I did this for three years when my mom died and left me a sizeable amount of money 26 years ago. It’s given me the oxygen I needed to keep going in my career. I have a good 10-14 years left before I can retire with a pension (lucky one, I know). But that pretirement allowed me to set up a lifestyle of travel, art, self knowledge, and frequent goal setting that keeps me fresh.
OMG SAME! I’ve gotten a small inheritance (small in SF Bay Area terms) that’s allowed me to take a break from working stress free, and given me the energy, clarity, and motivation to think about maybe starting some kind of small business. The world feels wide open for the first time in my life instead of constantly trying to scrape by with demeaning jobs that barely pay my rent. ❤
I LOVE this experiment! I always thought only rich people have the luxury, freedom and time to explore and reflect on how they want to BE in this world. Capitalism forces us to believe that college is the Only way to afford a happy life. We are sold the American dream as if a high paying career, big house, fancy car, etc (materialism) equals happiness. Then we spend 20-30 years grinding away to pay back our student loans, only to find ourselves lonely and burnt out. The pandemic really forced me to want to spend more time doing the things that bring me joy. I've realized that chasing happiness is like chasing a leprechaun, always seems to be out of reach (future tense). Joy is something you experience in the present moment. Add up all the joyful moments and it will equal happiness. Currently, I'm working on work life balance. I want to connect more with my local community, dance more, explore instruments (violin and drums), and connect more with family and friends. Maybe downshift my career one day to work in a library? Idk . . .
All of this resonated sooo hard, especially the part on loneliness. i didn't realize how much i needed community until i quit my job & suddenly i was able to go days without speaking to anyone if i wasn't making the intention to be social. finding communities outside of school/work is something i'm making a goal to do this year
Have you scoured, like, Eventbrite and Meetup? I'm sure you have. I was unemployed not by choice for part of the pandemic and those were great resources for things to do and places to check out (often for free). I also learned that Sacramento (my old city) had a whole EVENT website just for itself. Maybe yours does as well?
That is especially true for the huge number of unemployed people who are housebound or bedbound. Like, think how much less you would see people if you could never go to a public place or go anywhere to meet someone. For me I am also immunosurpressed on top of being bedbound which means most people can't visit me either since we are still living in a pandemic.
Definitely an issue with how integral our 'careers' have become to our identity. We have lost the traditional aspect of community that defined our civilisations for thousands of years, and replaced it with companies and corporations that pretend to have a "people culture" (obviously BS). We need to go back to having closer ties with people in our community so that we have strong social networks irrespective of our jobs.
TBH I'd love to just work part time instead of not working at all. I am still interested in my job but the amount of time and energy required just wipes me out. If I could do like 20-25 hours a week I think that would allow me to take care of myself and also still have external structure in my life.
This exactly. I'm a physical therapist and enjoy what I do, but I get burned out working 9-6 and being gone from home from 8-7 (with the commute). I also feel like I miss out on so much because so many things start at 5-6 but I'm still working.
I honestly believe that most people are creative but work gets in the way. Almost every time someone retires, they get into art, gardening, or anything else artistic. The narrative that you'll be bored if you don't work is silly to me. The mind is contantly on the move and people will want to exercise that need.
I'm mostly through 6 weeks off between my old and new job. Before I finished up at my old place so many people would ask me in a shocked way if I didn't think I was going to get bored in my time off. I found it really sad that people really TRULY believed they needed to dedicate so much of their time to a job at a company that they didn't really care about, and vice versa, in order to not be bored. capitalism babyyy
@Amy I'm on a similar boat as you. I haven't been employed for a couple of months now, and it's been both exhilarating and a load off my shoulders. I work on the house, cook for my wife, and I get to focus on a youtube project that I was putting off for sometime. And the extra time, physical health, and mental health have really paid off.
this is really foundational to my own philosophy too - we are all deeply creative but are blocked by work and the conditioning around us that making art isn’t worth it!!
@Alrac Okay you sound as if she's discrediting those who perform the labors you mentioned. No one is. The point of these movements, and I assume this video, is to demonstrate that we're overworked. Labor is necessary, but it shouldn't consume/define us. Lowering workload so that we have more time for ourselves, family, and friends has proven to have a positive effect.
I think this experiment also proved that "unemployed" people absolutely still contribute to society. They do all sorts of labor that just isn't compensated like art, and running book clubs, providing mental health support, taking care of their own bodies instead of relying on crisis medical care. If you were a parent that would end up taking a lot of your time raising not only your kids but supporting their friends with two working parents. Like, so much is done by the people our society considers "unproductive."
I’m now on month 9 of chosen unemployment and highly relate to all you mentioned in the video. I’d like to add that personally I’ve also been struggling with finding a sense of self and creating the new version of myself outside of the workforce, and it’s been hindering me from fully enjoying all the great benefits of owning my time these past few months.
Struggling with my envy watching this. I'm a stay at home carer with a chronic illness, unemployment was forced on me by life. Reality is that there is an awful lot of labour to be done that is not paid for or recognised. I applaud you for following your instincts and spending time on yourself.
I’ve always thought my community role would be a librarian. I wish there was more discourse around me on community roles and changing the systems like this. This video was really validating and empowering. Thanks for making it 💖
I highly suggest reading “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” and “A Prayer for the Crown-Shy” by Becky Chambers. This series is a sweet little taste into what I think you’re talking about. There is still work in this utopia, but all of the labor is based around community and not an individualistic rat race. It demonstrates how taking your time and experiencing the mundane should be celebrated. I really love it a lot and think y’all will too. ❤
we did these books in my book club last year and one of the things we discussed is what we would each want to do as our community role within the utopia of the books
I'm on a three month paid suspension from work, so I can definitely relate to this video, except the loneliness part. I've actually been able to meet more people, go on more dates, and make new friends with work out of the way. This difference is probably due to my introversion. When I was employed, after work, I had no energy to do anything, not even socialize. I guess you can say work literally sucked the life out of me. Now with all my newfound energy and free time, I've been able to reconnect with so many people I love and actives that bring me joy. I really don't want to go back, my job gets in the way of my life.
I’ve had the same experience. Plus I’m spending more quality time with my friends, making legit friendships, and spending less money because my socialization doesn’t revolve around eating dinner after work, or spending all of my money on food delivery apps because I’m not too burnt out to make my own food
My boyfriend struggles with recurrent clinical depression and has been unemployed for a couple years. He struggles with getting himself to do the things he wants to, so it makes me happy to see someone enjoy their unemployment and live their life to the fullest ♥ I'm a software engineer, but if I had a community role I would like to be some sort of park ranger; help maintain the wilderness and keep it beautiful
Unemployment was a very interesting time, I was unemployed a few years ago after college, and it was very tough tbh, I did feel a loss of purpose and lived life aimlessly. It definitely felt odd being out of work and having a life different to the average joe. Some jobs can be toxic to your mental health and physical health forsure. Im glad that unemployment was a great time for you, unemployment imo is good if you have enough $$ saved up and you aren't in lots of debt. Never make work your entire life at all. It was fun for 2 months, but after it, it became tough. Good video Katherine, I recently joined your patreon!!!
@@allforgood9722 what a fascinating takeaway. A lot of people in those jobs are overworked in poor and exploitative conditions (see farmers and farm hands, EMTs, CNAs, etc.) and deserve to work in conditions that don't require them to be perpetually "tethered to labor," just as much as Katherine, you and I, or anyone else. if these services are so vital (and they are!), we as a society need to step up and treat our workers as such. they don't deserve to be trampled for the benefit of a society that doesn't materially value them. We all deserve better than that.
@@akosuaka Alot of those jobs are simply vital from a 24/7 perspective. People who work in, say, infrastructure or agriculture, are not so much tethered to their labour by Capitalism's manifesting of "work as identity", but by necessity of those jobs being needed by the communities in which they provide for. This would remain unchanged even if Capitalism no longer existed. Someone literally has to maintain the sewage systems or the electrical cables in a town, otherwise those things will stop working within a matter of days and then chaos would ensue. So, people working such jobs can't simply "work less hours" or "have better conditions" because that's the nature of the job It is what it is, and someone has to do it. Someone has to go down into the drains and maintain the sewers daily. A farmer can't afford to take a week off work because they're usually on the cusp profit-wise. Apply this en masse. Fyi alot of people who work in infrastructure jobs are paid really well...they're not trampled by society. They're paid well because not alof of people wanna work on oil rigs or in the sewers, cos it's tough manual labour and its dirty, messy work.
I'm 22 right now, planning to graduate at the end of this year and enter the working world- I'm already in it while going to school (painful experience wouldn't recommend) , but I really want to set a goal to have an unemployment era. I do not want to wait until I'm 60-65 to retire (that is if you're lucky, the age seems to be increasing for my generation) and finally see the world or only go on little vacations here and there for the rest of my life- the goal is to save up enough to have a year off either in my late 20's or early 30's to travel the world and hopefully throughout my life I can quit for six months after years at one place and then again and again because I cannot imagine never getting a break in between decades.
I'm 26 myself and have worked as a software developer for the last 3 years after graduating college. Originally I graduated with a degree in videography and design, but then sort of shilled out after school for a bit to learn software development (for the money). I only realized after losing my job recently that I had chased "the dream" of money and status. I sort of had this Neo in the matrix moment when he woke up for the first time. Life isn't about chasing money or status, it's about finding your passion and being with those you love. Only recently have I started following you journey, but you inspire me to keep going. I can't see myself ever going back to big tech. Appreciate the insight Katherine. Right now I'm in phase 1 from your vid, but starting to work on phase 2 (wellness)!
