Women & the Workplace
How Do the Lazies Navigate the Labour Market?
Dear Lazies,
As we soak in the final days of spring and embrace the arrival of summer, we invite you to immerse yourself in an exploration of the challenges, triumphs and unique experiences of women and the workplace.
From the pressures to succeed young to the glorification of productivity culture, we’re shedding some light on the strains and challenges in today’s working world, together with a round-up of our newest articles and upcoming events (looking at you Paris!).
Brought together by our incredible contributors and thoughtfully curated to inspire fresh perspectives, it offers something for every Lazy Woman. We wish you a happy reading!
Your Lazies
Fresh on Lazy Women!
BUSTING THE SUCCESS MYTH TO OVERCOME OUR OBSESSION WITH PRODUCTIVITY
What does 'not having it all' look like to you? 🌟 Can we redefine the idea of success in a culture that tells us to hustle, hustle, hustle? 🚀 In order to break free from the 'achievement trap', which @emmagannonuk explores both on a macro and micro scale, we need to take a step back, slow down and think about what we’re really doing all this for – and consider doing it a different way.
Read Lazy Lauren's reflection inspired by Emma Gannon's latest book, The Success Myth. 📖
ELLI INGRAM – STICKING AROUND FOR YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS
Meet Elli Ingram - an independent singer and songwriter whose voice, energy and lyrics take you on a deeply personal, emotionally raw and joyful ride.
We were lucky to talk to @elliingram at the very start of her Plan A tour, right before the release of her sophomore album Bad Behaviour. Reflecting on her journey so far, we talked about hustle, the pressure to conform, the value of rest, her artistic process and more!
HOW DOES OBJECTIFICATION AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
On the occasion of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, Lazy Viola explored how objectification affects our mental health, arguing for the necessity to apply feminist lens to mental health discussions.
Monthly Deep-Dive
CAN YOU BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT ONE TRUE CALLING? A JILL OF ALL TRADES INVESTIGATES
From the moment we are young enough to imagine a job, we are asked: what do you want to be when you grow up? In Lazy Eszter’s piece, we learn about "multipotentialities,” and how we can live rich and diverse lives without one true calling.
WHAT’S THE RUSH? THE PRESSURE TO SUCCEED YOUNG
Read Lazy Napsu’s article to discover how she explores millennials' expectations and anxieties towards careers, education and status while explaining how to cope with comparisons and internalised pressures to succeed.
RECLAIMING THE LAZY: WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE GLORIFICATION OF PRODUCTIVITY
Why do we crave productivity? Is it a quality that everyone – men and women – can equally achieve? Check out Lazy Zsofi's article to uncover her discussion around laziness, productivity, and everything in between.
SETTING OUR PRETTY LITTLE FEET ON THE PITCH
Female footballers have been, for too long, confined to the bench. Despite delivering results just as well as (and sometimes even better than) male players, female players hardly ever receive the acknowledgement or praise they deserve. Lazy Thaís discusses how it is high time to end gender inequalities in professional football.
Lazy Call: Testimonies on Working as a Woman
“It's difficult to truly comprehend what motherhood will be like until you become a mother. Even though I had read many books, talked to friends and endlessly searched online, I wasn't prepared for what was to come. Not just the difficulties of looking after a new-born - of which there are many - but also all the feelings that come with taking on this new title: a Mother.
One of the fears that I’m now having is about what happens when I go back to work. Taking time off to be with my baby has been incredible. But at the back of my mind, there’s a worry that as a freelancer journalist, I’ll lose my work because I've been out of the market for so long. I’m also having conflicting feelings about handing my baby over to look after while I work - something I’ll need to deal with very soon.
For now, I’m navigating a whole new way of being: somewhere between productivity and laziness. These past few weeks, I have been in this odd place where I’ve felt incredibly productive but also incredibly lazy. Productive because I’m taking care of a new life and my body is producing milk to feed my baby and provide her with whatever nutrients she needs. It’s also been recovering from 9 months of pregnancy and a painful delivery. But I've also felt incredibly lazy, with hours spent on the sofa watching TV or playing videogames, nap-trapped under my new-born who doesn't sleep unless she’s held. It’s a strange situation to navigate, but I’m learning.”
Written by Lazy Selin
“…As a Gen Z woman who graduated a bit later than her peers, I had an image in my head of where I would like to work and with what kind of people. As a first-generation graduate, I was promised to be paid well and have a nice work-life balance in a hip office with a gym, a friendly community and fruit Mondays. So when I faced the reality stated above (that also included fruit Mondays), I felt destroyed - which probably led to my burnout. When I decided to quit, I refused to sacrifice my mental stability to an employer. When I told my boss that I did not want to carry his heavy personal items to the post office and got fired, I refused to let myself be exploited further. When I said no to unrealistic expectations, unfair job conditions, black work, highly underpaid positions, or shady employees, I stood up for myself…”
This is a citation from an article. Stay tuned and keep an eye on lazywomen.com for the whole piece coming out in the next few days.
Written by Lazy Dorina
Reality check ☑️
Do you constantly compare yourself to others and feel like you're lagging behind? You’re not the only one. We love this life checklist as a small reminder of how much we have already accomplished! And if your FOMO is too real, check out where your day actually goes and perhaps carve out more time for fun (and much-needed laziness)!
It's not me, it's the system 🔥
Struggling with imposter syndrome and anxiety, or feeling like you do not belong at work? Systemic issues might be to blame! Harvard Business Review challenges the narrative that imposter syndrome is solely an individual's problem but rather a common coping mechanism for those who are undervalued and overlooked at work. As they say: “Women do not need more tips on how to feel more confident; they need to be valued and recognized for their contributions." We can only agree!
