In the wake of falling productivity levels, managers and employees are under pressure to increase their output. The resulting stress is pushing some workers towards a downward spiral of low motivation, while others reach for focus-enhancing products to keep up with demanding schedules.

Globally, people are rejecting the idea that productivity should be valued above all else. Instead, they’re building ‘soft’ lives where joy and wellness are at the forefront: enter soft living. This lifestyle trend (originating in Nigeria) sees workers escape the grind to prioritise personal needs and desires.

Workers want to streamline rote tasks and are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a helping hand. Companies and employees alike are gaining trust in the tech’s ability to execute simple tasks. Cue AI assistants that eliminate (semi-)mindless efforts, such as creating to-do lists, drafting emails and summarising online meetings.

Neurodivergent employees are gaining recognition for their skillsets, and companies are increasingly eager to hire those with dyslexia, ADHD and autism (among other disabilities). Meanwhile, tech is positioned as a productivity aid for those with divergent brains, especially when operating in spaces designed for neurotypical people.

Helping people reach optimal performance, new books advise them on time management, goal setting and personal growth. The end goal isn’t doing more: these books promise to equip readers with happiness-inducing habits to build fulfilling (achievement-filled) lives.

The definition of a productive office is changing. While some companies ask workers to (partially) return to the office (see The Brief), employees are treating workplaces as collaborative environments. Cue days filled with in-person meetings and after-work socials contrasted with focused, head-down working days at home.

Streamlined (but high-performance) lifestyles require rigorous planning – this is the promise of next-gen calendar culture. Followers are adopting tech-managed agendas that claim to free up time for leisure, while others are turning to hyper-organised digital to-do lists and note-taking software.

Some 49% of Americans say sleep majorly impacts their work, and 55% of adults consider getting quality sleep as a top priority (Gallup, 2022). To improve rest (and subsequent productivity), consumers are tapping into sleep tracker data and life hacks for better shuteye.

By 2031, parenting apps are expected to be a $1.45bn global market, up from $640m in 2022 (Industry Biz, 2023). Schedule management apps for families are a segment to watch, as new tools leverage AI to automate tasks, or help people optimise co-parenting arrangements.

In Europe, 35% of 10- to 16-year-olds don’t believe their education is preparing them for future success, neither personally nor professionally (GoStudent, 2023). Consequently, some are opting for self-directed study. This burgeoning emphasis on personalised learning is nudging education away from output-based metrics, like standardised testing, towards softer measurements of achievement.