I had my “unemployed era” from summer of 2021-fall of 2022. I had a part time job at the beginning of it, but I took every second of work off that I could. During this time period I moved across the country with my family, helped my dad start a business, baked bread, sewed my own clothes, spent so much good time with my family, and planned my wedding. It was such a relief to not have to do all the usual “work things”. Tbh my favorite time in my young adult life. Now I’m a pregnant SAHW with a part time job and lots of laundry and cooking to do😅🥰 I would also totally be part of a study on this. I’d do almost anything to be “unemployed” again😂
Absolutely do it!! I did it, basically did nothing except play video games with my friends and spend all my other time on making art. As mundane as that sounds, nothing compares to have incredible it was :)
Please do it!! I’m in the middle of my gap year and it was the best decision I could’ve EVER made for myself. You gain so much clarity about yourself, what you want and who you want to become. Best of luck💕
This video was so creative and well made. It was so relatable, it made me chuckle at several instances. If not my corporate job, I would probably be pursuing music more and teaching music and working with beauty brands. This video converted me into a Patreon!!! 🎉
It really makes me wonder how we’re all making it through this, when we’re all facing the same miserable struggles of balancing life and work- sigh. There’s definitely a lot to be looked into with this subject and I hope to see a shift in our work culture during my own lifetime. Or I hope to move to the Netherlands lol Please sign me up for the next study lol please and Ty
I have been doing something similar for 2 years now, almost 2.5. But I am burning through savings so I will say mine hasn't been very relaxing or stress-free. I have been on a journey to find what I want to do and build out my ideas and strategies. I have settled on business consulting and real estate agent. I have too many ideas but I need to focus on getting a couple up and profitable before I run out of my life savings that I saved through blood sweat, tears, multiple jobs, burnout, and eating 1 meal a day and never buying anything or traveling.
It's crazy to watch this video because we both quit our jobs around the exact same time and I've also been unemployed for the same amount of time. Everything that you said I 10000% resonated with and I literally went through ALL of this too during this time! It's also crazy because we're the same age and I too used to be at a large media/tech company for 4 years. This has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life and the quality of my life has dramatically improved too from my relationships to my health. I've learned sooo much about myself (both the good and the bad) and I don't think I would've learned all of this if hadn't left my toxic job. Your point on loneliness was incredibly valid and I agree that I never realized how much I need community and regular socialization in my life to feel fulfilled. It's truly amazing what you can learn about life and yourself when you have the time to take a step back and have the chance to reevaluate your life and figure out what you truly want out of it moving forward (and not just what society tells you to do). Truly the most life-changing experience and it's one of the best things that has ever happened to me and my life! I just wish I knew how happy I would feel (now) when I originally left my job (it also took me 2 years to finally do this lol) because it was superrrr stressful at the time and I cried so much leading up to it but hey, I'm glad I realized all of this eventually! I got to travel A LOT these past few months and take classes that I never would've had the time to take that I really wanted to do and knew would help me for building the company I've been wanting to create. Now I am in the beginning stages of starting a media company with my best friend AND it's looking like I found a job that will give me the experience I need to build this company while also supporting myself financially while I do it. Allll around everything feels SO SO good and I owe it all to this period of my life. Onto bigger and better things from here on out (for all of us)! :)
Loved this video! As someone who has been unemployed (not by choice), I also have done my fair share of visiting friends, doing the admin things I never really get to, and making time for new hobbies like knitting. My only caveat is that my unemployment journey has had some stress in the sense that I have yet to find work. I loved the cortisol meme! That truly made me lol. I would love to hear more about what your next steps are and what you are looking for in a job now.
Thanks for mentioning the feeling of forced professionalism when presenting on TH-cam as well, I think that is something tough to try to break from especially as a woman. I was unemployed for 10 months too, although not by choice but by being laid off. Went through similar phases as well, really leaned into cooking. Another great video!
I loved this video and whole series, and think that it was full of important insights and lessons about societies obsession with work. It came at a perfect time in my life x However, something I’ve felt throughout the series is that you really leaned into glamorising your ‘unemployment era ✌️🤪’, without really discussing the nuances around the fact that most people’s ‘unemployment era’ does not look like this (including my own). In the slightest. For example, the only ‘unemployment’ option you considered in this video was retirement, which in itself is a huge privilege for a lot of people. Overall, it felt like an extremely middle class take on everything. I think even a short discussion around the class implications of the ‘unemployment era girlie’ would have been interesting. I still think your work has been a great contribution! F**k capitalism x
@@KatheroutExactly! It would have been great to see this point addressed a bit more in the series, especially when tackling a theme like unemployment and given you’ve been re-centering your channel on more socialist and class conscious values. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences as you head into a new phase in your employment journey :)
I love how visionary you are & how many steps you did take to help make that a reality, not only for yourself, but by sharing with your friends and youtube community 💕
I'm actually super lazy and hate being in my head too often. So, if I have 24 hours to myself I quickly descend into chaos (for more than 1-2 days without being on vacation).
I just lost my job in the whole bank fail fiasco. I know financially (esp. being here in the Seattle area too), it's tough to make ends meet without consistent income! I also don't have a side thing for paying the bills yet. But even still, I am so ready for time away from the insane production demands of a hardcore girlboss career. I am tired.
I'm fortunate to have retired early. I struggle a bit with loneliness because as you mentioned, my schedule and availability are abnormal. However, this was the first time I was able to build a true local community for myself since I had the space to explore outside of my work community. It has given me a chance to feel more helpful with small things, like dropping off some groceries I picked up for my neighbor during the work day, helping a friend out while they're sick, and volunteering for nonprofits. I’m gardening for the first time this year, with the hopes that I can help friends with meal prep and donate to a food pantry. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this study. I hope it fuels change!
I am just now ending my own break from labor (8 months) and it's insane how nearly identical our experiences and takeaways were. I too am ending this period of low stress, high creativity, and being able to focus on fitness and friendship, with a strong determination to get into community organizing. I totally agree that my ideal future involves working in a community sense rather than a corporate sense. A better world is possible!
Thank you for reminiding us of all of this, and what matters. Or asking oneself "what are my values, what matters to me"? Sometimes we all forget. And even if we dont forget, it can be hard to find ways to live out our values in reality. But to keep asking ourselves these questions throughout life, we might find ways to realize our values and keep walking towards fulfilling relationships with others and with ourselves.
I am a classic NEET, male, 30s, slowly fading out of society because my basic needs are met (food, shelter, healthcare). It’s the dream of a human for thousands of years to be this physically secure, but living it is deeply unfulfilling and a permanent sense of malaise. I sometimes imagine a stipend on top of these provided luxuries -and they are luxuries, I reflect on that every day- and how it would affect my life. I truly can’t tell whether it would. Since I have no income, I pursue no expenses (no eating out, no going to the bar, no weekend jetsetting, no video game subscriptions), and this causes drift away from friends and, eventually, drift away from overall participation in the outside world. Would discretionary spending options outside the life’s basics jumpstart an aspirational version of myself? It’s easy to imagine that. I imagine versions of that all the time. And sometimes I think the lack of existential threat would only become more pronounced, and so nothing at all would change. A crucial point is, having met the base of Maslow’s Heriarchy: what’s next? I never dreamed of a life *without* labor. I would love to contribute meaningfully, or even contribute in a way that brought me meaning. But it’s not clear to me what the point of life is *without* it. Please don’t mistake anything I say as seeking pity. My whole point is how many people from all time and space would trade places with me in a heartbeat. In many ways I am the height of privilege. But I do think my problem is one society will have to solve at a massive scale in the near future. A world of UBI or otherwise subsidized living, merely plugged into our existing structures, will surely produce “me’s” en masse.
I have been purposefully unemployed since June. Unfortunately I loved every minute. But I have to go back to work now.. probably. It's time for me to provide for my family and build a future before im shriveled and old. Too bad every damn company is unethical. Thats my biggest problem, no good causes to put my labor towards.
I really love the pacing of the video. It feels slower than most other videos on TH-cam are presented, which is refreshing. Thank you for this information, and you conveyed it in such a perfect way. I'm happy to see that there are studies being done on topics like this.
I work from home and run my own business from home so I get to make up my own schedule most days and yeah I can say this lifestyle is so much better. I feel so much more happier, I can take care of myself better, spend time on people more. I can only imagine what it would be like to be completely free from working
I'm currently procrastinating on a podcast about work, this is completely a passion project, no one put it on me, but I feel so called to do it. So I find this video very interesting and it's something I've thought about a lot. I struggle to find my place at work, think it's an illusion to even find that. At the same time I do feel very blessed to be living in the Netherlands, I work 5 days, but only 2 at the office. If I were to not work right now I would do something with my creativity for sure! Luckily I'm very vocal about what I like at work and am building a team website atm, they let me do me and I get to add value to the team in my own way. I do dread the many many meetings I sit through where I just feel like I add nothing and have nothing to say
I found your video through another youtuber's video about them leaving their job. I left my job for almost 2 years now and I can relate to all of those phases. It was very hard in the beginning not knowing anyone else personally who has gone through the same situation as me, so it's nice seeing such a relatable video. I have noticed more of these videos lately and I was hoping to find an answer on what I want to pursue next. I also went through the phases of volunteering doing trailwork and being able to go to places that would normally be busy on weekends (i.e. shopping and hikes), and through exploring my hobbies I realized that it was stressful trying to turn my hobbies into a possible source of income. I can also relate to being lonely during my time off, especially my first few months, but one year into my funemployment I met more friends who also left their jobs and it was fun being able to hangout with them. I see that you were also in Seattle - I wish I had known since you definitely could've joined our funemployment social group! I also recognize that park that you were at in phase 6/7 (I live in the area) and know what you mean about the birds - the crows go wild there😂.
