-app-image](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6e/06/05/6e06055fd7702f8e9b458b296087f475.png)

So now you won't be jumping forth and back every time you see an article worth reading. Just save to pocket (one click) without fears that you might miss important stuff.

### The 20-second rule

❗️Availability - [Browser Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/the-20-second-rule/mlonnhlhamjoopabmomhbdlddiomojpp?hl=en)

> Application that enables you to make distracting sites 20 seconds harder to reach by showing you loader 🔄

This extension will give you 20 seconds gap to fully realize whether you want to continue browsing to the site or not. You will have to just add distracting apps to the list.

### Blank page

❗️Availability - [Browser Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/empty-new-tab-page/dpjamkmjmigaoobjbekmfgabipmfilij)

> With this extension, new tabs display a blank page instead of the usual new tab page with thumbnails

"Blank Page" will help you to avoid opening "another important social network" every time you see it on your favorites list cause now you can see only a blank page.

### Tabsets

❗️Availability - [Browser Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tabsets/ifohmndbcefggppiblfofpbkmdfmeing?hl=en)

> Stores sets of tabs for later viewing

Tabsets helps you to avoid keeping tons of different tabs at the same time by saving them into structured named folders.

### Haze Over

❗️Availability - [MacOS](https://hazeover.com/)

> This app automatically highlights the front window by fading out all the background windows

Haze Over will give you an opportunity to focus on the one tab so your attention won't be taken away.

## Part 3. Notifications

> If you want to remember just one thing from this article, then here it is: "Mute all (no, I'm not kidding, ALL) notifications".

I have dedicated an independent chapter for the "Notifications" to make clear its importance.

From my point of view, the role of notifications is underestimated. They are unnoticeable but very dangerous so I recommend to start following them and you'll understand how often they are distracting from important tasks. My advice is turning them off (in case of messengers, mute almost all chats).

🚫 If you have a fear of missing out, I'd recommend to create routine tasks to check notifications every couple of hours in a bunch. You'll be notified about everything without moving attention to the phone every time some shitty advertisers consider you as their target.

Thanks for attention, be healthy and focused.

## Literature

1. [The flow mode - Wikipedia](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)>)
2. "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" — Mihalyi Czikszentmihalyi

3. "Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World" — Cal Newport

4. "Путь Джедая" — Максим Дорофеев


About flow mode and the tools which may help you to keep this mode on!

The Flow Mode


_“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that”. (Lewis Carroll)_

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In 1865 Lewis Carroll wrote that we need to run _twice as fast as we can_ just to go anywhere in Wonderland. More than 150 years of intensive scientific and technological progress turn the IT industry into the new Wonderland. As a result instead of the paradise on Earth, we got burnouts, crashed work-life balances, and infinite threads of holy wars regarding new programming frameworks and languages. I think that we got into the trap of Wonderland where consuming matters more than creating.

In the article, I want to discuss the main problems of the so-called Wonderland and will try to propose a solution and a new way of existence in the IT world. So, wear masks, and let's dive deep into this land!

### Burnout

As I have mentioned earlier, in the new circumstances the only way to progress is to adopt "study harder, work longer, and never give up" paradigm. Surely, this paradigm might make you feel happy and fulfilled in the short-term cause you will start to see how quickly your skills are improving by mastering different technologies, but in the long-term, you won't be able to follow "running faster" approach because of the rhythm. Your health [won't be able](https://tonsky.livejournal.com/317265.html) to continue this kind of life and you will start to feel depression and burnout.

To dig deeper into different approaches to being motivated, productive, and healthy, I will recommend starting understanding the ways your organism (especially brain) works. I'd recommend to from my article about [learning and management](../self-management-tips/) and then give some time to ["Learning how to Learn"](https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn/) course on Coursera.

### The lack of work-life balance

Nowadays it's quite popular to forget about life by placing work at the center of life. Similarly to burnout, in the short term, you will get a better job and portfolio, increased salary, while in the long-term you can get ruined life and relationships.

The one thing some might understand is that the quality of the ability to work mostly depends on your life. To avoid being trapped in the 'hard work pays off' paradigm try to alternate the periods when you are working hard and getting rest by planning it before important projects and deadlines. Make sure that after some time of exhausting projects you can get enough rest.

### Holy wars about "yet another framework"

The topic that drives me crazy is infinite wars about the next important technology which is going to change the way we <del>live</del> write code. The stories of successful companies show us that stack doesn't matter, that different languages, frameworks, and paradigms can create projects that customers love.

By holy warring about the next great framework, we're moving important things like customer satisfaction, performance _(still regretting that I used gatsby for blog)_ and security to the background of our attention.

So next time, when you start to discuss the next revolutionary thing, try to answer can it bring valuable improvements <del>to your cv</del> for customers.

### Think Different

In my opinion, the only way to break the chains of burnout is to start doing stuff differently because as we can see previous paradigms of life showed us their unsustainability.

By differently I mean to stop putting ourselves in the position of a squirrel trapped in a wheel where we are working hard to have abilities and skills to work more without any goals.

By differently I mean to follow examples of the people who built the Wonderland for us and their principles were: inventing, exploring, and building stuff.

By differently I mean to get out of the wheel and start to explore and build stuff that might encourage our interest.

The video below may help to understand the idea better:

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  className="rounded-md grow w-full"
  style={{ maxWidth: 560 }}
  width="560"
  height="315"
  src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GEPhLqwKo6g"
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  allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"
  allowFullScreen
/>

## Additional Materials

- [Steve Jobs at MIT](https://youtu.be/Gk-9Fd2mEnI)
- [Как устроена IT-столица мира / Russian Silicon Valley (English subs)](https://youtu.be/9lO06Zxhu88)


My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that. (Lewis Carroll)

😈 Unpopular opinion. Ep 1

Ep 1: React Sucks

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