I think people who end up free from the cage and rat race need to start doing the opposite of what they did in the cage by focusing more on solving problems they are talented in and enjoy solving. The rat race is more about chasing after money and less about passion/talent. It's basically a race to do what you don't really like with attractive rewards. The rats love the reward/money alot. So it's used to bait them into a matrix trap, once caught, they are used as slaves to work for the system.
Once free, it's important to do the work you love and have talent for, then use that to benefit society.
With that kind of freedom, you nolonger need to do any kind of work for money. But I doubt people can really be free from the rat race without the CREATOR of the Universe by their side. The system of slavery will work against them, to starve, suffer or have them completely destroyed.
People love to be getting pushing around, it is just human nature after all. People would only start panicking when their life is threatened by greater force. Much like when you point a gun on their head they would only begin to fear and greed, or most of the time they choose to be as lazy as possible.