‘I can’t’: Young Aussie boss reveals what she really does after work
A young Aussie boss has shared a raw moment online, revealing a common practice that workers do after work that no one really talks about.
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“Please let me know I’m not alone!”
A young Aussie boss has revealed how she decompresses after work, and it is very relatable.
Grace Garrick, 29, is the founder of the creative communication agency MVMNT. She works in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and, online, her life seems to consist of constantly attending glamorous events.
However, it isn’t always like that.
Ms Garrick posted on TikTok to show her followers how she decompresses from work after a big day or even just an ordinary day – and it certainly wasn’t glam.
She’s not doing something trendy or brag-worthy, like going to a hot yoga class in $100 active wear or doing trendy breathing exercises. She’s sitting in her lounge and ignoring text messages.
The young boss shared a video of herself chilling on her lounge, wearing an oversized hoodie, and explaining that sometimes after work she feels less like a smug girl boss and more like a “mutant”.
“Does anyone else feel like, after they finish work, they are a mutant?” she said, adding that when she comes home she needs time to decompress and not speak to anyone.
“I need to sit here and scroll. I need to summon the energy to become a normal human again.”
Ms Garrick said that, if her phone rings, she feels like screaming at the inconvenience of a phone call that threatens to drain more of her social battery for the day.
“I’ve done enough today. My brain is throbbing. I can’t interact, I can’t reply to a text,” she said.
“There is no chance I’ll be replying to a text because I’ll consider that like writing an email.”
Ms Garrick also said that even getting up off the lounge to go and cook dinner felt like an overwhelming task.
“Please let me know I’m not alone,” she said.
Online young Aussies were quick to inform her that no she wasn’t alone and that, actually, her behaviour was very normal
“This is me right now,” one wrote, with similar responses following.
“Yes! Me.”
“Yep. No one talk to me.”
“All I can muster up the energy to do is stare at the wall and doom scroll expressionless through Tiktok.”
“Definitely not alone.”
Ms Garrick told news.com.au that once she gets home after communicating with clients, managing her team and spending over eight hours looking at screens, she’s well and truly done.
“I feel mentally drained. Taking time to completely unwind and do nothing can be super beneficial. This rotting lets me recharge my brain,” she said.
One of the reasons she posted the clip on TikTok was to remind everyone that no one’s life is perfect.
“I often find myself glorifying work, but honestly, some days just suck. When things are really tough, I’m definitely not picking up the camera to film my mental breakdowns,” she said.
Ms Garrick said that everyone is “guilty” of being their own publicists and only showing off the good stuff online.
“It looks like we’re always thriving at work and in our social lives. But this can really mess with our heads,” she said.
“Comparing yourself to these curated versions of other people’s lives can lead to feelings of inadequacy and make you feel like you’re not where you should be or that your life isn’t as good as someone else’s.”
Ms Garrick said she used to fall into this trap with her own business, but she’s learned not to compare.
“When I started my business I would always compare how my business is going to others, which can be very negative and have you spiralling. So now I just never look,” she said.
“I put on my blinkers and think, as long as we are feeling good and doing better each day, we are good.”
Originally published as ‘I can’t’: Young Aussie boss reveals what she really does after work
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