Mindfulness
Mindfulness Following the Great Reset…For Older Workers
Wesley Thurman MS Ed
17 June, 2022For older workers, the Great Reset calls for a new game plan—a game plan filled with mindfulness, resilience, and courage. It’s a time to regain lost confidence and discover joy again. Like the younger generation, older workers must learn to start over and reinvent themselves to thrive in today’s workforce.
After the Great Reset, there came a time of great opportunity. By harnessing the power of mindfulness, older workers could now serve as guides toward a brighter and more fulfilling future. But mindful awareness is a skill that must be used wisely. And learning takes time and practice.
What Is The Great Reset?
A Great Reset is an event that will change our lives forever, but it won’t happen overnight. It will take years for the first individuals to receive their vaccines and longer for everyone else’s body to catch up. As people age, they’ll need to adjust their lives accordingly to continue working into their 80s and beyond.
The Great Reset is already happening — it’s just not evenly distributed around the country. Some areas have already been hit hard by this change, while others are still adapting their workforce to meet the needs of new businesses and industries.
We’re in the midst of a Great Reset—a period of rapid change, technological advancement, and economic uncertainty.
This shift has created new challenging workplace dynamics for many older workers. The lack of clarity about future job prospects and retirement savings has left many people feeling anxious and worried about their financial future.
The Gig Economy
The gig economy refers to the growing trend of people working on-demand jobs as freelancers or independent contractors rather than full-time employees. These jobs are often short-term contracts or part-time positions with fewer benefits and less stability than traditional jobs.
However, because they’re flexible and usually don’t require any investment on your part (such as buying uniforms or office space), many people prefer them over full-time employment because they allow them more freedom and flexibility in their schedules. As we enter this new phase in a society where vaccines against aging are available, we’ll likely see even more workers joining the gig economy.
Inventing the Future Job Market
We can help you manage this transition by shifting your mindset from fear to possibility.
Mindfulness is the key to optimum work performance regardless of age or experience. It’s also an essential antidote to stress and anxiety during times of change.
Technology will be everywhere, including in our homes and offices. So there will be fewer “traditional” jobs requiring physical labor or commuting time (think telecommuting). And technology will likely work alongside us and replace us in many tasks. This could mean fewer full-time jobs but more opportunities.
Mindfulness is the Key to Optimum Performance
Mindfulness means paying attention to what’s happening without judgment or expectation. Practice mindfulness, whether you’re eating lunch at your desk, heading into an important meeting with your boss, or dealing with a challenging customer over the phone.
We’re living in an age of constant distraction, with smartphones buzzing at every turn and social media notifications popping up on our screens every few minutes. This constant bombardment of distractions can cause us to lose focus on the task at hand and ultimately affect our performance at work or school.
Mindfulness is the antidote to this kind of burnout because it enables us to stay focused on whatever activity we do without getting distracted.
The Benefits of Mindfulness For Older Workers in the Workplace
As you age, you may wonder about your place in the world. You might wonder if there’s a place for you on your company’s team or if there are other opportunities out there for you. Maybe you don’t fit in like everyone else has moved ahead while you are stuck in place. Or, perhaps you’re bored with your job and looking for something new.
Whatever your reasons, it’s important to remember that there is a future for older workers. Many companies are looking to hire older workers because they believe they bring valuable experience and wisdom to the table. Of course, these benefits come with challenges as well.
Mindfulness Can Help Transform Your Life
The benefits of mindfulness are many and varied, but there are three main reasons older workers must incorporate this practice into their lives.
- Mindfulness reduces stress
- Mindfulness can improve memory recall
- Mindfulness boosts creativity
As we get older, our bodies change. Our energy levels vary, and our brains change. And our perspective on life changes too. We have different priorities and interests than we did when we were younger.
But one thing that doesn’t change is how much stress we experience in the workplace. Stress is a normal part of life, but when it becomes overwhelming, it can take a toll on our health, happiness, and relationships with others — especially at work or while working from home as telecommuters or virtual assistants.
Stress can cause us to become less productive at work and more prone to mistakes or accidents if we’re not careful. It can also negatively impact how well we interact with others — including clients and customers — which can diminish productivity and result in lost revenue opportunities for companies that hire outsourced workers like virtual assistants or telecommuters to do administrative tasks for them.
The Journey
The Great Reset is a personal journey. Choose your adventure, but remember – the world is changing. New opportunities are waiting to be discovered that did not exist just a few years ago. The secret is embracing change, learning from the past, and creating a viable and sustainable future. All these things are possible regardless of age or employment status – it is simply a matter of how you think about yourself and want to live. In the end, your attitude will determine your altitude!