Are you overworked?
Are you overworked?
Are you working 15 hours a day?
Are you regularly working on weekends?
Has it been ages since you last indulged in any of your hobbies or long since you last spent quality time with your loved ones?
If you heard “Aye” there times in last 15 seconds then beware you are flirting precariously with dangerous lifestyle. Stress and fatigue can no more be ridiculed as excuses underperformance, at least not since January 1994 when Dr Alan Massie, 27, dropped dead shortly after completing an 86-hour week. He had worked seven of the previous eight days and three nights, including unbroken spells of 27 hours and 24 hours.
Most of us believe that we are indispensable at work place and the world would halt as soon as we stop. Similar notion was shared by a CEO of a Japanese firm before he suffered stroke due to overwork. To help him overcome his myth his doctor prescribed him spent seven days at city cemetery. CEO thought that this was a trick to keep him away from work, but he gave in to doctor’s advice. First two were uneventful but on third day, CEO started brushing aside dirt and leaves to read names on the tombstones. To his amazement he found that around him were lying the most successful managers, CEOs and directors of successful companies of Japan - companies which were doing fine though they were not around. CEO was smart and required only 3 days to learn the lesson.
A study by the Institute of Psychology in Stockholm blasts of another myth – stress due to overwork can be cured by rest. Study found overtime damages the physical, psychological and social well-being of workers, even where the workers willing take on the extra work. They studied the affect of heavy work program on workers employed by the electronics firm Ericcson. Study found high levels of adrenaline, blood fats and slightly elevated blood pressure in the workforce. They were experiencing a permanent condition of stress, which did not go away even a vacation of four weeks. After what might be considered a proper rest they still felt worn out, irritated and in a bad mood. The physical condition of the employees was much poorer now than at the beginning of the project.
India has a very of young workforce and fortunately this workforce has ample opportunity to exploit its zeal and strength. But materialistic gains and dog-eat-dog culture has tilted work-leisure balance unfavorably. Unfortunately we realize the fatality of this imbalance too late in our life. All our life we chase deadline and repent each one missed but when death stared in our face, we never repent the deadlines missed but lifelines gone by.
Are you working 15 hours a day?
Are you regularly working on weekends?
Has it been ages since you last indulged in any of your hobbies or long since you last spent quality time with your loved ones?
If you heard “Aye” there times in last 15 seconds then beware you are flirting precariously with dangerous lifestyle. Stress and fatigue can no more be ridiculed as excuses underperformance, at least not since January 1994 when Dr Alan Massie, 27, dropped dead shortly after completing an 86-hour week. He had worked seven of the previous eight days and three nights, including unbroken spells of 27 hours and 24 hours.
Most of us believe that we are indispensable at work place and the world would halt as soon as we stop. Similar notion was shared by a CEO of a Japanese firm before he suffered stroke due to overwork. To help him overcome his myth his doctor prescribed him spent seven days at city cemetery. CEO thought that this was a trick to keep him away from work, but he gave in to doctor’s advice. First two were uneventful but on third day, CEO started brushing aside dirt and leaves to read names on the tombstones. To his amazement he found that around him were lying the most successful managers, CEOs and directors of successful companies of Japan - companies which were doing fine though they were not around. CEO was smart and required only 3 days to learn the lesson.
A study by the Institute of Psychology in Stockholm blasts of another myth – stress due to overwork can be cured by rest. Study found overtime damages the physical, psychological and social well-being of workers, even where the workers willing take on the extra work. They studied the affect of heavy work program on workers employed by the electronics firm Ericcson. Study found high levels of adrenaline, blood fats and slightly elevated blood pressure in the workforce. They were experiencing a permanent condition of stress, which did not go away even a vacation of four weeks. After what might be considered a proper rest they still felt worn out, irritated and in a bad mood. The physical condition of the employees was much poorer now than at the beginning of the project.
India has a very of young workforce and fortunately this workforce has ample opportunity to exploit its zeal and strength. But materialistic gains and dog-eat-dog culture has tilted work-leisure balance unfavorably. Unfortunately we realize the fatality of this imbalance too late in our life. All our life we chase deadline and repent each one missed but when death stared in our face, we never repent the deadlines missed but lifelines gone by.
Comments
Good post though ... God I miss blogging