How to be Gen Z in Spiritual Intelligence and Holistic Wellness?

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How Does Gen Z See the Working World? With Trepidation.

McKinsey

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If McKinsey is right and Gen Z see the future world with trepidation, how did the world see the generations before them?

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Baby Boomers would like to be remembered as idealists. John Lennon was a hero. Later generations viewed them as debauched in some ways as the creators of the credo of Hippies, or selfish greedy narcissists like Trump. Gen X people were more practical, though cynical and equally selfish family breakers. Millennials were considered entitled, with an attitude, and now in their forties would probably like to forget the last decade. None, seemingly spiritually intelligent and fit for holistic wellness.

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Gen Z is in a petri dish of accelerating change on all fronts, political, social, environmental, health, technological and behavioural. Would Gen Z turn out to be the most resilient of the last 100 years?

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While past generations may have stumbled in their ways, Gen Z stands at a unique crossroads of accelerating change. This digital-native generation, born into a world grappling with political, social, and environmental challenges, has the potential to forge a path towards spiritual intelligence and holistic wellness.

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A 2022 McKinsey Survey had this to say about the Gen Z workforce.

·????? 50% experienced mental ill health issues

·????? Over a quarter are affected by workplace adversely

·????? More than half do not expect ever to own a home

·????? About half feel unstable in their career progression

·????? In almost all the above criteria, Gen Z's negative scores are higher than the general population.

In summary, Gen Z is not a great example as yet for spiritual intelligence and holistic wellness.

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In contrast, these too are vague generalisations about the Gen Z mindset not dissimilar to what was said 2 decades ago, also by the wise consultants ten, about the millennial generation. These dusted and word-smithed are,

·????? They are woke and care about DEI

·????? Autonomy and positive feedback are important to them

·????? They seek work-life balance, purpose in work, believe in DEI etc.

·????? All these are as American as Mom and Apple Pie.

Also, they are spiritually intelligent and likely to be holistic well.

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Based on what one sees happening with the early millennial generation now in the midlife crisis, and the state of the world, one would take the McKinsey report seriously. It is not just Gen Z, but the whole world, which is in tatters in spiritual intelligence and holistic wellness.

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Mental ill health and the need for workplace holistic wellness have been emphasized by numerous studies. The US Surgeon General has warned of loneliness and social media as major health disrupters. Many studies cite toxic work environments as a major issue. Many still believe that these are conspiracy theories. They believe that they are intelligent and that their responsibility is to take care of themselves, and no one else. Are they spiritually intelligent? Are such people holistically well in mind, body and spirit?

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What are we missing?

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If the Baby Boomers grew up knowing very little about computers, Gen X are pioneers in the digital space, the Millennials are natural users of digital technology, The Gen Z are digital natives going beyond AI as a way of life, the way earlier generations used the search engine. Wearable AI digital devices will change the landscape of how one learns, works and experiences life.

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Let’s think of it like this: previous generations were like cavemen huddled around a fire, focused on basic survival. Gen Z, with its digital prowess, can be the pioneers who step out of the cave, embrace the vast landscape, and build a new future based on systemic thinking and collective well-being.

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Change by itself is a constant in a general sense, yet variable in the way it manifests. The changes in the last decade, especially those of climate change effects and the pandemic, have far overshadowed the traditional challenges of technological advances and localised ethnic conflicts. The changes we experienced since 2000 are so cataclysmic that the human race had no solutions for them. Such natural cataclysmic changes are likely to be more common for the next generations unless their mindset changes into one of spiritual intelligence catering to all, not oneself alone. Only this approach and mindset will lead to the holistic wellness of mind, body and spirit.

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Wellness, health, and stress, whether at work or in life space are derivatives of internal mindset. Much of this is within our locus of control. Trepidation arising from an external source can be faced since we know the enemy. It is the anxiety within as a gap between our expectations and what we see as possible outcomes that’s far more difficult to cope with. Acceptance based on a deeper understanding of why we want what we want helps. Only this develops spiritual intelligence.

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Coaching, especially self-coaching, to evoke this awareness leading to self-realized acceptance is a pathway experienced by many. Spiritual self-coaching can be meditative, contemplative, emotional, or cognitive. Most importantly, it needs to be sensory to connect with the deepest levels of our mindbody system. This is a learned behaviour.

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Some of us in each generation see ourselves as saviours of the world. They are either delusional or if they made sense, were assassinated. Others in each generation saw the world ending before their great-grandchildren arrived. That too didn’t happen. Our truth is in between. There is no utopia nor a dystopia. This world is as we make it to be.

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We need to help future generations to be wiser than we have been thus far in making this world. So far, we have allowed our senses to control our mind and body. It’s time we allowed our mindbody to direct our senses to a larger purpose. This could be the Positive Psychology we are looking for rather than multiple definitions of happiness and challenges to overcome.

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Reflection

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Otto Scharmer’s Theory U is a spiritually intelligent prescription for the holistic wellness of Gen Z, and the rest of the world. It guides us from "ego-system awareness" to "eco-system awareness," encouraging us to move beyond individual problems and connect with the larger whole.

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This Gen Z generation owes nothing to its past. In all likelihood, this generation is likely to be the most disadvantaged in fulfilment and happiness thanks to the not-so-spiritually intelligent, greedy, and selfish generations that preceded them.

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This generation Gen Z can reject its past. It has nothing to lose. It has everything to gain in spiritual intelligence and holistic wellness by being open in mind, heart and will to transform themselves and the people around them as part of an integrated system. Gen Z can be the mentors to those older.

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Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya. Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably. Visit Coacharya.

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