I started a grassroots community organizing group last December, and it's been fulfilling. We are growing, but I hope more people show up, because we as the working class are the only ones who care about our needs. We have to show up and show out in numbers to achieve our goals, and you can unplug from the computer and go meet and make friends and community. I hope people take this advice and get out there. You will feel better and if things move slowly at first don't give up.
I absolutely love that you mentioned a community role because it's a potential answer to the question I have: If essential workers get paid like 75,000+ a year... What happens to the "top managers" of the companies? Do they have to make more money to compensate for their current salaries or bite the bullet?
The errand I keep putting off but living rent free in my mind is donating my books. I've been unemployed throughout. I also live rent free with my dad who keeps finding creative ways of telling me to get a job 😃
Wow. Seriously? I NEVER guessed this was an experiment! All this time! It just seemed like a natural step since I came here after the I don’t dream of labor video. I’m so envious. I would love to be part of a study like that. What an idea. 😯 If it were me, travel for SURE. I would try to live abroad, or try different cities at least, to see where I might choose to live for reasons other then a job opportunity or someone to help financially. I’d also volunteer. And try a few things, maybe classes, to see if there is something else I’d like to pursue as a job, something that adds to the world instead of just a paycheck. Especially since I had to take whatever I could at 18 and never really had the time to experiment. It would just be nice to have the time to think. To make intentional choices rather then just doing whatever it takes. Plus I’m a bit older, and society isn’t fond of letting older people start fresh. So I’d see the opportunity as a clean slate to start building/ deciding who I am from the ground up.
I found your channel I think about 1 -1.5 years ago and it's funny just how our timelines matched with not working last year. For me it was due to burnout, I couldn't even reset a password on Gmail, I was that overwhelmed daily. I worked in corporate sales/it for 10 years and it ended me. So while I was on long-term sick leave, I initially couldn't really do much - which was unfamiliar, since I worked since I was 16 - but after 2 months of basically going on walks, sleeping and keeping my employer up to date. I started to travel a bit, do things I wanted to do for years, saw friends more, tried to reconnect with my hobbies etc. I really related to and still do to your video series. I could forever comment on this, but if I could say one more thing is that you are right. Taking time off work, being unemployed, or even when I can't work for a while due to burnout, it's everything it's supposed to be. Freeing! I actually enjoy work - is that a thing- but I would very much rather live a life with less money and more content life, where I can travel, go after my hobbies and work, but with purpose and as a means to make money to afford that lifestyle, not the other way around. I'm still trying. to find a way towards that life now that I am actively looking to find a new position - yes, I have also been just made redundant in the tech world, org restructure lol of course. But. I see this as my opportunity to make a shift in my life, not willing to settle for less.
Me right now going at 7 months of not working. Not much travel, but just not having the weight of work feels so great. Will definitely start looking for a job again soon though.
What an interesting video. Your observations were interesting and what a great study. I have been mostly unemployed for the last decade and I LOVE it! I should have taken notes because there was so much I wanted respond to so I'll do my best...it's going to be all over the place though haha. While I've attended a couple years of part time college and had the odd job here and there since my "retirement", I have found that I prefer to have complete control of my life. When I work now, I know I don't have to and that changes how I view my own power while I do work. I don't have to put up with crappy bosses, etc if I don't want to. Some of my family used to think that I just couldn't hold a job because I wouldn't only work somewhere for a couple months to a year but ultimately what it boiled down to was I want to be happy to work (and I have had great jobs!) and I don't have to stay and put up with unhealthy working conditions. My counter to them was always, the only difference between you and me is I have the luxury to quit unhealthy environments and they don't...which is tragic! Everyone should have full control of what environments they work in but unfortunately, we live in a world where MOST jobs also come with abuse and mistreatment of the employee in the name of profit. As for the social aspect, my heart is so full BECAUSE I get to talk and hangout with my family WHENEVER I want. I literally talk to several of my family EVERY day, oftentimes multiple times a day (although I have significantly less friends than you-by my design, not because I can't make friends lol. I'm not looking for more friends as we only have so much energy to give and I want to make sure I am fostering as healthy relationships as possible so for me, less is the best way but it's different for everyone...I'm an introverted extrovert). Anytime anyone needs help, etc. I can almost always stop what I'm doing, shift around my "schedule" and be there. I get to delve into any passion at will (within reason, I'm not wealthy by any means), wake up or go to bed whenever I want (one of the BEST luxuries), just literally do WHATEVER I want and I love having that control of my life. I am fortunate to have a husband who travels with work around the world and I get to follow him most of the time. As I couldn't go with him this tour, I decided to buy a motorhome and travel the US and fulfil my lifelong dream of travelling in my very own little house. My dogs are very old and I wanted to give them as much freedom as possible and this lifestyle allows me to do that. I do get lonely on occasion when I'm away from everyone but Marco Polo is the best app for keeping in touch with family...as I said we talk on daily. I also love being alone as I learn the most about myself when I am alone so lonely means different things to different people. I'm hardly ever bored so I think it's a myth that people won't know what to do with their free time haha. With that being said, for MOST people, my lifestyle isn't possible and I understand that. We all have different life experiences and I have been lucky enough to be able to collect retirement since my mid 20's, albeit what I had to go through to "get" it was horrific and I won't get into that. The largest aspect of this lifestyle that is negative for me are the judgments I get for NOT having a job all because I just happen to have essentially won the "lottery". I get judged all the time from people and it took YEARS of self reflection to work though how I, ME, truly felt about it and now I realise other peoples problems aren't mine and I don't have to take that guilt on. Even knowing that now though, it still isn't easy to live under constant judgment, which I am sure is a mixture of our programming that there is a specific "formula" with how you should be living your life, and jealousy they don't have the same advantage. But let's be real, who out there would turn down a living "wage" for the rest of their lives? So, what have I chosen to do with my life? My family and spending time with them is my number one priority, that includes my two dogs and a cat. I think it's wonderful I get to really know each of my animals personality because I spend every waking moment with them. I write, read a TON, paint, travel, go on long walks, learn guitar, research topics that interest me (and I mean truly research and go deep down rabbit holes), spend as much time in nature as possible (I found I love watching birds and wildlife as well haha), the list goes on. I am deeply grateful for how my life has turned out thus far. I have a loving family and the freedom to actually know who I am! This is rare for most and were you able to do this more long term, I feel would have been a significant "data" point in your findings. In conclusion, I agree with you about having far less stress by not having to be a slave just to survive. Jobs SHOULD look more like a community activity where everyone finds how they can better the lives of everyone around them instead of living so disconnected to ourselves and each other. I wish everyone could have the freedom I do to chose where they work, or if they work, and not be beholden to anyone but themselves.
Amen sis !!! Unfortunately, most ppl who try and make ppl like us feel guilty r the ones who overwork themselves to the point where all they care about is greed... They think bc u have control of ur time means u are lazy and selfish when in fact u are attending to family, pets, yourself, your creativity, mental health, love/relationships. things they may overlook or undervalue in their own lives.. Anyone who has a true passion and loved ones knows how valuable that time is and would want that for as many ppl as possible
I am so glad you had the opportunity to make this experiment, and that research is being done to prove how much our life is enriched by having free time. Having said that, I’m legit jealous hahaha. I’ll channel that energy into cherishing the free time that I do have, along with the job that I know I’m privileged to keep. Thanks for sharing!
I clicked on this video because I went through (and am still going through) the exact same thing, along with the exact same feelings! I'm now 13+ months in (omg!) and I have no regrets. Although I may eventually return to a traditional job, my perspective and what I'm willing to endure for a few dollars has drastically changed. I think everyone should experience a year or so of unemployment.
My dream community role would be tending to the pets, gardening and organizing community gatherings like bonfires, skill sharing classes and potlucks. My dream job is to become a cohousing developer so I can live as close to that dream as I can myself and help others do the same :) community is needed to solve essentially all of our existential threats
This video came in such good timing for me personally. I’ve been contemplating the idea of taking a year off for a while. So right now I’ve started an online passive income store, a TH-cam (as creative endeavor but any ad money is a bonus), and I’ve made about 30-40k in savings as a backup. I plan on traveling, testing the digital nomad style and volunteering abroad. It’s a big goal of mine to try this at least once before I possibly “settle” and have kids. And most importantly to tune into myself and what I enjoy like you discovered in your time off. Thank you!
currently on a harvard unemplyment grant (now in 2nd week of probably ~3 months) & currently I'm focusing my efforts in getting my life and appartment together (so much little stuff can finally be dooone omg), doing lot of art and more importantly doing a lot of learning. it's truely been so good for my soul to go over text books and courses I didnt have time for before and leveling up my skills rapidly 🥰 work will be so much easier once I'm back again (I've started to create myself some veeeeery useful templates bc of the learning done already) 😄
make sure you live in a country with good social structure that'll support your company when they don't have enough work to still pay the employees a living wage that covers the basics 😅 this is the most comfy way, but you could also take a sabatical here, but that would be more expensive for you.
