In a post-pandemic workplace, young professionals face unique challenges their predecessors may not have experienced. The impact of rapid social and technological changes has made navigating, entering, and thriving in the workforce a new type of challenge, so it’s essential to acknowledge the issues at hand and implement mindful daily best practices to cope with these changes.
With that being said, what kinds of challenges are young professionals facing today?
One obstacle is increased difficulty finding a healthy work/life balance. As remote work is one of the new norms, working from home has impacted these balances and caused blurred lines between work and life boundaries. Many young professionals still live at home with family or don’t yet have the financial capacity to afford a large living space, often working out of their bedrooms or living rooms, which makes it difficult to “sign off.”
When faced with a recession, inflation, and a rapidly increasing cost of living, it isn’t easy to stay motivated to produce quality work and be engaged when it seems there’s little financial payoff.
Many young workers are interested in growth. This enthusiasm can quickly dwindle when faced with “climbing the ladder” at a pace that seems too slow, leading to feelings of being “stuck” and frequently changing jobs to chase this growth in what seems to be more immediate gratification.
We’re now seeing a workforce that has three separate generations in them. Young professionals can find themselves in scenarios in which they have to fit into older standards for business practices that might not make sense in today’s world, with fewer opportunities to move up the ladder because older staff aren’t retiring.
Lastly, conflicts regarding corporate social responsibility are becoming more prevalent. We’re seeing more awareness surrounding workplace diversity, pay equity, and green initiatives. Current young professionals are some of the first to navigate choosing an employer that makes ethically sound choices.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is being aware of one’s thoughts, environment, bodily feelings, and emotions at any given time. What really helped me understand mindfulness was picturing myself as a pond full of different types of fish labeled with feelings. Mindfulness is simply being the pond and holding space for all the fish instead of being all the fish.
Mindfulness can look like breathing deeply, drawing a picture, going for a walk, putting your phone down and focusing on a simple task, or doing nothing on purpose.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Most people don’t have an hour to meditate. It’s not WHAT you’re doing to practice mindfulness; it’s about taking the time to be present and focus on your breathing, thoughts and feelings, body sensations, and movement in the moment.
Countering Workplace Stressors
We all face stressors in our workplace. Being mindful of your feelings may give you more control over your reactions. This fills up your emotional toolbox with more resources to face challenges in healthy or productive ways instead of reacting quickly or poorly or turning to other bad habits to process stress.
Dealing with workplace challenges can make you feel underappreciated or inadequate. Being aware of how your body or mind feels in these situations can give employees more ability to be grounded, present with their emotions, and proactive rather than reactive. Employees are then better equipped to work with others and seek out additional support where needed.
Benefits to an Organization
Everyone wins when a workplace provides space to employees to practice mindfulness. The result is people who are less stressed, better rested, and more productive and who experience improved mental and physical health. Mindfulness in an organization is restorative—you can’t drink from an empty cup. Mindfulness can fill employees’ “cups” and makes them more resilient. It can build up people with more resources to accept a situation for what it is and respond to it or resolve it healthily and productively instead of being reactive.
A company that prioritizes mindfulness will likely have happier, more engaged employees who, in turn, will be more motivated to do good work. They may see increased retention, less lost time due to illness or injury, fewer accidents, and ultimately increased profitably. These factors greatly impact employees as individuals, but it’s a huge benefit to group morale and productivity. When a team is more positive and produces better-quality work and they aren’t experiencing as many staff shortages or accidents, it creates an engaging environment, which can have an impact on other teams or departments. Much like a bad attitude can poison an environment, a positive perspective can inspire and encourage others.
Mindfulness also benefits your customers. Think about a time when you had to communicate with someone who was supposed to be helping you but the person’s attitude was defensive or reactive. Did that make you want to return? Most likely not. By driving a culture of mindfulness, your customers will interact with people who are better prepared to tackle changes empathetically and positively.
Tips and Tricks for Young Professionals
Young professionals are in a great place in their careers to start new traditions that will set them up for success. Mindfulness is a practice they can carry with them throughout their lives, both professionally and personally.
How to Create a More Mindful Work Life
Using mindfulness successfully is a skill that needs to be developed over time. You might feel silly at first or like you’re wasting precious time doing nothing, but keep trying until you find the right outlet that helps you feel more in tune with your feelings in work situations.
7 Tips to Help Prioritize Mindfulness During Your Workday
- Take your breaks! They’re there for you to take care of yourself, so don’t skip them.
- Try and come up with a list of five things you’re grateful for. By taking yourself out of the situation and focusing on something positive, you focus on how you feel about situations and investing in yourself.
- Set boundaries. When the day is over, close your computer and walk away! You can communicate with your peers about your work hours and give realistic timelines of your capacity. Setting these boundaries will help you find balance in your professional and personal life, but it will also help coworkers and might inspire them to do the same.
- Focus on one task at a time. By giving one task your singular focus, you’re more likely to do it well and will be less distracted by the chaos around you.
- Use technology to your advantage. Putting your phone on silent mode, using out-of-office communications, and using products you likely already have (like Outlook) more effectively will automate tasks and make it easier for you to find information in one place.
- Get outside! Getting fresh air and escaping your workspace can remove the office traffic and noise and create a clear headspace.
- If you have them, use your sick days when experiencing poor mental health. Just like physical health, your mental health needs to be given the same respect, care, and rest to ensure you are the best version of yourself!
How Can Young Professionals Practice Mindfulness and Experience More Peace in Their Personal Lives?
Use your vacations, even if you don’t have a trip booked. A staycation is still time for yourself to enjoy your life without work taking up time.
Disconnect from technology. This generation is more connected to the world than ever. It’s hard to practice mindfulness when your phone gives you so many updates and it’s your connection to your personal and professional life. Reducing your screen time, calling a friend instead of texting, or meeting up with friends and family in person is a great way to be more present and focused on your feelings, and it cuts some of the noise away from your life.
Take a social media break. If you’re logging into social media platforms, you’re being targeted by ads and curated material that color how you view your life and can alter your feelings. Logging off social media can give you a fresh perspective on how you feel about your life and help you take inventory of what YOU feel instead of what the media thinks you should feel.
Mindfulness doesn’t have to be a complicated experience or time-consuming, and it doesn’t require a significant lifestyle change. The benefits of it are so worth it. You can’t fail at mindfulness because it’s a journey, and you’re evolving over time as you learn more about who you are, how you feel, and how you can process these feelings healthily and productively.
Erin Rouble is an HR specialist at Accora Village, a rental community located in the historic capital of Canada’s west end. She has over 5 years of experience in HR and over 12 years of experience in the property management industry. She also specializes in employee engagement strategies and talent acquisition and is passionate about mental health support and wellness resources.