How many of us have carried our worries into middle aged? My hand is up. I constantly worry about FOMO (fear of missing out), job interviews (yes, still) and whether my grey hairs are showing.
Granted, my worry threshold is much lower than it used to be but I have a little way to go before I can say ‘sod it’, shrug my shoulders off the burden of these niggles and walk in utter confidence. However, there are many reasons why baby boomers should stop worrying!
For starters, our generation has already accomplished so much and has a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw upon. Additionally, as technology and society continue to evolve, there are plenty of opportunities for baby boomers to stay engaged and active in society.
Below are five common worries that assail baby boomers. Do you identify with any or all of these? It’s time to take stock.
Five Boomer Worries
1.What other’s think of you
Seriously, most people are worrying about their pension, cost of living bills and where to go on holiday, if they can afford it. While most of us convince ourselves that others are judging us, the reality is, probably, far from this. Instead, be yourself and live your life to the fullest as opposed to attempting to satisfy everybody around you. Your efforts are better spent worrying about other things that are relevant e.g How will I get around the Netflix crackdown on password sharing?
2. Prospective employee meetings
Given that many baby boomers are still, either, in the workplace or thinking of going back to work, the interview process may still have the ability to stress you out. It does me but I have managed to get promoted recently so we still have it in us, boomers. The trick is to think about your core strengths and pair these with specific examples of what you have done in the past and present. Showcase these with confidence. A job interview is an opportunity to demonstrate your value.
3. Things You Have no control over
This is one valuable lesson to learn and absorb – stop worrying about things that you cannot control. With age, we have learnt that many things are out of our control regardless of the effort that we have put into it. Some decisions in this world are beyond your control. For example, I was a stressy person over strong winds toppling my fence panels over. These days I have found a handyman to sort the problem out if and when it does happen. Have mitigatory steps in place but don’t worry over things like the weather or your place in the queue when you call the GP. Letting go of such worries can be liberating.
4. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
“In my 20s, I assumed I was a disappointment in the event that I didn’t go out on Friday and Saturday evenings, so I did. Frequently I was exhausted senseless, wanting to be once again at my loft with a decent book,” is a quote taken off the internet from a boomer. I felt like that too. Didn’t we all? I am quite content to stay home on Friday evenings but when it comes to Saturday evenings, I do get FOMO if I am not out somewhere having fun. If you have discovered the key to FOMO please package it and send it my way.
5. Parental Endorsement
Are you still waiting for your parents to recognise your achievements? This is a hard one and I am not going to make light of it. We all, to some extent, crave parental praise but at what point do you pull back and realise that you are the most important person in your life? I have started looking into self-validation and am learning to pat my own back. It works.
So, manage your worries because there are countless ways for our generation to continue making a positive impact. There’s plenty of life left to live yet so go forth boomers.
