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| It's a challenging time for many workers between job market woes, mass layoffs, and the rise of "hardcore" working culture. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images |
For many employees, the workplace has become more stressful than ever. Companies are embracing AI at a rapid pace, restructuring teams, and rolling out layoffs, all while pushing for higher performance. In this environment, workers who feel disillusioned and overextended are turning to coping mechanisms like “quiet cracking,” a phenomenon where employees try to appear strong but are privately struggling under the weight of burnout.
Adding to the challenge, organizations are now spending less on employee well-being initiatives than they did during the pandemic years. This shift means the responsibility for maintaining health, balance, and resilience is increasingly falling directly on individual employees. In other words, workers must now take proactive steps to manage their own mental, emotional, and physical health while navigating an uncertain job market.
Frank Giampietro, Chief Well-Being Officer for EY Americas, recently shared three practical strategies with Business Insider that can help employees regain a sense of control and preserve their well-being at work. His insights focus on personal empowerment, professional growth, and setting healthy boundaries all of which are essential skills in today’s demanding workplace.
1. Control the Controllables
In a turbulent job market, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by factors outside of your influence whether that’s company layoffs, economic downturns, or rapid advances in artificial intelligence. Giampietro warns that fixating on these uncontrollable factors can drain energy and damage mental health.
Instead, he advises employees to focus their time and attention on what they can control. This might include how they prioritize their daily tasks, how they communicate with their managers, or even how they structure their routines to preserve energy throughout the day. By shifting focus from external uncertainty to internal action, workers can avoid the mental spiral that comes with constant worry.
This approach also aligns with long-standing principles of resilience psychology: when individuals anchor themselves in controllable actions, they experience greater confidence, stability, and peace of mind even during periods of instability.
2. Invest in Your Own Marketability
Another of Giampietro’s key recommendations is to continuously develop your skills and marketability. In his view, workers should treat their professional growth as an ongoing investment, ensuring that their capabilities remain relevant as industries evolve.
This advice is particularly critical as AI and automation reshape the workforce. Employees should consider asking themselves: “Will my current skill set still be valuable in five years? Am I building expertise that will remain relevant as technology changes the landscape?”
Practical steps might include enrolling in professional development courses, seeking mentorship opportunities, expanding into cross-functional projects, or strengthening digital and analytical skills. Not only does this make employees more resilient in the face of layoffs, but it also empowers them to seize new opportunities in a shifting labor market.
As Giampietro puts it: “Make sure you’re investing in your own development and growth. Are you going to have a skill set that’s going to be enduring and that’s going to be valued as AI continues to play a stronger role in the workforce?”
3. Set Boundaries and Protect Work-Life Balance
Perhaps the most time-tested yet hardest-to-practice advice is Giampietro’s third tip: set boundaries to preserve your work-life balance.
Employees today often feel pressured to be available at all hours, blurring the lines between professional and personal life. Over time, this constant accessibility can lead to exhaustion, loss of motivation, and burnout. Giampietro encourages workers to be intentional about what they want out of their careers, and to create boundaries that allow them to thrive at work without sacrificing personal fulfillment.
This could mean communicating clear expectations about availability, learning to say no when workloads become unreasonable, or ensuring that evenings and weekends are reserved for family, rest, and personal interests. By protecting these boundaries, employees not only sustain their productivity at work but also enrich their lives outside of it an essential factor for long-term well-being.
Building Resilience in a Demanding Workplace
While there is no single formula for thriving in today’s workplace, Giampietro’s three strategies controlling the controllables, investing in growth, and setting clear boundaries offer a roadmap for employees seeking to protect their health and remain resilient.
The underlying message is clear: in an era where companies are spending less on employee support and expecting more from their workforce, individuals must take proactive ownership of their well-being. By focusing on what they can influence, continually upgrading their skills, and drawing lines between work and personal life, employees can better navigate uncertainty without sacrificing their health.
