My wife sent me a Feb. 9 NY Times article, Relax! You’ll Be More Productive, by Tony Schwartz. She thought it would be good for a LifeNut to read. I agreed.
The well-meaning author points to current research that demonstrates the
health benefits of taking power naps, getting more sleep, daily exercise, and
frequent vacations. Nothing new there. More than 30 percent of workers eat at
their desks – to produce more. They also take work on their vacations. Most put in long hours at the office that reduces time for personal activities. End
result: too little sleep. A recent Harvard study shows that sleep deprivation costs American industry over $63 billion in lower productivity. Getting less than six hours of sleep each night incurs risk of job burn out. Tired workers make mistakes.
Yes, the average American wants to succeed. He or she wants to live the good life depicted on television and in the movies. Lifestyles of the rich and famous appeal to those who aren’t rich or famous. Just hungry for this “good life.”
This reminded me of the many financial experts who are daily guests on Squawk Box, the early morning business show on CNBC. These are the cream of the financial crop – CEOs, hedge fund managers, wealthy politicians, millionaires and billionaires. I find it ironic that 80% of them are either overweight or obese, apparently opting for pills to fix their medical condition (easier) rather than changing their lifestyle (harder). These men (mostly) and women could well afford to join a health club, hire a personal trainer, and buy the healthiest foods. Instead they turn themselves into health time bombs, probably victims of a busy, busy life, one that needs to produce every second of the day. Make deals. Make decisions. Analyze. Buy. Sell. It’s like a whirling carousel that won’t stop. You can’t get off … or can you?
On the other extreme is the person who is on the lowest rung of the economic ladder. These folks work for minimum wage or ten bucks an hour. They often hold down two or more jobs to support themselves. They spoke out loudly in the comments at the end of the article, offering a good dose of reality for the author.
One lady, a senior citizen, complained about not being able to afford medical coverage. Another was unhappy about the fact that she had to work harder and more efficiently – for $12 an hour – or be fired. And, if she were fired, maybe she wouldn’t find another $12-an-hour job. The next person made a good point: “Most Americans are too materialistic to choose a saner way of life that would keep them healthier and happier.” But the problem remains: we all want the American dream.
We need two incomes now, not just one – as in the 50s and 60s. More is better and greed is good, as in Wall Street. One person commented that business owners and CEOs should realize that workers become productive when they are happy and awake. Google seems to get this. A lot of companies don’t, making long hours an expected reality.
Modern electronics make contact with employees easy. What happens if you don’t reply to a text from your boss after hours or on a weekend? Nothing good. With jobs being scarce in this recession, fear is rampant, making workers comply with requests to return emails at ten o’clock at night.
When I worked in my dental practice, I was on call 24/7, although it was rare that a patient would call me in the evening or on a weekend. Still, I was more than willing to make an after-hours trip to the office for a patient in distress. And, as a boss, I rarely called any employee after hours. Nor did they call me. So, in my situation, I had more control over my time and a better chance to develop balance than, say, someone expected to put in 60+ hours a week for a company. Unfortunately, the movie Horrible Bosses may not be all that farfetched.
However, the bottom line is that each of us is responsible for our own health. Countless websites offer valuable stress management methods, many of which, get this, are free. Become a master of stress management and join the LifeNuts club. Turn lemons into lemonade. Find a job you love, excel at it, and control your own destiny. And, in the process, which may take years or even a lifetime, create balance, being careful to get enough sleep, exercise daily, meditate or deeply relax – if only for a few minutes, and eat foods that don’t contribute to disease. When you take responsibility for you, you’ll become more effective – both on the job and at home, less prone to illness, and, in the end, much happier. Good luck!
The well-meaning author points to current research that demonstrates the
health benefits of taking power naps, getting more sleep, daily exercise, and
frequent vacations. Nothing new there. More than 30 percent of workers eat at
their desks – to produce more. They also take work on their vacations. Most put in long hours at the office that reduces time for personal activities. End
result: too little sleep. A recent Harvard study shows that sleep deprivation costs American industry over $63 billion in lower productivity. Getting less than six hours of sleep each night incurs risk of job burn out. Tired workers make mistakes.
Yes, the average American wants to succeed. He or she wants to live the good life depicted on television and in the movies. Lifestyles of the rich and famous appeal to those who aren’t rich or famous. Just hungry for this “good life.”
This reminded me of the many financial experts who are daily guests on Squawk Box, the early morning business show on CNBC. These are the cream of the financial crop – CEOs, hedge fund managers, wealthy politicians, millionaires and billionaires. I find it ironic that 80% of them are either overweight or obese, apparently opting for pills to fix their medical condition (easier) rather than changing their lifestyle (harder). These men (mostly) and women could well afford to join a health club, hire a personal trainer, and buy the healthiest foods. Instead they turn themselves into health time bombs, probably victims of a busy, busy life, one that needs to produce every second of the day. Make deals. Make decisions. Analyze. Buy. Sell. It’s like a whirling carousel that won’t stop. You can’t get off … or can you?
On the other extreme is the person who is on the lowest rung of the economic ladder. These folks work for minimum wage or ten bucks an hour. They often hold down two or more jobs to support themselves. They spoke out loudly in the comments at the end of the article, offering a good dose of reality for the author.
One lady, a senior citizen, complained about not being able to afford medical coverage. Another was unhappy about the fact that she had to work harder and more efficiently – for $12 an hour – or be fired. And, if she were fired, maybe she wouldn’t find another $12-an-hour job. The next person made a good point: “Most Americans are too materialistic to choose a saner way of life that would keep them healthier and happier.” But the problem remains: we all want the American dream.
We need two incomes now, not just one – as in the 50s and 60s. More is better and greed is good, as in Wall Street. One person commented that business owners and CEOs should realize that workers become productive when they are happy and awake. Google seems to get this. A lot of companies don’t, making long hours an expected reality.
Modern electronics make contact with employees easy. What happens if you don’t reply to a text from your boss after hours or on a weekend? Nothing good. With jobs being scarce in this recession, fear is rampant, making workers comply with requests to return emails at ten o’clock at night.
When I worked in my dental practice, I was on call 24/7, although it was rare that a patient would call me in the evening or on a weekend. Still, I was more than willing to make an after-hours trip to the office for a patient in distress. And, as a boss, I rarely called any employee after hours. Nor did they call me. So, in my situation, I had more control over my time and a better chance to develop balance than, say, someone expected to put in 60+ hours a week for a company. Unfortunately, the movie Horrible Bosses may not be all that farfetched.
However, the bottom line is that each of us is responsible for our own health. Countless websites offer valuable stress management methods, many of which, get this, are free. Become a master of stress management and join the LifeNuts club. Turn lemons into lemonade. Find a job you love, excel at it, and control your own destiny. And, in the process, which may take years or even a lifetime, create balance, being careful to get enough sleep, exercise daily, meditate or deeply relax – if only for a few minutes, and eat foods that don’t contribute to disease. When you take responsibility for you, you’ll become more effective – both on the job and at home, less prone to illness, and, in the end, much happier. Good luck!
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