Last Updated on July 13, 2026
Even though most adults understand the general premise of “health and safety come first”, the reality is that they often come after “work”. World Economic Forum (2023) indicated that research conducted by Zippia.com (a career planning website) suggested that the pandemic was one of the reasons why people made career changes. That is to say, during the pandemic, many came to realize that prioritizing mental health (well-being) in life, such as achieving work/life balance and having access to growth opportunities, increases not only productivity but also job sustainability. The rise of the online coaching industry, for instance, is the result of shifting priorities. A major shift in shopping habits, from physical shopping to online shopping, caused by the pandemic, on the other hand, reshaped the e-commerce industry.
Shifting priorities at work and in life has been a trending topic since 2020. More and more people asking themselves questions like:
- “Am I happy with my work?”
- “Am I satisfied with my life?”
- “Can money buy happiness?”
- “Is it too late to start over?”
- “Can I still make changes in my 30s/40s/50s…?”
When you’re used to being told what to say and what to do by authority figures, your happiness is built on their needs and wishes, not yours. Listen to our new short-form podcast episode, What is “Happiness” to you?, to learn more about this topic.
The real question to be asked is: “Do I feel I am allowed to explore my own happiness?”
Why Shifting Priorities is relevant
In 2020, Jimmy O Yang, an actor and comedian, quoted what his dad told him when learning about his pursuit of a standup career in his debut standup special – Good Deal, “Everyone does what they hate for money, and use the money to do what they love”. This may be true to some extent, but the trend has slowly shifted from the pursuit of career ambitions to that of quality of life.
According to a 2024 ADP Research Institute Employee Sentiment Survey, 46% and 41% of the survey respondents who were Gen Z and younger millennials respectively reported they would rather be unemployed than be unhappy. In short, much of the young workforce chooses quality (opportunities and perks) over quantity (salaries).
What’s changed?
Recent reports on mental health among children, youth and adults in Canada and the US
Statistics Canada (2024) released a report indicating of the 88% of youth who rated their mental health as “good”, “very good”, or “excellent” in 2019, 21% of them responded a decline to “fair” or “poor” by 2023. Similarly, Harvard News Editor reported that 58% of young adults in the US who participated in a national survey of young adults (between 18 and 25), teens and parents in December 2022 reported “lacking meaning or purpose in their lives” in the previous month. Furthermore, 56% and 51% of young adults reported financial worries and achievement pressure respectively affected their mental health negatively.
These post-pandemic results highlight the importance of mental health for people of all ages. Adults with poor mental health can lead to stressful family dysfunction, such as increased marital conflicts, substance abuse and parental divorce (Kamis, 2021). In other words, the more emotionally secure an adult is, the more likely they are to create a functional family.
Reaching a balanced Lifestyle: the Implementation of hybrid work models
CTVNews reported that people who reside in Toronto spent an average of 56 minutes a day commuting in 2023. As a result, the introduction of remote work assignments during the pandemic not only reshapes work environments but also reintroduces what a balanced lifestyle can look like in modern day.
Vivian Davis, a former Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist, recollected a poll of a host of the BC labour market conferences. In both the year of 2021 and 2022, the host revealed that the majority of the participants polled (thoughts on return-to-office) reported they would prefer to maintain their hybrid work model or fully remote work assignments. To wit, the absence of long commutes allows workers to change their spending habits, focusing more on fortifying their mental health to combat stress and prevent burnout. From improving relationships with loved ones to developing coping strategies, a well-thought-out remote work arrangement can potentially increase job productivity.
Additionally, a customer service representative, from the City of Vancouver, echoed such information in the spring of 2024. They claimed that over the past few years, business license applications have increased from a few hundred per month to a few hundred per day.
Upon further reflection, the representative believed such a shift was triggered by the pandemic. Many people were unhappy before the pandemic at work, dealing with workplace challenges, such as a lack of training and support and little or no room for growth. With the use of the Internet and a simple electronic device, “turning passion into business” seems to be a breeze. Hence, a surge in the applications for sole proprietorship (operating “home-based” and/or e-commerce businesses).
mental well-being becomes a top Priority in modern times
Since the Industrial Revolution, scientific and technological development has been an indispensable part of modern history. Owing to such trends, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) become the backbone of many countries’ economies. Smaller companies not only make up 90% of all companies but also account for almost 70% of both employment opportunities and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) worldwide (Woeffray, 2022).