Lol I am so confused. Is this harvard unemployment grant a real thing or are you all just kidding around? I can't tell if Kath is kidding when she says it.
honestly, i think my community role would involve teaching people about music and performing arts. about language. not in that formal academic way necessarily. just teaching through entertaining. i also like the idea of being a librarian (literature nerd alert). i love books and i long for the days when i’m surrounded by them again! also, the way i’d spend my 10 months of unemployment is very much similar to the way katherout’s done it. i’d focus a whole lot on pursuing all the forms of physical activity i normally don’t have the time to: dance, pilates, yoga, boxing, spin, rock climbing, badminton, etc. i also just want to perform! i’d audition for all the roles i want to perform. sounds like paradise to me
The thing about the chores though, doing shopping, taking things to get serviced, that requires manpower as well. Hopefully a societal middle ground can be found
I think sabbaticals would be a good idea for most jobs. A couple months off but paid (would just get comprehended in salaries) off, separated by enough time so everyone is not taking them at once but you can coordinate with friends or family. I I’d be a lot happier with that.
I think my role would be a friendly therapist. I've always been good with talking to people about problems they had and have had an interest in psychology. I could try to help people with their problems, or work them through it. I would definitely spend my time trying to expand my hobbies. Right now I try to push myself to do new things and see what I like being still young, but I think being productive through hobbies and enjoying time with my friends would be great. I love self introspection and obviously since I would have all the time in the world I'd try to combine the given experiences to maybe find out more about myself and anything that I could apply to my current and even future life. Great video though I'd been wondering this exact scenario recently so I was gladly suprised to find it in my feed!
I would push back on the France model in the summer solely because having lived in Italy, everyone going on vacation at the same time makes it less affordable for everyone and vacation spots are more crowded. It would be better if the American mandatory vacation allowance increased, sick leave was not counted as an allowance (as is the case in my current company), and companies actively encouraged and maybe mandated vacation be used.
This hits my "fun-employed" arc - which turned into self-employed and prioritizing fun. The piece in giving to community and digging into purpose was a wonderful end. Would love to see more!
Also, in regards to the society we live in, if you're like 26-28 years old and your still in the "trying everything" phase, you might fall behind hard (I'm gonna try watercolor, painting, this, that, then the other). It sucks that we have no choice, but if all you do is complain then you're going to suffer regardless (not saying you are, but a lot of people that spew "capitalism" "capitalism" do this.
I love this experiment! It brought me back to finding the thing I’ve been missing most with my remote job- a sense of community. I now know that I need to supplement my life with intentional positive interactions with like minded people.
I'm in between jobs rn! I'm on day 2 of 2weeks off & spent my first day getting the logistics in order to get the door on my car fixed. It took like 4 phone calls which took maybe 20mins and a quick stop down the street to talk to the mechanic. I've been putting this task off for litterally 6 months and it was so easy to get done. BUT I had a shop floor job, I wasn't able to be on the phone, the hours were all like 9 to 3 and I had to be at work at 7am, and I needed my car to get to work!
During the pandemic I had no job just school online. I didn't have a license and didn't connect much with friends. I went to the same places so it was to no surprise I hated unemployment. I wanted a job so bad lol. Now that I am employed I am grateful to have a flexible work schedule so I can have time for what I value which is spending time with loved ones and creativity. However, my job does take a lot of time out of my week and I hate it. It's become so routine and I find so much joy outside of it. If I had 9 months of no job I would have more energy and time for loved ones. I would be more creative and focus on my content creation on social media. I would try to connect to new people. I would travel more and I can expect to at least do a solo trip.
I was laid off at the beginning of Covid and experienced all of the same things as you did. I really appreciate your in-depth analysis of all the aspects of unemployment - positive and negative! Looking back now I'm so grateful that I was laid off... It got me out of a job I was not happy in but probably would have never left. I now work remotely part-time and am able to help my brothers business as well. I'm actually better-off financially as well as mentally, physically and emotionally. I will NEVER go back to full-time office work....that shit was soul-sucking and there are such better alternatives!!!! We do not need to be wasting away our lives like that in 2023. I understand it may work for some but it is not our only option for survival.
What type of work were you able to find remote and part time that allows so good financial stability? I’ve been working in an office coming up on 4 years and has absolutely sucked my soul away! I’m trying to get out
Awesome video, I'm an artist so I know what it feels like to not have a "real job" but wanting to be a contributing member of society. I would definitely say not earning a consistent income definitely takes it's toll on the individual after a while with all the pressures of success and future expectations we have for ourselves and from those around us. I also coach cross country and track as a part time job but I still feel like I can be doing more. This has inspired me to think more community based and long term oriented.
Funny enough - The "chore" that I would love to prioritize.... is my health and wellness. Going to that specialized doctor appointment, checking with my insurance company to see if I'm Actually covered, applying to some possible financial aid programs, focusing more on my diet and exercise plans.. It's sad how I view that as a chore though! It's not!
Jury's still out as to whether or not I will need to be freed from my job I'm going back to grad school because I hate my current job so check back in in about 2-3 business years
So, I only have one qualm with this...were u really 'not working' if u were writing, directing, starring in, filming, editing, publishing TH-cam videos (and patreon? And podcast?!) 🤔
I had something happened to me at work. I took off for 10 months while fighting to get workman’s comp and going through therapy. I was forced back to work under the threat of being fired so I went back. And 8 months later I took 2-month family leave for remaining anger and resentment issue. I stopped working for about a year 13 years ago. I realized that work is only for saving my retirement. I retired last year, the earliest I could. After that I learned to swim on my own, getting back to stretching and yoga, finding joy in cooking. Life feels peaceful not having to spend 10/12 hours a day working and commuting.
I am about to graduate university and not planning to work until August to take my final “summer” off.. the amount of surprise I got when I told people I want to take 3 months off was funny at first but now I’m realizing I have been rejected job offers because my start date is months away. This week I have been considering going back on that and starting sooner, but I don’t know when this opportunity will come again so I am sticking to my original plan and having faith that I will find a job. I know I can’t be so picky but hopefully it is a decent one too. The timing of this video is impeccable, thank you Kat. Part of me wants to take a year off now too haha. Also I loved the editing and transitions of this video!
@@squirrel9760 Totally understandable. Fortunately I got hired and my team is fine with my delayed start date! Their last hire also took the summer off before starting so I feel more at ease that my job is secured
Oh my god! When you asked about the one thing Ive been putting off doing and immediately I thought about my kitchen counters with cracks all over them that I wanted to replace for forever😂😂😂
I think my community role would be something like a librarian, and maybe something like helping people organise their things, maybe also a bit of a teacher. If i was awarded a harvard unemployment grant, i'd probably do a lot of therapy lol, and work on creating more community around myself, and work more on projects and things that make me happy.
WHAT!! This whole time you were sponsored? When you first quit I was so fed up that I almost followed your lead and just about quit my job too. That makes so much more sense why you were so confident you'd be fine without the job.
I'm not sure about my ideal community "job," but I like the idea of assisting volunteer events (trash clean up, environment restoration, etc). Getting kids outside and interested in nature is a great thing to encourage imo.
Imagine if we only had to work 15 hours a week like they predicted in the 70's.
It’s definitely possible if you freelance but freelancing isn’t for everyone :/
Imagine if capitalism died
Sounds like a dystopia
@@lowwastehighmelanin well there's always communist Russia, China, and Cuba
Hopefully we will do this with the AI revolution but my little finger is telling me that we'll all choose for the sweet, sweet money
I did this for three years when my mom died and left me a sizeable amount of money 26 years ago. It’s given me the oxygen I needed to keep going in my career. I have a good 10-14 years left before I can retire with a pension (lucky one, I know). But that pretirement allowed me to set up a lifestyle of travel, art, self knowledge, and frequent goal setting that keeps me fresh.
Oh, and the one thing I’ve been putting off is sending my memoir query letter to my editor/wife so I can get that submitted to publishers.
Everyone needs this I am SO happy for you that's amazing
I am 3000% interested in being a future test subject for your research 😅
OMG SAME! I’ve gotten a small inheritance (small in SF Bay Area terms) that’s allowed me to take a break from working stress free, and given me the energy, clarity, and motivation to think about maybe starting some kind of small business. The world feels wide open for the first time in my life instead of constantly trying to scrape by with demeaning jobs that barely pay my rent. ❤
I LOVE this experiment! I always thought only rich people have the luxury, freedom and time to explore and reflect on how they want to BE in this world. Capitalism forces us to believe that college is the Only way to afford a happy life. We are sold the American dream as if a high paying career, big house, fancy car, etc (materialism) equals happiness. Then we spend 20-30 years grinding away to pay back our student loans, only to find ourselves lonely and burnt out. The pandemic really forced me to want to spend more time doing the things that bring me joy. I've realized that chasing happiness is like chasing a leprechaun, always seems to be out of reach (future tense). Joy is something you experience in the present moment. Add up all the joyful moments and it will equal happiness. Currently, I'm working on work life balance. I want to connect more with my local community, dance more, explore instruments (violin and drums), and connect more with family and friends. Maybe downshift my career one day to work in a library? Idk . . .
All of this resonated sooo hard, especially the part on loneliness. i didn't realize how much i needed community until i quit my job & suddenly i was able to go days without speaking to anyone if i wasn't making the intention to be social. finding communities outside of school/work is something i'm making a goal to do this year
have lovvved watching your journey
Have you scoured, like, Eventbrite and Meetup? I'm sure you have. I was unemployed not by choice for part of the pandemic and those were great resources for things to do and places to check out (often for free). I also learned that Sacramento (my old city) had a whole EVENT website just for itself. Maybe yours does as well?
