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What Is the Ideal Retirement Age for Your Health?

Five takeaways:

  1. Several countries are considering raising their retirement age to offset the economic pressures of aging population. While a later retirement age may have clear overall economic benefits, the physical and mental implications of making such a drastic collective change must be considered.
  2. While life expectancies have gone up over the last hundred years, the type of work people are doing has also changed. In 2020, roughly 45 percent of the American labor force worked in a knowledge-based field, such as management, business and finance, education, and health care. In 1935, these types of professions accounted for just 6 percent of the workforce.
  3. Experts think that the collective rise of knowledge-based jobs makes a higher retirement age a bit more reasonable, as cognitive properties stay sharp into one’s 70s. Staying at work in some capacity has shown to have health benefits for people in their 70s as well, as long as the work is not physically laborious.
  4. This is not to say that a raised retirement age should be instituted across the board. Jobs that are more hands-on, active, and laborious, might in fact require a slightly younger retirement age. There is research that shows retirement around the mid-sixties from physically challenging work can lead to stronger cognitive output.
  5. Overall, the article shows that a single, uniform retirement age is always going to be imperfect. There are too many factors– the type of work, a worker’s ethnic background or socioeconomic status– to find a perfect number. On an individual level, we should take every step we can to ensure that our retirements are healthy, physically, mentally, and financially.

From Dana G. Smith at The New York Times:
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Seven Habits that Will Completely Change Your Career

Seven takeaways:

  1. Check your baseline: Take a moment to take stock of your current situation. It is essential to have a clear understanding of where you are right now. Identify any areas of your career that need particular attention, and do a deep dive on your goals, passions, strengths, and weaknesses. This self-assessment can guide your plan for moving forward.
  2. Give more compliments: In the workplace, it’s easy to focus on what’s not working and forget about what is. Taking the time to recognize and acknowledge the efforts and successes of your coworkers can create a more positive and supportive work environment. By validating peers and giving positive feedback, you can strengthen your relationships with your colleagues, and create an identity as a positive, forward-thinking member of the team.
  3. Overcome perfectionism: The fear of failure can be a major barrier to career success. Instead of striving for perfection, focus on progress and continuous improvement. Set realistic goals and celebrate the small victories along the way. Remember that mistakes are a natural part of the process and that taking risks can lead to significant growth and success.
  4. Invest more in yourself: Investing in yourself is one of the most valuable things you can do for your career. Take the time to build skills, mental acumen, physical health, and spiritual centeredness by being intentional about learning. Prioritize your own growth and well-being over external validation and focus on building a strong foundation for your future success.
  5. Take leadership seriously: Even if you’re not in a formal leadership role, you have the power to be a role model, and to affect positive change on your team, or at your company. Focus on developing your leadership skills, including self-management, decision-making, and adaptability. Embrace creativity and problem-solving to help you stand out as a valuable member of your team.
  6. Expand your skills: Consider investing in your skillset. Identify areas where you could use improvement, and look for opportunities to learn and grow. Take courses, attend workshops or conferences, or even pursue a new hobby that might teach you valuable skills that you can apply in your work.
  7. Connect: Take the time to connect with your peers, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. Attend work events, participate in team-building activities, and seek out mentorship and coaching opportunities to help you build your network- you never know

by Murielle Marie for Forbes:
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Note: At the time of this posting Forbes offers 4 free article views per month.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

A Journey from Work to Home is about more than just Getting There – the Psychological Benefits of Commuting that Remote Work Doesn’t Provide

Five takeaways:

  1. The average American commuters spends nearly one full hour a day – 26 minutes each way on average– getting to and from work. 7.7% of workers spending two hours or more on the road.
  2. The pandemic disrupted the commutes of millions, which many were quite thankful for. But as Covid wore on there were surprising rumblings that some people actually missed and valued the ritual of their pre-pandemic commutes.
  3. Why? A recent study suggests it is because the commute offers us a “liminal space” – a time free of both home and work roles that provides an opportunity to recover from work and mentally switch gears to home (or vice versa). The elimination of the commute costs many people this valuable time.
  4. The lack of a liminal space usually provided by a commute can cause blurred boundaries between private time and work, which can lead to increased stress levels and lower productivity.
  5. Those who work from home can learn from this and create their own form of “commute” to build liminal space for recovery and transition. This could be as simple a 15-minute walk to mark the beginning and end of the workday.

by Matthew Piszczek and Kristie McAlpine for The Conversation
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Sitting All day is Terrible for your Health – Now, a New Study finds a Relatively Easy way to Counteract it

Five takeaways:

  1. A Recent study set out to determine the least amount of walking one could do to offset the harmful health effects of sitting for long periods of time, as we often do at work.
  2. The findings suggest that breaking up the day with short walks was the best means of reducing blood sugar levels substantially. The optimal tactic is doing five-minute walks every half hour, which was shown to reduce blood sugar spike after eating by almost 60%.
  3. Study participants also said that the walking breaks had mental health benefits, making them feel more energized, sharper, and happier compared to those who stayed stationary for long periods of time.
  4. This matters because it further confirms how walking can counteract the negative effects of lifelong/long term sitting, which include chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and getting several types of cancer at much higher rates.
  5. Implementing techniques and guidelines in your workplace for more walking breaks could lead to a happier, healthier workplace. On a personal level, it can increase the quality of your work and guarantee better long-term health.

by Keith Diaz for The Conversation
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.
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