As the world is advancing towards a new version of itself, the one in which the technology is witnessing a rapid growth, new companies are getting listed on the IPO, space tourism is not a distant dream anymore and people’s minds are booming with ideas, the culture of overwork has strived to remain intact.
People think working for long hours is a mark of success. The famous TV series suits depicts a world of corporate lawyers, with expensive suits, heels higher than their paycheck, and a fancy side office, having a fifteen hour work day for an entire week where they refer to working as “hustling harder and kicking asses".
The characters are constantly seen twisting circumstances for their own good so much so that they get a so-called Harvard educated fraud pass the ethics bar of the law. Well, the rewards of hustling depicted in the show are exciting and immensely pleasing but does this hold true in reality?
While many of us would associate this obsession of work with corporates and finance sectors, the glamorization of this culture is expanding in many other professional sectors too.
With new ideas and innovations, people are eager to establish their own startups and businesses, be it in any field. They believe in overworking, sacrificing their sleep in order to make their business successful. And why wouldn’t they? The existing billionaire start-ups executives have been an advocate of “Grind while they rest, study when they party and you will live like they dream”.
The companies are seen hiring less employees and burdening people with work especially those who are fresh graduates. And these people with an objective to learn more in their field end up working for twelve hours a day.
A very unique trend that’s been up these days is work the week and party on weekends. People believe that working endlessly over the week and then taking a short break over the weekend is a great idea. Is this really happening? Or is it just a trend to influence people through social media? As for any normal human being, a twelve hour work day over an entire week would mean a lot of rest over the weekends. But nevertheless, a thought like this pleases the mind and who doesn’t like travelling after all.
Overwork culture is nothing but a fast forward to burn out. While there might be some who are able to balance between a rough patch and their work life, a majority of them would be out there who would not be able to. This kind of work culture does exactly the opposite of what we think. It does not enhance our productivity. Besides it damages our psychological and emotional competencies and leads to a lot of other mental trauma including depression, anxiety and stress. People who see work as the ultimate goal in life are also susceptible to bending rules and getting things done which also brings a lot of guilt in them. This is definitely not a very healthy practice.
A severe burn out may cause one to develop negative feelings towards their work, feeling of exhaustion and irritability due to reduced efficiency at work. It can lead to a person questioning themself about their life decisions and more importantly themself as a person. It may bring self-doubt and loss in confidence in a person due to constant setbacks, if any, which will dehumanize their spirit. Scared? Don’t be! You can change this because it’s never too late!
Here are 5 ways in which you can help yourself and the ones around you and help in de- stigmatizing the overwork culture.
Focus on smart work – If you have been given work, try to find out ways in which you can complete the work faster. Ask your colleagues for help if they know better than you. Learn how other people are working within your organization without compromising on their personal life. While you are at work, focus on learning from everyone and everything. Don’t leave it as homework and get things done then and there.
Take up work if you can – Don’t take up work if you already have a lot on your plate. Only if you can, you should volunteer to take up any work that is open for all. If you end up doing everything the results of all your work would be average. Instead focus on what you have and try to work on it efficiently and creatively. If you are a manager, figure out why people are taking up more work. Emphasize on the importance of a healthy work culture and promote creative and productive work done in shorter hours of time. This way, employees will realize the importance of working for fewer hours on fewer tasks but with full efficiency.
Know your priorities outside of work – As a leader; you can share your priorities outside of work to encourage people on your team to prioritize their personal life as well. Share your hobbies, take a little break from work and go for some refreshments in the form of hangouts or playing some sport.
Companies need to analyze why employees are putting in more working hours - Overwork means either you are not utilizing your time or you are not using your resources properly. Proper employee training on time management, deciding work schedule, prior work day planning and realizing what each team member is good at and distributing the work accordingly will save a lot of time and resources. Rewarding efficient work can be a good technique to bring out the importance of working efficiently and not working endlessly. This can also be applied to individuals. If you feel you are overworked then you need to assess your working pattern and start managing your time judiciously with proper planning rather than just stepping out of the bed in the morning and start working. You can also sign up for courses that teach time management. In a world where competition is rising exponentially, time management will be a handy skill up your sleeves.
Practice walking or take up therapy – a little therapy can bring in huge rewards by making you realize your own self and also your self-worth. Discussing your thoughts with a stranger can relieve you of stress and help you enjoy the process of your work more. Also, walking at least 10000 steps a day will boost your energy and allow you to not feel distressed and work with more efficacies. This has scientific reasons behind it and has proved well for a lot of people. Physical exertion will make your mind more active and release hormones that will boost immunity.
- Jahnvi Bedia