That is especially true for the huge number of unemployed people who are housebound or bedbound. Like, think how much less you would see people if you could never go to a public place or go anywhere to meet someone. For me I am also immunosurpressed on top of being bedbound which means most people can't visit me either since we are still living in a pandemic.
Definitely an issue with how integral our 'careers' have become to our identity. We have lost the traditional aspect of community that defined our civilisations for thousands of years, and replaced it with companies and corporations that pretend to have a "people culture" (obviously BS).
We need to go back to having closer ties with people in our community so that we have strong social networks irrespective of our jobs.
@@KatheroutI like you in glasses
Working makes me so sad. Not because of the work, but because I cant even actually live off of it.
TBH I'd love to just work part time instead of not working at all. I am still interested in my job but the amount of time and energy required just wipes me out. If I could do like 20-25 hours a week I think that would allow me to take care of myself and also still have external structure in my life.
Agree!
Companies don't get that we'd be willing to make less money if we were allowed to work less!
This exactly. I'm a physical therapist and enjoy what I do, but I get burned out working 9-6 and being gone from home from 8-7 (with the commute). I also feel like I miss out on so much because so many things start at 5-6 but I'm still working.
TRUTH
This!
I honestly believe that most people are creative but work gets in the way. Almost every time someone retires, they get into art, gardening, or anything else artistic. The narrative that you'll be bored if you don't work is silly to me. The mind is contantly on the move and people will want to exercise that need.
I'm mostly through 6 weeks off between my old and new job. Before I finished up at my old place so many people would ask me in a shocked way if I didn't think I was going to get bored in my time off. I found it really sad that people really TRULY believed they needed to dedicate so much of their time to a job at a company that they didn't really care about, and vice versa, in order to not be bored. capitalism babyyy
@Amy I'm on a similar boat as you. I haven't been employed for a couple of months now, and it's been both exhilarating and a load off my shoulders. I work on the house, cook for my wife, and I get to focus on a youtube project that I was putting off for sometime. And the extra time, physical health, and mental health have really paid off.
this is really foundational to my own philosophy too - we are all deeply creative but are blocked by work and the conditioning around us that making art isn’t worth it!!
this is meeeeee
@Alrac Okay you sound as if she's discrediting those who perform the labors you mentioned. No one is. The point of these movements, and I assume this video, is to demonstrate that we're overworked. Labor is necessary, but it shouldn't consume/define us. Lowering workload so that we have more time for ourselves, family, and friends has proven to have a positive effect.
I think this experiment also proved that "unemployed" people absolutely still contribute to society. They do all sorts of labor that just isn't compensated like art, and running book clubs, providing mental health support, taking care of their own bodies instead of relying on crisis medical care. If you were a parent that would end up taking a lot of your time raising not only your kids but supporting their friends with two working parents. Like, so much is done by the people our society considers "unproductive."
I’m now on month 9 of chosen unemployment and highly relate to all you mentioned in the video. I’d like to add that personally I’ve also been struggling with finding a sense of self and creating the new version of myself outside of the workforce, and it’s been hindering me from fully enjoying all the great benefits of owning my time these past few months.
Struggling with my envy watching this. I'm a stay at home carer with a chronic illness, unemployment was forced on me by life. Reality is that there is an awful lot of labour to be done that is not paid for or recognised. I applaud you for following your instincts and spending time on yourself.
I’ve always thought my community role would be a librarian. I wish there was more discourse around me on community roles and changing the systems like this. This video was really validating and empowering. Thanks for making it 💖
I highly suggest reading “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” and “A Prayer for the Crown-Shy” by Becky Chambers. This series is a sweet little taste into what I think you’re talking about. There is still work in this utopia, but all of the labor is based around community and not an individualistic rat race. It demonstrates how taking your time and experiencing the mundane should be celebrated. I really love it a lot and think y’all will too. ❤
ooooh this sounds so up my alley! thank you for recommending
we did these books in my book club last year and one of the things we discussed is what we would each want to do as our community role within the utopia of the books
@@isabeller6506 that’s such a beautiful discussion! Were there any roles y’all came up with that weren’t in the world already?
I LOVED these books as well!!
These were the best books!!!
I'm on a three month paid suspension from work, so I can definitely relate to this video, except the loneliness part. I've actually been able to meet more people, go on more dates, and make new friends with work out of the way. This difference is probably due to my introversion. When I was employed, after work, I had no energy to do anything, not even socialize. I guess you can say work literally sucked the life out of me. Now with all my newfound energy and free time, I've been able to reconnect with so many people I love and actives that bring me joy. I really don't want to go back, my job gets in the way of my life.
I’ve had the same experience. Plus I’m spending more quality time with my friends, making legit friendships, and spending less money because my socialization doesn’t revolve around eating dinner after work, or spending all of my money on food delivery apps because I’m not too burnt out to make my own food
My boyfriend struggles with recurrent clinical depression and has been unemployed for a couple years. He struggles with getting himself to do the things he wants to, so it makes me happy to see someone enjoy their unemployment and live their life to the fullest ♥
I'm a software engineer, but if I had a community role I would like to be some sort of park ranger; help maintain the wilderness and keep it beautiful
You’re so eloquent & creative, and listening to you talk is such a joy. Love this video!
Unemployment was a very interesting time, I was unemployed a few years ago after college, and it was very tough tbh, I did feel a loss of purpose and lived life aimlessly. It definitely felt odd being out of work and having a life different to the average joe. Some jobs can be toxic to your mental health and physical health forsure. Im glad that unemployment was a great time for you, unemployment imo is good if you have enough $$ saved up and you aren't in lots of debt. Never make work your entire life at all.
It was fun for 2 months, but after it, it became tough.
Good video Katherine, I recently joined your patreon!!!
welcome dear PATRON!
@@allforgood9722 what a fascinating takeaway. A lot of people in those jobs are overworked in poor and exploitative conditions (see farmers and farm hands, EMTs, CNAs, etc.) and deserve to work in conditions that don't require them to be perpetually "tethered to labor," just as much as Katherine, you and I, or anyone else. if these services are so vital (and they are!), we as a society need to step up and treat our workers as such. they don't deserve to be trampled for the benefit of a society that doesn't materially value them. We all deserve better than that.
@@akosuaka Alot of those jobs are simply vital from a 24/7 perspective. People who work in, say, infrastructure or agriculture, are not so much tethered to their labour by Capitalism's manifesting of "work as identity", but by necessity of those jobs being needed by the communities in which they provide for. This would remain unchanged even if Capitalism no longer existed. Someone literally has to maintain the sewage systems or the electrical cables in a town, otherwise those things will stop working within a matter of days and then chaos would ensue. So, people working such jobs can't simply "work less hours" or "have better conditions" because that's the nature of the job It is what it is, and someone has to do it. Someone has to go down into the drains and maintain the sewers daily. A farmer can't afford to take a week off work because they're usually on the cusp profit-wise. Apply this en masse.
Fyi alot of people who work in infrastructure jobs are paid really well...they're not trampled by society. They're paid well because not alof of people wanna work on oil rigs or in the sewers, cos it's tough manual labour and its dirty, messy work.
I'm 22 right now, planning to graduate at the end of this year and enter the working world- I'm already in it while going to school (painful experience wouldn't recommend) , but I really want to set a goal to have an unemployment era. I do not want to wait until I'm 60-65 to retire (that is if you're lucky, the age seems to be increasing for my generation) and finally see the world or only go on little vacations here and there for the rest of my life- the goal is to save up enough to have a year off either in my late 20's or early 30's to travel the world and hopefully throughout my life I can quit for six months after years at one place and then again and again because I cannot imagine never getting a break in between decades.
I'm 26 myself and have worked as a software developer for the last 3 years after graduating college. Originally I graduated with a degree in videography and design, but then sort of shilled out after school for a bit to learn software development (for the money). I only realized after losing my job recently that I had chased "the dream" of money and status. I sort of had this Neo in the matrix moment when he woke up for the first time. Life isn't about chasing money or status, it's about finding your passion and being with those you love. Only recently have I started following you journey, but you inspire me to keep going. I can't see myself ever going back to big tech. Appreciate the insight Katherine.
Right now I'm in phase 1 from your vid, but starting to work on phase 2 (wellness)!
I had my “unemployed era” from summer of 2021-fall of 2022. I had a part time job at the beginning of it, but I took every second of work off that I could. During this time period I moved across the country with my family, helped my dad start a business, baked bread, sewed my own clothes, spent so much good time with my family, and planned my wedding. It was such a relief to not have to do all the usual “work things”. Tbh my favorite time in my young adult life. Now I’m a pregnant SAHW with a part time job and lots of laundry and cooking to do😅🥰 I would also totally be part of a study on this. I’d do almost anything to be “unemployed” again😂
I’m tempted to take a gap year after college so this is perfect timing
DO IT!!!!!!!!
@@Katherout I was about to comment the exact same thing! Absolutely do it!!
You should do it. Life is long. Usually the first year working after college is pretty irrelevant to your long term career anyway.
