Apple taught me how to own my work and care more about who's using the products I work on. I worked there in my sophomore year from May 2024 to August 2024 as an intern. It was a great experience, and it really aligned with my original motivation for getting into software engineering: to make things that people can use and help them in everyday life.
I would routinely stay up late watching TV or reading in bed and say yes to dinners that started long after nightfall. My relationship with mornings was casual-I'd occasionally enjoy a sunrise but I certainly never set an alarm to see one. Then I had children, whose needs demanded an early start, and I spent years stumbling out of bed at their first sounds, making breakfast, and building block towers before I'd fully woken up.
I grew up in Anhui Province, China, and earned my bachelor's degree in finance and economics. I joined EyeBuyDirect in 2007, starting in an entry-level role in the finance department. After eight years of working full time, I did my master's in Shanghai. I was drawn to EyeBuyDirect's mission and digital-first model, and I saw a unique opportunity to grow with a brand. Over time, I assumed additional responsibilities in operations, product development, marketing, and general management, and developed leadership skills through hands-on experience.
I will say the one thing I notice a huge change in is that fake positivity vibe. Back in those days, we weren't forced to 'be a team.' We became a team by working along with one another and getting the job done. We found our work buddies and became friends outside of work, sometimes, but again, totally on our own.
Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has said she gets by on just two to four hours sleep a night prompting concern over her commitment to a better work-life balance among the country's fatigued employees. Pointing to the bags beneath her eyes, Takaichi told MPs that she survives on minimal sleep a habit she shares with her political hero Margaret Thatcher after being asked how she would tackle Japan's notoriously long working hours.
When I quit my $250,000 corporate HR job last year, I thought finding another job would be no big deal. I was out of touch with the reality of the job market. I hadn't applied to a job in a traditional way in over a decade because I'd always been recruited. Now that it's rounding up on a year of unemployment, I wish I could go back and shake myself.
Everyone yearns for a good work-life balance, and some people love the idea of exploring a little more of the world while working remotely. Some countries are set up for both-offering accessible digital nomad visas and great infrastructure, ranking highly in several recent expert reports across both categories. What's more, these five countries-Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, and Norway-have also recently topped the best places to travel in 2026 lists. Here's why.
The prospect of taking an extended unpaid break from work can be daunting. But with the right financial planning, it can be an opportunity to pause, spend time with family and explore new avenues
Being asked to apply for a promotion is often framed as an unqualified win: validation that your work is seen and your potential recognized. Yet for many high-achieving professionals, that invitation can spark as much ambivalence as excitement. Because the question isn't only "Can I do this?" It's also "Do I want to live this way?" Promotions can be career accelerators, but they also reconfigure your days, your priorities, and your sense of balance.
HR leaders know that perception shapes reality in the workplace. But what happens when half your workforce experiences the organization fundamentally counter to the other half? Fresh research from the cybersecurity tech firm Acronis reveals a troubling perception gap that should concern every HR professional in the tech sector and beyond. According to Acronis' "2025 Women in Tech Report," which features results of a survey of more than 650 IT professionals in eight countries, men and women are working in the same industry.
She's the founder and CEO of Contrarian Thinking, a media and finance education company with millions of followers and subscribers, aimed at empowering people to take control of their financial future through unconventional paths like small-business ownership. She also runs venture fund Contrarian Thinking Capital, earned her MBA from Georgetown University, and is a New York Times bestselling author. Her estimated net worth is about $17 million.
She was embarking on a journey to do it all: a working mom, supporting her family with a career she loved. As track repairs tripled her commute time, things suddenly felt like they were falling apart. Instead of getting home in time to put her baby son to bed, Low found herself sobbing while breast pumping in an Amtrak bathroom.
When videoconferencing company Owl Labs surveyed 2,000 U.S. workers for its 2025 State of Hybrid Work report, almost half reported they did not have enough flexibility in regard to when they worked. What kind of flexibility were they hoping to get? Something that Owl Labs calls "microshifting." You may know it simply as breaking up your day as you see fit, taking an hour or so to run an errand or recharge when you need and returning to your work whenever suits you best.
For example, she launched her own venture, with $12.5 billion to put toward advancing causes she cares about, specifically those related to women and families. She has even gotten involved in politics, endorsing a candidate for the first time ever. French Gates isn't new to leading an organization, or to leading people. She has spent the past few decades leaving her imprint on what is arguably the most influential charitable organization in the world.
Ever since my daughter was born in 2020, I've worked remotely and set my own business hours at various companies as an SEO and content specialist. Even with the flexibility of setting my own schedule, it was always a balancing act - trying to prioritize quality time with my family while still advancing my career and staying engaged professionally. Now I work at Call Tracking Metrics, which has a three-day-a-week in-office schedule.
Workplace experts can't decide what's the optimal number of working hours for Gen Z workers-but they know it's not "every waking minute" of the day like Cerebras' CEO suggested, or the 60 hour "sweet spot" Google's Sergey Brin recommended earlier this year. That schedule is unsustainable, but 40-hour workweeks aren't enough for the young and hungry. The CEO of $8.1 billion AI chips company Cerebras recently hit back at the idea entrepreneurs can launch an innovative business working "30, 40, 50 hours a week."
Taking time off should mean genuinely disconnecting. But without a clear plan in place, the stress of leaving work behind can feel overwhelming. That's where an out-of-office plan template comes in. It helps you set clear expectations, delegate responsibilities, and ensure a seamless workflow, allowing you to unplug and recharge fully. This guide will explore the best out-of-office plan templates to help you enjoy a stress-free break without work creeping into your downtime.
Pressure is among the few certainties of daily life on Wall Street - and knowing how to manage it is key to success. Business Insider asked its 2025 Rising Stars of Wall Street how they set boundaries and maintain routines to stay grounded in an industry where the threat of burnout lurks behind each promotion. All of them are standing out at some of the country's top financial firms at age 35 or younger, and somehow maintaining personal lives and sanity in the process.