However, not until recent decades did the mental health concept shift from the focus on illness to mental “well-being”, which includes a more holistic perspective on mental health (Gautam et al., 2024). Younger generations and thus have higher levels of mental health literacy.
Due to technological advancements and the rise of online and distance learning, putting mental well-being above work causes shifting priorities. From “live to work” to “work to live”, more adults nowadays are willing to explore new possibilities, such as changing careers or starting their own businesses.
Why Putting Mental Health Over Work is necessary
In spite of the increased (government’s) attention to resolving the lack of mental healthcare and services, relevant and high-quality mental health services are rare and often unaffordable.
A clinical therapy session done by an intern may cost between $80 and $100, whereas a registered clinical counsellor can cost more than $120 per 40 to 50 minutes session. Working on “mental health” is a costly option for most. This is why some say “taking care of one’s mental health is expensive” or “mental health is for the rich”.
While making mental health more accessible is important, shifting priorities, putting mental health over work, is the real solution. The current system benefits a small group of people, which is about 0.001% of the world’s population (Henley, 2025). Thanks to waves of human rights movements, putting one’s mental well-being over work (paid and unpaid work) became an option in modern times. When an individual, who can be a stay-at-home parent, worker (including a business owner and employee), or both prioritizes their mental well-being, they open the door to new opportunities and new ways of living.
Individuals looking for better productivity and job sustainability need to prioritize mental well-being. Companies looking to reshape organizational cultures need to prioritize employee health to reach collective success.
“A prominent university in BC wrote an email to our office asking for feedback in regards to the challenges of finding the right talent. I suggested adopting a more inclusive recruitment strategy, like looking beyond the background (e.g., educational or ethnic background and past work experience) and finding strengths. For example, identifying what a candidate can potentially bring to the table rather than what’s on the paper.”
– Vivian Davis, former Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist and Founder of Berelevant Network
In conclusion, shifting priorities refers to recognizing and prioritizing one’s needs over others. It is not considered a selfish act. Such actions help reduce stress and tension in any relationship (removing environmental factors), leading to mental ill-health.
Receiving proper human skills training and mental heath support can greatly improve the quality of life. Learn more about how Berelevant Network can help individuals and businesses of all sizes grow steadily.
references
World Economic Forum. (2023, May 2). Having many careers will be the norm, experts say. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/workers-multiple-careers-jobs-skills/
Berelevant Network. (2024). What is “Happiness” to you? | Topic of The Day [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpxVJByrrkY
Hayes, M. & Northup, J. (2024, July 08). A job – or joy? Many Gen Z and young millennials would rather be unemployed than unhappy. ADPresearch. https://www.adpresearch.com/gen-z-and-young-millennials-would-rather-be-unemployed-than-unhappy/
Statistics Canada. (2024). 2023 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth — Changes in the mental health of respondents from the 2019 survey. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240910/dq240910a-eng.htm
News editor. (2023, ). Mental Health Challenges of Young Adults Illuminated in New Report. Harvard graduate school of education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/news/23/10/mental-health-challenges-young-adults-illuminated-new-report
Kamis C. (2021). The Long-Term Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children’s Distress Trajectories in Adulthood. Society and mental health, 11(1), 54–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869320912520
O’Brien, A. (2024, February 24). This database shows what days and times Toronto traffic is at its worst. CTVNews. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/this-database-shows-what-days-and-times-toronto-traffic-is-at-its-worst-1.6288201
Woeffray, O. (2022, December 8). The big opportunity behind small businesses. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/12/future-readiness-here-s-why-smaller-businesses-success-matters/
Gautam, S., Jain, A., Chaudhary, J., Gautam, M., Gaur, M., & Grover, S. (2024). Concept of mental health and mental well-being, it’s determinants and coping strategies. Indian journal of psychiatry, 66(Suppl 2), S231–S244. https://doi.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_707_23
Henley, J. (2025, December 10). Just 0.001% hold three times the wealth of poorest half of humanity, report finds. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2025/dec/10/just-0001-hold-three-times-the-wealth-of-poorest-half-of-humanity-report-finds
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