Absolutely do it!! I did it, basically did nothing except play video games with my friends and spend all my other time on making art. As mundane as that sounds, nothing compares to have incredible it was :)
Please do it!! I’m in the middle of my gap year and it was the best decision I could’ve EVER made for myself. You gain so much clarity about yourself, what you want and who you want to become. Best of luck💕
This video was so creative and well made. It was so relatable, it made me chuckle at several instances. If not my corporate job, I would probably be pursuing music more and teaching music and working with beauty brands. This video converted me into a Patreon!!! 🎉
It really makes me wonder how we’re all making it through this, when we’re all facing the same miserable struggles of balancing life and work- sigh.
There’s definitely a lot to be looked into with this subject and I hope to see a shift in our work culture during my own lifetime. Or I hope to move to the Netherlands lol
Please sign me up for the next study lol please and Ty
I have been doing something similar for 2 years now, almost 2.5. But I am burning through savings so I will say mine hasn't been very relaxing or stress-free. I have been on a journey to find what I want to do and build out my ideas and strategies. I have settled on business consulting and real estate agent. I have too many ideas but I need to focus on getting a couple up and profitable before I run out of my life savings that I saved through blood sweat, tears, multiple jobs, burnout, and eating 1 meal a day and never buying anything or traveling.
It's crazy to watch this video because we both quit our jobs around the exact same time and I've also been unemployed for the same amount of time. Everything that you said I 10000% resonated with and I literally went through ALL of this too during this time! It's also crazy because we're the same age and I too used to be at a large media/tech company for 4 years. This has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life and the quality of my life has dramatically improved too from my relationships to my health. I've learned sooo much about myself (both the good and the bad) and I don't think I would've learned all of this if hadn't left my toxic job. Your point on loneliness was incredibly valid and I agree that I never realized how much I need community and regular socialization in my life to feel fulfilled. It's truly amazing what you can learn about life and yourself when you have the time to take a step back and have the chance to reevaluate your life and figure out what you truly want out of it moving forward (and not just what society tells you to do). Truly the most life-changing experience and it's one of the best things that has ever happened to me and my life! I just wish I knew how happy I would feel (now) when I originally left my job (it also took me 2 years to finally do this lol) because it was superrrr stressful at the time and I cried so much leading up to it but hey, I'm glad I realized all of this eventually!
I got to travel A LOT these past few months and take classes that I never would've had the time to take that I really wanted to do and knew would help me for building the company I've been wanting to create. Now I am in the beginning stages of starting a media company with my best friend AND it's looking like I found a job that will give me the experience I need to build this company while also supporting myself financially while I do it. Allll around everything feels SO SO good and I owe it all to this period of my life.
Onto bigger and better things from here on out (for all of us)! :)
Loved this video! As someone who has been unemployed (not by choice), I also have done my fair share of visiting friends, doing the admin things I never really get to, and making time for new hobbies like knitting. My only caveat is that my unemployment journey has had some stress in the sense that I have yet to find work.
I loved the cortisol meme! That truly made me lol. I would love to hear more about what your next steps are and what you are looking for in a job now.
i talk about this in the previous vid on my channel 🫶🏻 thank you for watching and commenting
This video really spoke to me quite deeply as someone currently dealing with chronic illness and full-time work. Thank you for speaking about this.
ooooo, Kather-OUT, I get it now....
Thanks for mentioning the feeling of forced professionalism when presenting on TH-cam as well, I think that is something tough to try to break from especially as a woman.
I was unemployed for 10 months too, although not by choice but by being laid off. Went through similar phases as well, really leaned into cooking. Another great video!
I loved this video and whole series, and think that it was full of important insights and lessons about societies obsession with work. It came at a perfect time in my life x
However, something I’ve felt throughout the series is that you really leaned into glamorising your ‘unemployment era ✌️🤪’, without really discussing the nuances around the fact that most people’s ‘unemployment era’ does not look like this (including my own). In the slightest. For example, the only ‘unemployment’ option you considered in this video was retirement, which in itself is a huge privilege for a lot of people. Overall, it felt like an extremely middle class take on everything. I think even a short discussion around the class implications of the ‘unemployment era girlie’ would have been interesting.
I still think your work has been a great contribution! F**k capitalism x
My experience is highly subjective!
@@KatheroutExactly! It would have been great to see this point addressed a bit more in the series, especially when tackling a theme like unemployment and given you’ve been re-centering your channel on more socialist and class conscious values.
Looking forward to hearing about your experiences as you head into a new phase in your employment journey :)
@@Katherout You're right. You recently had played trumpet for USC Trojans.
I love how visionary you are & how many steps you did take to help make that a reality, not only for yourself, but by sharing with your friends and youtube community 💕
I'm actually super lazy and hate being in my head too often. So, if I have 24 hours to myself I quickly descend into chaos (for more than 1-2 days without being on vacation).
Having a bed, house, water, food, plumbing, relies on someone creating it so that you can live comfortably
Taking a month off and going through the exact same arcs as you! Want to quit big tech so badly but need money to live. So glad I found your videos.
I desperately wish I had the means to take a sabbatical from work for an extended period of time. I’m exhausted.
I just lost my job in the whole bank fail fiasco. I know financially (esp. being here in the Seattle area too), it's tough to make ends meet without consistent income! I also don't have a side thing for paying the bills yet. But even still, I am so ready for time away from the insane production demands of a hardcore girlboss career. I am tired.
This video came right in time. I am on day two of a 12 week medical leave. Thanks for being honest and vulnerable with us about your experience!
I'm fortunate to have retired early. I struggle a bit with loneliness because as you mentioned, my schedule and availability are abnormal. However, this was the first time I was able to build a true local community for myself since I had the space to explore outside of my work community. It has given me a chance to feel more helpful with small things, like dropping off some groceries I picked up for my neighbor during the work day, helping a friend out while they're sick, and volunteering for nonprofits. I’m gardening for the first time this year, with the hopes that I can help friends with meal prep and donate to a food pantry.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into this study. I hope it fuels change!
I am just now ending my own break from labor (8 months) and it's insane how nearly identical our experiences and takeaways were. I too am ending this period of low stress, high creativity, and being able to focus on fitness and friendship, with a strong determination to get into community organizing. I totally agree that my ideal future involves working in a community sense rather than a corporate sense. A better world is possible!
Thank you for reminiding us of all of this, and what matters. Or asking oneself "what are my values, what matters to me"? Sometimes we all forget. And even if we dont forget, it can be hard to find ways to live out our values in reality. But to keep asking ourselves these questions throughout life, we might find ways to realize our values and keep walking towards fulfilling relationships with others and with ourselves.
I am a classic NEET, male, 30s, slowly fading out of society because my basic needs are met (food, shelter, healthcare). It’s the dream of a human for thousands of years to be this physically secure, but living it is deeply unfulfilling and a permanent sense of malaise.
I sometimes imagine a stipend on top of these provided luxuries -and they are luxuries, I reflect on that every day- and how it would affect my life. I truly can’t tell whether it would.
Since I have no income, I pursue no expenses (no eating out, no going to the bar, no weekend jetsetting, no video game subscriptions), and this causes drift away from friends and, eventually, drift away from overall participation in the outside world.
Would discretionary spending options outside the life’s basics jumpstart an aspirational version of myself? It’s easy to imagine that. I imagine versions of that all the time.
And sometimes I think the lack of existential threat would only become more pronounced, and so nothing at all would change.
A crucial point is, having met the base of Maslow’s Heriarchy: what’s next?
I never dreamed of a life *without* labor. I would love to contribute meaningfully, or even contribute in a way that brought me meaning. But it’s not clear to me what the point of life is *without* it.
Please don’t mistake anything I say as seeking pity. My whole point is how many people from all time and space would trade places with me in a heartbeat. In many ways I am the height of privilege.
But I do think my problem is one society will have to solve at a massive scale in the near future. A world of UBI or otherwise subsidized living, merely plugged into our existing structures, will surely produce “me’s” en masse.
I have been purposefully unemployed since June. Unfortunately I loved every minute. But I have to go back to work now.. probably. It's time for me to provide for my family and build a future before im shriveled and old. Too bad every damn company is unethical. Thats my biggest problem, no good causes to put my labor towards.
I really love the pacing of the video. It feels slower than most other videos on TH-cam are presented, which is refreshing. Thank you for this information, and you conveyed it in such a perfect way. I'm happy to see that there are studies being done on topics like this.
This is my ultimate favorite video of you of all time! The editing, the visuals, the confidence. I resonate so much 🫶🏽
I work from home and run my own business from home so I get to make up my own schedule most days and yeah I can say this lifestyle is so much better. I feel so much more happier, I can take care of myself better, spend time on people more. I can only imagine what it would be like to be completely free from working
I'm currently procrastinating on a podcast about work, this is completely a passion project, no one put it on me, but I feel so called to do it. So I find this video very interesting and it's something I've thought about a lot. I struggle to find my place at work, think it's an illusion to even find that. At the same time I do feel very blessed to be living in the Netherlands, I work 5 days, but only 2 at the office. If I were to not work right now I would do something with my creativity for sure! Luckily I'm very vocal about what I like at work and am building a team website atm, they let me do me and I get to add value to the team in my own way. I do dread the many many meetings I sit through where I just feel like I add nothing and have nothing to say
I would love to take part in this study! So cool!
@@allforgood9722 it’s not that they don’t mind, it’s usually that they have no other choice.
Definitely one of your best videos yet!
🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
I found your video through another youtuber's video about them leaving their job. I left my job for almost 2 years now and I can relate to all of those phases. It was very hard in the beginning not knowing anyone else personally who has gone through the same situation as me, so it's nice seeing such a relatable video.
