Committee Chairs Chime In

Katrina Kalkowski
Director of Spa Serenity
Turnberry Ocean Colony, Sunny Isles
Florida Spa Association Committee Co-Chair

In The Eyes of a Millennial

What is a millennial? A millennial is anyone born between 1981 to 1994 (age range of 39-26 years of age), which is a fairly large age range if you ask me. A great majority of the avocado-toast loving, social media obsessed millennia’s are actually in fact settled down, have stable career defining jobs, married and have kids.  The other percent may be the “younger millennial” who may still have that urge for the spring break, “drink all day, play all night, I’m in Miami…” (LMFAO reference for you who are not millennial) and their counterpart of the older Gen Z (1995-2015). I will be the first to say, I am on the end of the scale for Millennials but I and everyone I know from my Graduation class was not out at the beaches during spring break, this was probably Gen Z. Millennials already get enough blame for many other things, but we shouldn’t get blamed for the spread of Coronavirus.

Phew! Now that I have gotten that out of the way I can speak to how this has changed life for a millennial. As a millennial we grew up with phones in our hand, AIM messaging, Myspace and Facebook; the internet and social media always at our fingertips. But, we also experienced what it was like to have our Nation terrorized by 9/11, we saw our parents and family go through the 2008 recession. What is happening today is something that is on a whole new level. This is an enemy we cannot see that is killing our parents, grandparents, and yes, some of our millennial friends too! The new norm for us has drastically changed in a matter of a month. Now, when we walk outside our house we are greeted with gloves and masks, we sanitize and clean our groceries, food deliveries and packages. Among all of that, most of us are under a mandated lockdown with a curfew. We are living in a time our kids and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will learn about in history classes to come.

Millennials are regrettably known for social media, Sunday brunch, avocado toast, Netflix and chill, etc. so the “stay at home” order is “perfect” for us as we can sit at home, eating avocado toast, binge watching our favorite series, while sitting on our phone posting on social media. I for one can say, I at first was binge watching my TV shows I haven’t had a chance to see, I was on social media playing part of all the “challenges” on Facebook and Instagram but then it hit me. What else can I be doing during this uncertain time? I am a wellness professional and millennial; while I still post on social media and search the web on my phone for the latest updates on our Global Pandemic I have found that this time is perfect for self-reflection and personal wellness. Self-reflection on what habits I want to lose and what habits I may want to pick up and so I leave you with this… this is a moment to re-evaluate how we utilize and prioritize our days. We cannot be glued to our phones and social media, we need to remember our health is our priority, family is everything, and to spend more time eating right, exercising and time with loved ones. Be creative and innovative and create something amazing that will forever change the way we operate our day-to-day lives. Forget about technology for a moment, enjoy nature, and enjoy simplicity.