Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 crisis have brought tremendous pressure on human beings and have raised deep concerns regarding the future of people's activities all over the world. The post-COVID-19 era presents a highly challenging perspective due to the uncertainties raised by the new environment, already weakened by the lack of cooperation among individuals, the ruthless competition between entities, and the fierce and aggressive decisions taken in haste, which affected the balance of our planet, the future of the next generations, and the well-being and mental health of people. Mindfulness represents a major solution to today's problems, offering individuals the possibility to become more focused, more connected with present situations, and more willing to understand not only their needs, but also the requirements of their colleagues, communities, and all that surrounds them. Mindfulness, as an investment in our lives, comes to support creativity, development, innovation, responsibility, sustainability, well-being, and a healthy and well-balanced business environment.
TopIntroduction
Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in fostering creativity and innovation in all major domains –in particular, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 crisis, in the attempt to cope with the new changes and challenges that the new economy, the new digitalized economy and the knowledge-based economy brought to our society. In continuation, based on the specialists’ careful documentation, it was discovered that focusing on the employees’ well-being, while increasing creativity and innovation, represent a decisive step in ensuring mindfulness at work – regarded as a sound business investment. In this matter, the European Parliament (EP) published in June 2021 a document entitled “Creative Europe programme 2021-2027”, in which it was mentioned that “the European Commission has decided to continue the Creative Europe programme as a stand-alone programme, increasing its budget by 17%”, showing in this way the crucial importance of creativity and innovation in a highly competitive business environment (European Parliament (EP), 2021, p. 1). Based on recent statistics, the EP highlights the following pivotal facts: “It is estimated that the creative and cultural sectors account for 7.5% of the EU workforce (over 12 million full-time jobs), making them the third employer after the construction, and food and beverages sectors, generating value added of approximately €509 billion. Yet cultural and audiovisual activities and operators face many challenges and barriers, including the digital shift, language barriers, market fragmentation, difficulties in accessing funding in a sector dominated by micro enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a low level of mobility and global competition” (European Parliament (EP), 2021, p. 2) (see Figure 1. COVID-19 Era and the importance of fostering creativity and innovation in all major domains).
Figure 1. COVID-19 Era and the importance of fostering creativity and innovation in all major domains
These days, specialists have pointed out that there are numerous challenges specific to the new economy, the new digitalized economy and the knowledge-based economy, especially when centering on finding solution capable to enhance creativity and innovation, as displayed in the lines below (European Parliament (EP), 2021, p. 2) (see Figure 2. Challenges specific to the new economy):
Key Terms in this Chapter
Mindfulness: In the post-COVID-19 era, due to the new order installed, individuals will have to face new challenges and will need to become more and more aware of the importance of their well-being, their mental health and their capacity to be part of new surroundings and new environments; mindfulness might be the solution to both older and newer changes in people’s lives, since meditation – as a secular practice, has proven its validity for centuries and has demonstrated on several occasions the healing capacities; these days, mindfulness represents a precious asset for all human beings, offering a better and broader perspective on the situations faced and the challenges encountered, since it brings a certain balance in individuals’ lives and a specific, most needed, state of mind, at work; the business environment, these days, is highly aggressive and even fierce, which weakens individuals’ capacity to react over time, but with the aid of mindfulness instruments, methods, practices, and techniques, empathy and cooperation have a better chance to prevail.
Knowledge-Based Society and Economy: In the post-COVID-19 era our society has to find viable and precious solutions to offer a new beginning to human beings and to ensure a better capacity to develop and to succeed to entities all over the world, having in mind that the new economy will constantly bring new changes and will regularly encounter new changes depending on the rhythm of development of the region, country, or group of countries under discussion; the knowledge-based society and economy come to enhance this particular the rhythm of development of the region, country, or group of countries under discussion, since digitalization implicates adaptation, creativity, innovation, newness, and makes use of people’s abilities to become more dedicated to improving their lives, the lives of the communities that they are part of, thus offering a better chance to life to the future generations that will come.