Almost everyone on the planet has seen their work life change in recent years, with the rise of COVID-driven Zoom meetings and home-officing (even if that office is a closet). Yoga classes, fertility benefits, and unlimited PTO have become the latest — yawn — perks.
But what if we look farther ahead — say, a decade from now? Ladders spoke with the leaders of LRXD, the “Health and Happiness Agency” based in Denver, Colorado, who are committed to hacking their way to the future while creating stellar work for advertising, design, and business transformation clients, like Oikos, GoodBelly, Inspire Clean Energy, and Friday Health Plans.
Below, five ways the agency is hitting “refresh” on the 9-to-5 life; consider these ideas a blueprint for future workers — a look at things to come.
You’ll boost your body for better performance
Getting through the workday won’t be reliant on your caffeine load. Instead, bringing one’s A-game will be about tracking and tweaking your biodata. Kelly Reedy, CEO of LRXD, already uses the power of data to get a full picture of his wellness. He works with Chad Prusmack, MD, of Resilience Code, a longevity center that uses wearables and intensive testing of the brain, body, and blood. This intel is then decoded to develop a personalized plan of supplements and more. For instance, testing can reveal which harmful compounds (hormones, pesticides and more) are lurking in one’s system. This led Reedy to follow a hyper-clean diet, which means going beyond eating organic to eating non-toxic — a term you’ll be hearing more of in the years ahead. It requires a deep dive into food sourcing to restrict toxic chemicals and pesticides. This program is said to enhance energy, focus, creativity, and longevity.
You’ll prioritize sleep hygiene.
No one can perform well on the job with a few measly hours of sleep. Reedy has committed to deeper, REM-rich sleep so he’s ready for any fire drill during daylight hours. This means low-tech solutions like putting the phone far from the bed and not binge-watching so much. For Reedy, it also involves using a super-advanced sleep-tracking system like Whoop, which includes a wearable (similar to a fitness-tracker band) to capture biodata and help optimize circadian rhythms — your body’s internal clock. The goal of this personalized process: more refreshing (not just longer) sleep.
You’ll get life-coached by your company.
Good health insurance will never go out of style, but the future, says LRXD, lies in every business elevating its employees’ holistic wellbeing. A few examples of what the agency is already offering to include live meditation therapy, one-on-one life-coaching, and the popular future-focused podcast, #TakeCareTuesday, where visionaries share insights about emerging best-life practices, from food-tech innovations to inclusivity. This kind of TLC — total life care — could portend the new normal tomorrow.
You’ll be nurtured by nature.
Maybe you’ve heard of forest-bathing (aka shinrin-yoku), the Japanese practice of communing with nature to offset stress. Kim Bates, LRXD’s CMO and Chief Futurist, says what’s next is a new spin on this, a practice she does daily: “Earthing, or putting my bare feet on the grass or sand, to ground my energy,” she says. Science is on her side; research has found that the transfer of the earth’s electrons from the ground to the human body results in better sleep, reduced pain, and other benefits. Perhaps today’s coffee breaks will morph into tomorrow’s soil sessions.
You’ll go full digital nomad.
One pandemic shift is permanent, commuting may well go the way of the dinosaurs. “The future of the office is plug n’ play from anywhere,” says Bates. “Our internal survey revealed that all levels of our staff preferred to remain a flexible, hybrid agency in perpetuity. Employees can work remotely from anywhere or use our creative maker space in Denver to collaborate responsibly in person, as health guidelines allow.”
The ripple effect of this impacts everything from how we’ll dress (athleisure forever?), eat (salad lunch delivered by subscription?), and interact with our colleagues and families. New ways to network are already being pioneered and involve VR, like MeetinVR, Glue, and Oculus Quest 2’s Infinite Office.
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