It’s Lunar New Year, and according to Asian folklore, the Year of the Rabbit is a good time to slow down, reflect, and seek balance between work, money, and life.
For people observing the Lunar New Year in East Asia and among Asian Americans, the Rabbit zodiac signifies hope, resilience, and a sense of cautious optimism.
“In many Asian countries, when we talk about the Year of the Rabbit, we think of a sense of calm and resilience, like the literal bounce of a hopping rabbit,” says Joey Ng, Marketing Director at Yami. , an online retailer of Asian snacks and products.
That’s welcome news after the Year of the Tiger ends, or a period of “really vigorous action without too much foresight,” says Jonathan HX Lee, professor of Asian and Asian American studies at the University of State of San Francisco, whose research focuses on religions and folklore.
Nothing quite reflected this quite like the US economy last year, when soaring inflation led the Fed to aggressively raise interest rates, which was followed by falling stocks, massive layoffs, a crypto crash, and a painfully competitive housing market.
“It was a year of consumption, consumption, consumption. This year is the opposite, where if we act without thinking, there could be disastrous consequences,” Lee said. “The year ahead is a year of not acting in the short term, but rather of making long-term plans.”
Plan ahead in your finances and career
To prioritize the long-term view of your career this year, it’s probably a good idea to have a new job lined up before leaving the old one, Lee says. Given the volatility of the labor market, it might be wise to retain a greater financial cushion on deck.
Speaking of money, now might not be a good time to rush into a big financial decision without a ton of research and preparation. If you’re planning to buy a house, for example, make sure you can cover the rest of your bills as well as a new mortgage and housing costs, Lee says.
For workplace leaders, economic volatility calls for “ruthless prioritization” not only in their operations, but also in figuring out how to deal with the economy without burning out workers.
“Instead of striving to do more with less, we all need to find a balance,” says Ng. “You don’t want to lose the remaining workforce. You want to make sure their life is well balanced and not depleted so you can carry on with your team A moving forward.”
Laura Lau, co-author of “The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes,” says the Rabbit sign is one that values patience and diplomacy over confrontation. Lau urges people to remember this when re-entering workplaces or going through difficult times. “This is a time when it will be difficult for people to work together, to manage conflict and to work as a group again,” she says. “But people who tend to deal with that [discomfort] can move forward. »
Lee also recommends investing in your working relationships. “The rabbit is a sign of peace, so cultivating empathy in working relationships will lead to fulfillment in one’s profession,” he says.
Life balance and well-being
Finding balance extends to your personal relationships, adds Ng: “If you’re fired, what do you have left? You still have your family and your life outside of work.”
Lee says the sign of the year is a good reminder that it’s not always a good idea to “chase money” at the expense of your well-being. He recently advised his sister, for example, to reconsider putting in so much overtime (and burning out) in order to pay off her mortgage faster.
Concerned that overwork could lead to poor health, Lee suggested that she “might want to slow down, because if you’re not healthy but your mortgage is paid off, what’s the point?”
Lee takes this advice to heart and is more intentional about deciding where to invest his energy and resources, such as choosing where to volunteer.
In Chinese folklore, the Rabbit zodiac embodies the ability to ask for help, Ng says — a good practice that comes out of years of pandemic isolation. “If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past few years, it’s that we can lean on others,” says Ng. “If you can help, help others. And if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.”
Despite all the signs that this year is a year of pause and reflection, there’s still room for fun, Lau says. The Rabbit zodiac strikes “a good balance between taking care of yourself and having fun with others,” she says. “So I’m going to try to take that ‘enjoying the culture’ part of the rabbit more seriously.”
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