Because "the usefulness of a cup of tea is in its emptyness".
My "quick vacation post" was supposed to end here, but ofc I got to thinking a bit more.
Exhaustion's and burnout's effects on health, work performance and general well-being have been proven over and over and over again and the data available on the subject is plethoric.
So what is the rationale behind the tiny amount of paid leave workers in the US have, which most of them do not take or take but with a blackberry in their pocket? The US is home to some of the world's most powerful corporations staffed with top executives... Shouldn't they at least assess the possible benefits of giving out one or two additional weeks of paid leave per year and compare them against the possible downside of having employees out of the office longer?
Well, as we've seen earlier, corporations are not rational and IMO the problem does not lie within HR departments or upper management. The problem simply lies in human psychology. I'm sure we could demonstrate that working less would be considered by a lot of people as a type of failure, giving in or being distanced in the "race".
Where the irrationality lies of course is the fact that if these people took some time off to recharge their battery, they would be more productive overall, in better shape both physically and spiritually... and most of all they would stay ahead in the race.
Oh yeah. I would also like to advocate for strongly encouraged naps in the workplace. I'm not talking about the Spanish siesta, but just a half hour snooze. If half hour snoozes were not frowned upon, I would not hesitate to take my cot to work, set it up in my office, and get a little shut-eye after downing my lunch. I am convinced I would be more productive in the afternoon that way.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I'm sure there's tons of research backing up the benefits of "power naps".
ReplyDeleteKind of off topic, but I work with a partner company who's CEO "highly recommends" ALL his employees participate in the weekly session of transcendental meditation... from factory workers to top level managers. And they all seen genuinely satisfied...
Food for thoughts.