Alternatives to ‘Lazy Girl’ Jobs

By Megan-Dalla Camina

On the surface, it’s hard not to admire the ‘Lazy Girl Job’ phenomenon. Clapping back at toxic workplace expectations and sticking to a balanced work and life paradigm should be on every woman’s ‘to do’ list in 2024, right?
But what if this cult trend isn’t actually the cure to burnout it claims to be? What if women are just buying into a fad that holds us back from actually feeling happy at work and in life?
Created as a way to deal with workplace stress, bad managers and even boredom from unrealised potential, the reality is that these viral anti work tips and hints do very little to improve job satisfaction among women. 
The problem with a ‘Lazy Girl Job’ is that it can quickly spiral from feeling in ‘control’ at work, to realising you’ve lost your career purpose and passion altogether.
Few women in Australia are actually happy at work. In fact, data from The Women Rising Voice of Women at Work Report, shows that less than eight per cent of women feel as though they are thriving in their job. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
While actively choosing a ‘Lazy Girl Job’ may feel like the antidote to work stress now, I urge women to not head into 2024 with a plan to short circuit their career and personal objectives.
If you were considering taking a ‘Lazy Girl Job’ in 2024, do this instead:

Tip #1: Find your joy, and your purpose

Work occupies such a significant portion of our lives, so finding joy and purpose in a job is crucial to our overall wellbeing and happiness. While sometimes, it may seem difficult to find that spark in a work environment, I promise it’s not impossible. 
A job doesn’t have to be your lifelong passion, but aligning your work with your interests can make a big difference to your happiness and finding your purpose in your role. If you’re not in a role right now that aligns with your passion, is there a way you can craft your job so you can incorporate more of what interests you? 
Could you pursue your passion in small ways alongside your current job? Consider what activities or tasks bring you the most satisfaction and see how you can incorporate them into your work. 
In finding the joy and your purpose at work, it’s also important to set clear, meaningful goals that feel achievable. When you reach your goals, no matter how small, it can set you on a clear path to feeling fulfilled in your career. 
Finally, and importantly, prioritise rest. While a ‘Lazy Girl Job’ may be the extreme example of this, it is important to balance your work life with personal time in order to maintain joy at work. 

Tip #2: Manage your manager

One of the most important relationships you need to manage at work, is the one you have with your manager. We know that a good relationship with your boss is vital to your ability to feel engaged and succeed at work. 
A key factor that can contribute to you having a positive connection with your manager, is your ability to manage up effectively. Learning to manage up is a powerful way to have more agency in your career. When done well, it allows you to be clearer with your priorities and expectations, keeps the line of communication between you and your manager open and gives you a chance to collaborate and negotiate.
It will also ensure your manager is across your achievements, so you can be recognised and rewarded for your work.

Tip #3: Tame your inner critic

Most of us are quite familiar with the inner critic. It’s those nagging thoughts and the negative self-talk that tells us we’re not good enough, and can make us spiral into self-doubt. 
To tame your inner critic, you need to identify the negative ‘story’ you’re listening to internally (i.e., I’m not smart enough or I don’t deserve to be here). Then, challenge this by asking yourself if it really is true? 
The goal in challenging our stories is not to delude ourselves with untruths. It’s to find equally plausible explanations and to tune in to how each alternative causes us to think, feel, and act. Then, we can consciously choose to invest our energy in the stories that leave us feeling more genuinely confident.
Once you’ve found an alternative story that has you feeling more confident and empowered, listen to that ‘story’ instead. A helpful thing to know when it comes to taking action in taming your inner critic, is that what’s more important than believing in your abilities, is the belief you can improve them.

Tip #4: Get a sponsor 

Relationships are one of the most important factors in our careers. Yet they are also one of the things that we invest in least. 
A key relationship that can provide significant support in your career is a sponsor.
A sponsor is someone who goes in to bat for you. This could mean advocating for you to get assigned to a hot project or landing a promotion, helping you with visibility and political currency, ensuring you are on the succession bench for career making roles, or speaking positively about you when you’re not in the room.  
Your current sponsor could be your immediate boss, a former manager, a peer you worked with who has moved to another part of the business or outside the company, a current or former client, or a more senior leader who sees political or brand capital in supporting or being aligned to you.  
Leveraging your current sponsor is a great place to start in building your career and amplifying your personal brand currency. Once you have identified them, ensure that they know what your career aspirations are, how they can support you, and what you can do for them in return.  

Tip #5: Manage burnout 

Burnout has become a modern day epidemic and is an alarmingly common occurrence in workplaces that are increasingly fast-paced, complex and demanding. Not only that, but technology has significantly blurred the lines between home life and work life, making it much harder to switch off in any meaningful way.
The good news is that it’s preventable. If you can learn to spot the signs that you could be headed towards burnout, you can course correct before it’s too late.
Here are some simple ways to help manage burnout, and stay engaged in your career. 

• Recognise the warning signs: Be familiar with physical, mental, emotional, and behavioural signs of burnout.
• Identify and manage stressors: Reflect on stress-inducing situations and set boundaries to manage or alleviate them.
• Manage stress responses: Learn to complete the stress cycle through activities like breathing, positive social interaction, laughter, meditation, affection, crying, and creativity.
• Build resilience and wellbeing: Invest in intentional wellbeing and resilience. Practice gratitude, focus on positive emotions, learn new things, manage energy, prioritise sleep, nourish the body, engage in regular physical activity, practice mindfulness and meditation, and foster positive relationships.

About the author: With two decades of corporate leadership with IBM, GE, and PwC, and a unique blend of academic rigour and wisdom teachings, Megan’s personal journey navigating male-dominated arenas, battling burnout, and seeking authenticity sparked the creation of Women Rising. This year alone Megan has been recognised as B&T’s ‘Woman of the Year’ and ‘Mentor of the Year’. 
Additionally, Megan was a founding implementation leader with the Human Rights Commissioner in the Male Champions of Change, holds two Masters degrees (Business Management from Macquarie Business School and Wellness & Positive Psychology from RMIT) and is a best-selling author.  This is an opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of this publication.