I have noticed more of these videos lately and I was hoping to find an answer on what I want to pursue next. I also went through the phases of volunteering doing trailwork and being able to go to places that would normally be busy on weekends (i.e. shopping and hikes), and through exploring my hobbies I realized that it was stressful trying to turn my hobbies into a possible source of income.
I can also relate to being lonely during my time off, especially my first few months, but one year into my funemployment I met more friends who also left their jobs and it was fun being able to hangout with them. I see that you were also in Seattle - I wish I had known since you definitely could've joined our funemployment social group! I also recognize that park that you were at in phase 6/7 (I live in the area) and know what you mean about the birds - the crows go wild there😂.
I started a grassroots community organizing group last December, and it's been fulfilling. We are growing, but I hope more people show up, because we as the working class are the only ones who care about our needs. We have to show up and show out in numbers to achieve our goals, and you can unplug from the computer and go meet and make friends and community. I hope people take this advice and get out there. You will feel better and if things move slowly at first don't give up.
Do you have anymore info you could share on this? Where is it and what do you guys do? It sounds super interesting!
Can confirm that the quality of life and regulation of emotions is a thing when living unemployed for an extensive amount of time ❤
I absolutely love that you mentioned a community role because it's a potential answer to the question I have: If essential workers get paid like 75,000+ a year... What happens to the "top managers" of the companies? Do they have to make more money to compensate for their current salaries or bite the bullet?
Loved this! I’m two months into having quit my job, and l’m still having a great time 🤗
I'm kinda of sad the era of so much richness & wellness has ended but I know you will live beautifully no matter the phase
🥺
The errand I keep putting off but living rent free in my mind is donating my books. I've been unemployed throughout. I also live rent free with my dad who keeps finding creative ways of telling me to get a job 😃
Wow. Seriously? I NEVER guessed this was an experiment! All this time! It just seemed like a natural step since I came here after the I don’t dream of labor video. I’m so envious. I would love to be part of a study like that. What an idea. 😯
If it were me, travel for SURE. I would try to live abroad, or try different cities at least, to see where I might choose to live for reasons other then a job opportunity or someone to help financially. I’d also volunteer. And try a few things, maybe classes, to see if there is something else I’d like to pursue as a job, something that adds to the world instead of just a paycheck. Especially since I had to take whatever I could at 18 and never really had the time to experiment.
It would just be nice to have the time to think. To make intentional choices rather then just doing whatever it takes. Plus I’m a bit older, and society isn’t fond of letting older people start fresh. So I’d see the opportunity as a clean slate to start building/ deciding who I am from the ground up.
I found your channel I think about 1 -1.5 years ago and it's funny just how our timelines matched with not working last year. For me it was due to burnout, I couldn't even reset a password on Gmail, I was that overwhelmed daily. I worked in corporate sales/it for 10 years and it ended me. So while I was on long-term sick leave, I initially couldn't really do much - which was unfamiliar, since I worked since I was 16 - but after 2 months of basically going on walks, sleeping and keeping my employer up to date. I started to travel a bit, do things I wanted to do for years, saw friends more, tried to reconnect with my hobbies etc. I really related to and still do to your video series.
I could forever comment on this, but if I could say one more thing is that you are right. Taking time off work, being unemployed, or even when I can't work for a while due to burnout, it's everything it's supposed to be. Freeing! I actually enjoy work - is that a thing- but I would very much rather live a life with less money and more content life, where I can travel, go after my hobbies and work, but with purpose and as a means to make money to afford that lifestyle, not the other way around. I'm still trying. to find a way towards that life now that I am actively looking to find a new position - yes, I have also been just made redundant in the tech world, org restructure lol of course. But. I see this as my opportunity to make a shift in my life, not willing to settle for less.
Me right now going at 7 months of not working. Not much travel, but just not having the weight of work feels so great. Will definitely start looking for a job again soon though.
What an interesting video. Your observations were interesting and what a great study. I have been mostly unemployed for the last decade and I LOVE it! I should have taken notes because there was so much I wanted respond to so I'll do my best...it's going to be all over the place though haha.
While I've attended a couple years of part time college and had the odd job here and there since my "retirement", I have found that I prefer to have complete control of my life. When I work now, I know I don't have to and that changes how I view my own power while I do work. I don't have to put up with crappy bosses, etc if I don't want to. Some of my family used to think that I just couldn't hold a job because I wouldn't only work somewhere for a couple months to a year but ultimately what it boiled down to was I want to be happy to work (and I have had great jobs!) and I don't have to stay and put up with unhealthy working conditions. My counter to them was always, the only difference between you and me is I have the luxury to quit unhealthy environments and they don't...which is tragic! Everyone should have full control of what environments they work in but unfortunately, we live in a world where MOST jobs also come with abuse and mistreatment of the employee in the name of profit.
As for the social aspect, my heart is so full BECAUSE I get to talk and hangout with my family WHENEVER I want. I literally talk to several of my family EVERY day, oftentimes multiple times a day (although I have significantly less friends than you-by my design, not because I can't make friends lol. I'm not looking for more friends as we only have so much energy to give and I want to make sure I am fostering as healthy relationships as possible so for me, less is the best way but it's different for everyone...I'm an introverted extrovert). Anytime anyone needs help, etc. I can almost always stop what I'm doing, shift around my "schedule" and be there.
I get to delve into any passion at will (within reason, I'm not wealthy by any means), wake up or go to bed whenever I want (one of the BEST luxuries), just literally do WHATEVER I want and I love having that control of my life. I am fortunate to have a husband who travels with work around the world and I get to follow him most of the time. As I couldn't go with him this tour, I decided to buy a motorhome and travel the US and fulfil my lifelong dream of travelling in my very own little house. My dogs are very old and I wanted to give them as much freedom as possible and this lifestyle allows me to do that. I do get lonely on occasion when I'm away from everyone but Marco Polo is the best app for keeping in touch with family...as I said we talk on daily. I also love being alone as I learn the most about myself when I am alone so lonely means different things to different people. I'm hardly ever bored so I think it's a myth that people won't know what to do with their free time haha.
With that being said, for MOST people, my lifestyle isn't possible and I understand that. We all have different life experiences and I have been lucky enough to be able to collect retirement since my mid 20's, albeit what I had to go through to "get" it was horrific and I won't get into that.
The largest aspect of this lifestyle that is negative for me are the judgments I get for NOT having a job all because I just happen to have essentially won the "lottery". I get judged all the time from people and it took YEARS of self reflection to work though how I, ME, truly felt about it and now I realise other peoples problems aren't mine and I don't have to take that guilt on. Even knowing that now though, it still isn't easy to live under constant judgment, which I am sure is a mixture of our programming that there is a specific "formula" with how you should be living your life, and jealousy they don't have the same advantage. But let's be real, who out there would turn down a living "wage" for the rest of their lives?
So, what have I chosen to do with my life? My family and spending time with them is my number one priority, that includes my two dogs and a cat. I think it's wonderful I get to really know each of my animals personality because I spend every waking moment with them. I write, read a TON, paint, travel, go on long walks, learn guitar, research topics that interest me (and I mean truly research and go deep down rabbit holes), spend as much time in nature as possible (I found I love watching birds and wildlife as well haha), the list goes on. I am deeply grateful for how my life has turned out thus far. I have a loving family and the freedom to actually know who I am! This is rare for most and were you able to do this more long term, I feel would have been a significant "data" point in your findings.
In conclusion, I agree with you about having far less stress by not having to be a slave just to survive. Jobs SHOULD look more like a community activity where everyone finds how they can better the lives of everyone around them instead of living so disconnected to ourselves and each other. I wish everyone could have the freedom I do to chose where they work, or if they work, and not be beholden to anyone but themselves.
Amen sis !!! Unfortunately, most ppl who try and make ppl like us feel guilty r the ones who overwork themselves to the point where all they care about is greed... They think bc u have control of ur time means u are lazy and selfish when in fact u are attending to family, pets, yourself, your creativity, mental health, love/relationships. things they may overlook or undervalue in their own lives.. Anyone who has a true passion and loved ones knows how valuable that time is and would want that for as many ppl as possible
Less truly is more
How did you get the money to finally break free?
I am so glad you had the opportunity to make this experiment, and that research is being done to prove how much our life is enriched by having free time. Having said that, I’m legit jealous hahaha. I’ll channel that energy into cherishing the free time that I do have, along with the job that I know I’m privileged to keep. Thanks for sharing!
I clicked on this video because I went through (and am still going through) the exact same thing, along with the exact same feelings! I'm now 13+ months in (omg!) and I have no regrets. Although I may eventually return to a traditional job, my perspective and what I'm willing to endure for a few dollars has drastically changed. I think everyone should experience a year or so of unemployment.
My dream community role would be tending to the pets, gardening and organizing community gatherings like bonfires, skill sharing classes and potlucks.
