By Dami Oshodi

Dear Diary,

Ugh, another Monday. As I drag myself out of bed and get ready for work, I can already feel the stress building up. But hey, at least it’s the start of a new week, right? Time to put on my best “I’ve got it all together” face and head into the office.

When I first landed this job, I was so excited. It seemed like the perfect fit – good pay, solid benefits, and work that actually aligns with my degree. But now, some days I feel like I’m just going through the motions, counting down the hours until I can clock out and escape to my couch.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to have a stable paycheck and a job that I’m qualified for. A lot of my friends are still struggling to find their footing in the workforce. But man, the corporate grind can just be so draining sometimes. The endless meetings, the constant emails, the pressure to always be “on” – it’s enough to make a Gen Z-er want to plug in some airpods and disappear into a TikTok wormhole.

At least I try to find little ways to make the day a bit more bearable. My coworkers and I have a standing food break where we vent about the office tasks and swap memes over some bread and beans cause we need the strength of a bricklayer to carry on. And you better believe I’m the first one to volunteer for any office party or team-building activity. Gotta keep that morale up, you know?

I guess what I’m trying to say is, this whole “adulting” thing isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. Sometimes I really miss the freedom and flexibility of college life. But I know I’m not alone in this – my friends are all navigating similar challenges as we try to balance our career ambitions with our need for work-life balance.

It’s a delicate footing, for sure. But hey, at least we’re all in this together. Maybe one day, us Gen Z-ers will figure out how to reform the system and make the 9-to-5 grind a little more bearable. Or, you know, we could just start our own creative adventures and be our own bosses. The future is ours, after all!

Anyway, time to go put on my best “I’ve got it all figured out” face. Wish me luck!