Charismatic Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds recently announced that he will be taking a break from a long period of non-stop work. The news is surprising because it comes at the best time of his career, but it justifies itself – and rightly so – by pointing out that with pandemic anxiety – the same anxiety that many of us feel – he has dedicated himself to working with such intensity that it now requires a break.
“There is something in our culture of hyperproductivity that is shattered -analysed Reynolds.- Having to work harder than others, to produce more, with more discipline and more and more and more … It can be beneficial sometimes, but we have to stop, we were not born to work and die.», He commented in a maintenance disseminated by EFE.
Obviously this makes us reflect on our own professional life, when we don’t have the fortune of a celebrity, who can take a break without fear of going into debt or worse.
Yes, the culture of hyperproductivity forces us to be in constant motion, not only to think about paying the bills, but also to have more, to produce more, to be more competitive … And if it can be beneficial, it can also be very harmful, because at some point we realize that we live exclusively to work.
And is that many, most, we don’t have the Reynolds option. We have to work non-stop, but is there a way to reduce this pressure? If a mortal like you or me needed to take a month for health reasons, for example, couldn’t do it without consequences, then would it help that employers cut back on working day hours? Is there a way it doesn’t sound like a utopia?
The international coach and consultant Carlos gaviria sheds an encouraging light on this subject, focusing on us as individuals, but also on the role that organizations should play.
“One of the most notorious signs of hyperproductivity is the syndrome of Burnout, which is that intense burnout that is compared to burnout, and that is defined as excellent burnout and chronic stress that, of course, affects performance. “
“It’s very frustrating to feel that you are doing, doing and doing, but it’s never enough. So to avoid or lessen that feeling, we have to connect with a bigger goal than just achieving the goals of the job. For example, if my goal is to achieve that within six months I can manage a rest trip for myself and my family, then it would make sense to be more and more productive. “
“My suggestion is that we define a goal in life. For this there is a very effective method called Ikigai, which focuses on finding your purpose. There, we understand that work has a limit, you have an hour to stop, you have to set yourself a schedule to devote to yourself yourself, your family, rest, health, leisure. These are vital areas that people neglect to focus on producing, and the problem is, you won’t be able to produce if you’re not good and to be good you have to keep your balance at all costs. “
Gaviria explains that this method, of Japanese origin, allows us to interweave four important factors that work together to achieve this goal of life: what you like; what you’re good at; what they can pay you; and what the world needs. “Between what you love and what you’re good at is your passion. Between what you are good for and what you can be paid for is your profession; while between what you can get paid for and what the world needs, you find your calling, and between what the world needs and what you love is your mission. At the center of this gear is your purpose. “
On the other hand, organizations must take into account the interests of their human resources since, in their opinion, workers are, at this post-pandemic time, more interested in policies of collaboration, connectivity, training and technology, as this leads to higher levels of well-being and social cohesion, which of course also has an impact on productivity.
“The initial goal in companies, right now, should be to understand how what we do leads to greater productivity, with which they plan to encourage us to connect more, to have more flexible days, to encourage us to take care of our health and this is something that the pandemic has left us: working hard, being hyper-productive but also the need to stay close to family and home “.
Gaviria refers study by McKinsey who found that 50% of workers surveyed would like to be able to continue working from home for three or more days a week. This, because of the proximity with their relatives and because it allowed them to acquire other types of habits such as reading, or learning to play a musical instrument, or to cook during their long working hours. , benefits our way of working and performing.
Another key that allows us to find the balance point between our ability to work and our well-being is to answer us how much of what we do every day leaves us tangible results, because among the things that frustrate us the most and driving us towards this hyperproductivity is the feeling of doing a lot and not doing enough, this should lead us to rethink our goals.
Finally, the expert stresses that when organizations understand that they must take breaks, that there must be spaces for rest and disconnection, that they must maintain clear communication with their workers on their objectives and what are strategies to achieve them, they see a greater capacity to meet new challenges successfully.
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