My dream job is to become a cohousing developer so I can live as close to that dream as I can myself and help others do the same :) community is needed to solve essentially all of our existential threats
This video came in such good timing for me personally. I’ve been contemplating the idea of taking a year off for a while. So right now I’ve started an online passive income store, a TH-cam (as creative endeavor but any ad money is a bonus), and I’ve made about 30-40k in savings as a backup. I plan on traveling, testing the digital nomad style and volunteering abroad. It’s a big goal of mine to try this at least once before I possibly “settle” and have kids. And most importantly to tune into myself and what I enjoy like you discovered in your time off. Thank you!
currently on a harvard unemplyment grant (now in 2nd week of probably ~3 months) & currently I'm focusing my efforts in getting my life and appartment together (so much little stuff can finally be dooone omg), doing lot of art and more importantly doing a lot of learning. it's truely been so good for my soul to go over text books and courses I didnt have time for before and leveling up my skills rapidly 🥰 work will be so much easier once I'm back again (I've started to create myself some veeeeery useful templates bc of the learning done already) 😄
How did you apply for this? I am very interested in applying!
make sure you live in a country with good social structure that'll support your company when they don't have enough work to still pay the employees a living wage that covers the basics 😅 this is the most comfy way, but you could also take a sabatical here, but that would be more expensive for you.
Lol I am so confused. Is this harvard unemployment grant a real thing or are you all just kidding around? I can't tell if Kath is kidding when she says it.
honestly, i think my community role would involve teaching people about music and performing arts. about language. not in that formal academic way necessarily. just teaching through entertaining. i also like the idea of being a librarian (literature nerd alert). i love books and i long for the days when i’m surrounded by them again!
also, the way i’d spend my 10 months of unemployment is very much similar to the way katherout’s done it. i’d focus a whole lot on pursuing all the forms of physical activity i normally don’t have the time to: dance, pilates, yoga, boxing, spin, rock climbing, badminton, etc. i also just want to perform! i’d audition for all the roles i want to perform. sounds like paradise to me
The thing about the chores though, doing shopping, taking things to get serviced, that requires manpower as well. Hopefully a societal middle ground can be found
I think sabbaticals would be a good idea for most jobs. A couple months off but paid (would just get comprehended in salaries) off, separated by enough time so everyone is not taking them at once but you can coordinate with friends or family. I I’d be a lot happier with that.
I think my role would be a friendly therapist. I've always been good with talking to people about problems they had and have had an interest in psychology. I could try to help people with their problems, or work them through it. I would definitely spend my time trying to expand my hobbies. Right now I try to push myself to do new things and see what I like being still young, but I think being productive through hobbies and enjoying time with my friends would be great. I love self introspection and obviously since I would have all the time in the world I'd try to combine the given experiences to maybe find out more about myself and anything that I could apply to my current and even future life. Great video though I'd been wondering this exact scenario recently so I was gladly suprised to find it in my feed!
Framing some prints and pictures that I have waiting to be framed, I did it recently
I used to work 12-hour shifts 3 days a week Friday through Sunday. I had it so good, I was just dreading my job.
lol youtube picked the one tiny moment with Tom Scott as a preview gif of this video
HAHHAHA AS IT SHOULD
In my ideal open-schedule-state, I would downsize 40% of my apartment. Too much stuff and not enough time to sort through it all
the accumulation of stuff is a curse!
I would push back on the France model in the summer solely because having lived in Italy, everyone going on vacation at the same time makes it less affordable for everyone and vacation spots are more crowded. It would be better if the American mandatory vacation allowance increased, sick leave was not counted as an allowance (as is the case in my current company), and companies actively encouraged and maybe mandated vacation be used.
This hits my "fun-employed" arc - which turned into self-employed and prioritizing fun. The piece in giving to community and digging into purpose was a wonderful end. Would love to see more!
i rechecked while still in phase 02, well this video is just a month old... still not dated.. and Kat it was fun
Also, in regards to the society we live in, if you're like 26-28 years old and your still in the "trying everything" phase, you might fall behind hard (I'm gonna try watercolor, painting, this, that, then the other). It sucks that we have no choice, but if all you do is complain then you're going to suffer regardless (not saying you are, but a lot of people that spew "capitalism" "capitalism" do this.
I love this experiment! It brought me back to finding the thing I’ve been missing most with my remote job- a sense of community. I now know that I need to supplement my life with intentional positive interactions with like minded people.
You really hit us with the Cole Sprouse special "It was just a social experiment" 😭
I'm in between jobs rn! I'm on day 2 of 2weeks off & spent my first day getting the logistics in order to get the door on my car fixed. It took like 4 phone calls which took maybe 20mins and a quick stop down the street to talk to the mechanic. I've been putting this task off for litterally 6 months and it was so easy to get done. BUT I had a shop floor job, I wasn't able to be on the phone, the hours were all like 9 to 3 and I had to be at work at 7am, and I needed my car to get to work!
your storytelling, balance of humor and breaking the fourth wall are all great. really enjoyed this
During the pandemic I had no job just school online. I didn't have a license and didn't connect much with friends. I went to the same places so it was to no surprise I hated unemployment. I wanted a job so bad lol. Now that I am employed I am grateful to have a flexible work schedule so I can have time for what I value which is spending time with loved ones and creativity. However, my job does take a lot of time out of my week and I hate it. It's become so routine and I find so much joy outside of it. If I had 9 months of no job I would have more energy and time for loved ones. I would be more creative and focus on my content creation on social media. I would try to connect to new people. I would travel more and I can expect to at least do a solo trip.
I want to enter this study. Please choose me. I'm depressed.
I was laid off at the beginning of Covid and experienced all of the same things as you did. I really appreciate your in-depth analysis of all the aspects of unemployment - positive and negative! Looking back now I'm so grateful that I was laid off... It got me out of a job I was not happy in but probably would have never left. I now work remotely part-time and am able to help my brothers business as well. I'm actually better-off financially as well as mentally, physically and emotionally. I will NEVER go back to full-time office work....that shit was soul-sucking and there are such better alternatives!!!! We do not need to be wasting away our lives like that in 2023. I understand it may work for some but it is not our only option for survival.
What type of work were you able to find remote and part time that allows so good financial stability? I’ve been working in an office coming up on 4 years and has absolutely sucked my soul away! I’m trying to get out
Awesome video, I'm an artist so I know what it feels like to not have a "real job" but wanting to be a contributing member of society. I would definitely say not earning a consistent income definitely takes it's toll on the individual after a while with all the pressures of success and future expectations we have for ourselves and from those around us. I also coach cross country and track as a part time job but I still feel like I can be doing more. This has inspired me to think more community based and long term oriented.
Funny enough - The "chore" that I would love to prioritize.... is my health and wellness. Going to that specialized doctor appointment, checking with my insurance company to see if I'm Actually covered, applying to some possible financial aid programs, focusing more on my diet and exercise plans.. It's sad how I view that as a chore though! It's not!
Loved how you filled your time. That video is amazing too. Congrats
This! I finally got to go to the clinic regularly to get check ups after I quit full time ….
Jury's still out as to whether or not I will need to be freed from my job I'm going back to grad school because I hate my current job so check back in in about 2-3 business years
see u in 900 days!
So, I only have one qualm with this...were u really 'not working' if u were writing, directing, starring in, filming, editing, publishing TH-cam videos (and patreon? And podcast?!) 🤔
I had something happened to me at work. I took off for 10 months while fighting to get workman’s comp and going through therapy. I was forced back to work under the threat of being fired so I went back. And 8 months later I took 2-month family leave for remaining anger and resentment issue. I stopped working for about a year 13 years ago. I realized that work is only for saving my retirement. I retired last year, the earliest I could. After that I learned to swim on my own, getting back to stretching and yoga, finding joy in cooking. Life feels peaceful not having to spend 10/12 hours a day working and commuting.
I am about to graduate university and not planning to work until August to take my final “summer” off.. the amount of surprise I got when I told people I want to take 3 months off was funny at first but now I’m realizing I have been rejected job offers because my start date is months away. This week I have been considering going back on that and starting sooner, but I don’t know when this opportunity will come again so I am sticking to my original plan and having faith that I will find a job. I know I can’t be so picky but hopefully it is a decent one too. The timing of this video is impeccable, thank you Kat. Part of me wants to take a year off now too haha. Also I loved the editing and transitions of this video!
Just apply in 2 months. I’d never hire someone that far out either
@@squirrel9760 Totally understandable. Fortunately I got hired and my team is fine with my delayed start date! Their last hire also took the summer off before starting so I feel more at ease that my job is secured
For some reason your videos are really calming to me n_n
i’m glad!
literally just began all these phases lol I’m in phase 1 at the moment. Let’s see where this takes me!
I don't even wanna travel or do anything. I just wanna be depressed in my room, I barely have energy
I had 3 weeks off between jobs and this is mostly what I did 🤣
Cleaning out my closet and cupboards. Throwing away and donate. This is what I never get too.
real
It took my drunk (and purposefully unemployed, Harvard graduate) ass far too long to figure out that you were joking about the Harvard thing 😅
I couldn't tell if she was joking either! LOL
Oh my god! When you asked about the one thing Ive been putting off doing and immediately I thought about my kitchen counters with cracks all over them that I wanted to replace for forever😂😂😂
I think my community role would be something like a librarian, and maybe something like helping people organise their things, maybe also a bit of a teacher. If i was awarded a harvard unemployment grant, i'd probably do a lot of therapy lol, and work on creating more community around myself, and work more on projects and things that make me happy.
First video I've ever had of yours and I'm freaking obsessed, I love you so much!!!
WHAT!! This whole time you were sponsored? When you first quit I was so fed up that I almost followed your lead and just about quit my job too. That makes so much more sense why you were so confident you'd be fine without the job.
I'm not sure about my ideal community "job," but I like the idea of assisting volunteer events (trash clean up, environment restoration, etc). Getting kids outside and interested in nature is a great thing to encourage imo.
My community role is definitely counselor - spirit guide through transitions -