If you prefer audio, Ashley Milne-Tyte’s Broad Experience runs through all the main challenges women face at work, leaving you feeling enlightened and less alone. Because as we all know, “women’s experiences at work can be challenging, rewarding, and downright ugly – sometimes in the same week.” And if you still need a little confidence boost, then tune in to Kara Loewentheil UnF*ck Your Brain, helping us overcome negative social conditioning and self-critical thoughts!
Going deeper 📚
Interested in learning more about our monthly topic? You can start with McKinsey’s illuminating (and slightly enraging) Women in the Workplace analysis or Joeli Brearley’s Pregnant then Screwed for all the Lazies currently planning or on their maternity leave. And if you would rather imagine a future without work, then “antiwork feminism” could be your gem! We suggest complimenting it with The Lazy Report on the importance of laziness (not only) in the creative industries or the analysis of specific struggles of female artists (Hungarian-only). And if you’re shivering while reading this, even that is the fault of the patriarchy!
Good vibes only 🎧
Stuck in a rut? These tunes will get you going! Our monthly playlist, brought to you by our one and only Lazy Zsofi.
Community sharing ✒️
How do you unwind after work? Hit reply to share your tips for everyday laziness!
Intersectional feminism, rest and remuneration: can voluntary work meaningfully tackle traditional power structures?
Did you ever wonder how we can apply feminist principles to the realities of paid and unpaid work? And how we can use rest and remuneration to create structural change? In this episode, Lazy Lauren talks to Ellie Sugden, co-founder of Our Generation for Inclusive Peace (OGIP) - a grass-roots, youth-led organisation founded on feminist principles. Lauren and Ellie dig deep into how feminism is applied in OGIP’s day-to-day and what it means to do such important work on a voluntary basis.
From how women engage in voluntary labour in capitalist structures to the importance of remuneration and finding space for rest, the conversation covers how to fit unpaid work into the daily realities and financial struggles, while still making time for necessary laziness.
Music Credits: Sophie M’ (Dorottya Ács and Pál Zwickl)
Image Credits: Eszter Zwickl & Selen Sarikaya
Join the Lazies for a little get-together in Paris on Saturday 10 June from 16:30 and get to know our community and founders better over some snacks and booze by the Seine!
Whether you’re a local or new to Paris, this could be your chance to make some new friends and to join an open-minded, English-speaking community with feminist values.
Our meet-ups provide an informal, friendly and safe space for likeminded lazies to chat and make valuable connections. You can come and go as you wish, and pets and babies are of course very much welcome too!!
Please sign up to this free event here: https://www.helloasso.com/.../eve.../lazy-women-paris-picnic
See you all very soon!
In April, Zsofi and Dorina were invited by the Finnish Institute in Budapest to hold a workshop as part of Finnagora’s Women & Workplace full-day event organised on the occasion of Invisible Labour Day. The seminar aimed to help women overcome the structural barriers they encounter in the workplace. Within that, Lazy Women’s workshop looked at the topic of imposter syndrome and why aren’t we, as women, aiming higher.
The two Lazies had a fantastic time meeting a very diverse group of women, discovering different aspects of confidence deficit in connection with womanhood, and talking to other invitees such as Anni Martinnen, a feminist economist from Finland and the keynote speaker of the event. Find out more about the results of the Lazy Workshop here!
And now, let’s hear more from Dorina about how she felt during the event:
“It was a special experience how women from different age groups, professions and places could all relate to a core problem we face at the workplace: the patriarchy. While we tried to keep our focus on the systematic nature of the issue, I myself fell back to individualizing the solutions to the problem which would hardly ever be effective. It made me think about how strong our awareness should be in order to change the system and why we need others to think radically differently as well.”
If you’re keen to read more about the topic of how the patriarchy is running your confidence, and how the traditional workplace is often designed in a way that exclusively benefits men, check out Zsofi’s reading list on the topic.
Lazy Women on tour!
Our wonderful illustrator, Juli Jásdi, is currently participating in the Break Fellowship program so we asked her about her expectations and initial thoughts:
LW: Why did you decide to apply for the fellowship?
JJ: I’ve wanted to become a freelance illustrator for too long now, but I just couldn’t find the right moment to jump into the entrepreneurial adventure. But too many signs have led me to follow my calling. This February, I left my good old job and I started to believe that this business accelerator program can push me towards my professional and personal goals. I’m eternally grateful to Lazy Women for helping me get through the application process. This in itself helped me a lot in understanding how life can just sort itself out if you simply open your eyes. I started to bring an open mindset to whatever journey comes my way.
LW: Has the program fulfilled your expectations so far?
JJ: Yes, but in a surprising way. I thought they’d focus on start-ups or more mature companies, so I worried that I might not understand this new world. Well, I was so wrong. The mentoring sessions were tailored enough and filled with so many insights, so finally, I’ll be able to start working on my business model. And well, here comes a little *spoiler alert*. The program offers an opportunity to go to Spain for a month to work on a local challenge with fellows, experts, and locals. It’s such an adrenaline boost, not knowing where you’ll be in the next few weeks together with 13 strangers. I have to say that this program has given me so much already on so many levels and I am so thankful for the Lazies, the organisers, my amazing fellow breakers, and for myself that this dream, that I finally started to believe in, actually becomes real.
Illustrated by Eszter Noémi Zwickl
Created by Lazy Lucie, Lazy Sterre, Lazy Lucy & Lazy Dorina
Edited by Lazy Zsofi