This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

How To Tell If You're A Sleep Worker

It has nothing to do with sleeping.
Sleep workers are disconnected even when they're given a chance to connect.
Giantstep Inc
Sleep workers are disconnected even when they're given a chance to connect.

If you're only working for the sake of working, you're oblivious to career opportunities that might be right in front of you and you are not open to achieving your best – then you fall in the category of 'sleep worker.'

It's a new label applied to a not-so-new problem, triggered by a lack of focus and long term goals. A sleep worker is blind to the opportunities right in front of them or even to the opportunities that exist elsewhere, if they could only open their eyes to them.

Life skills expert Michele Jones told The Huffington Post Australia sleep workers are disconnecting, even when given the chance to connect.

"Sleep workers don't see the benefit of how one work opportunity they think has no relevance may lead them into something else that is of more interest or at the very least assist them to develop their soft skills," Jones said.

"Sleep-workers usually have no clear aspirations and don't realise every life experience can benefit them enormously in the long term, even though there might be no obvious short term gain."

"There are a lot of Australians, not only young people but also middle aged people who don't achieve their best because they're not open to it. They don't have the certainty, trust and belief in themselves and, at times, don't even believe they deserve it."

There's a new generation of sleep workers, thanks to parents who practice 'fear based parenting.'
Maskot
There's a new generation of sleep workers, thanks to parents who practice 'fear based parenting.'

The concept of fear based parenting has been blamed for raising a new generation of sleep workers. It's a type of parenting where children are overly protected from harm, yet it often sets them up for failure.

"Some parents even stop children going to schoolies for fear something bad might happen, but they need those experiences to allow them to make the right choices and have confidence in themselves that they can do that," Jones said.

"Other parents will refuse to let their child get a part time job while at school because they believe their studies are more important but time spent working is invaluable. But fear based parenting will only end in a child having low self confidence, because if a child sees their own parent can't trust them to make the right decisions, then they believe they won't be able to."

Jones told HuffPost Australia in her experience of over 25,000 hours of coaching, training and educating, operating from a place of fear only leads to more fear. Instead, empowering the youth of today will only serve to help shape the leaders of the future, as well as being leaders of their own futures.

"Children can't be expected to transition into their adolescent years as self empowered, sustainable members of society if they haven't even started to form their own views, or shape their own belief systems."

Some parents even stop children going to schoolies for fear something bad might happen.
Getty Images/Westend61
Some parents even stop children going to schoolies for fear something bad might happen.

For parents of school leavers, Jones advises them to help keep their teenager connected to activities, groups and friends.

"Disconnection from these things can see them slide into a fear mindset of isolation, depression and often shuts down their ability to communicate effectively or to shape their own views," Jones said.

"They need to remain plugged into the social interaction that activities at uni or that clubs and groups in their areas of interest or within the community provide. If this doesn't happen then they risk their child facing social isolation and losing the very social skills they have developed throughout their schooling years."

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