You need a break, Not a breakdown
I never work more than four to five hours a day.
I write for a living.
I made my passion my profession.
My weekend starts Friday afternoon and ends Monday morning… (and I never compromise on this)
For someone like me, to be writing on this topic, might be a little inappropriate, according to some. But here I am writing about it still, as I just couldn’t help myself
The whole idea about this article got engraved in my head when one beautiful Saturday night, I was out with my friends, at a place right opposite a very swank office. It was around 10:30 in the night and I saw these impeccably clad men and women stepping out from there, some staring at their smart phones and some talking on them. They did come to the same restaurant as us, but all I could see was, 10-12 of them, sitting on a table, grabbing a bite and a drink, while still on their phones. None of them spoke a word to each other or even to the servers in the restaurant. The order was pointed out on the menu or punched into the app on the iPad.
Despite my optimism that they might be calling a friend or family, and this might be their idea of having fun, I couldn’t believe it any less!!
So, the meddlesome me decided to talk to them, and what I learnt wasn’t pretty at all. They were certainly not done with there work and this outing was apparently a break. They were all going back to spend a few more hours at work and some will be back again tomorrow. On a Sunday!!
Some of them travel every week to multiple cities and even countries and then land up in their offices straight from the airport!
‘Why?’ How? – I asked.
Well answer was, there are dead lines to be met, business to be expanded, deals to be signed, appraisals to be finished, something to be filed and something to be reviewed; something to be redone, some client calls to be taken and some disaster management to be dealt with… The list just goes on….
And that’s not all… Their juniors were going to be working longer hours…
Questions in my head-
- Isn’t seven hours of sleep minimum requirement for all?
- What about the constant travel and the effect it has on their body? What about the sleep pattern that has been totally destroyed due to constantly jumping various time zones? My body wouldn’t take this kind of travelling even when I was sixteen and these men/women are much older..
- What about family/friends/hobby?
- Do these people even know what’s happening to their body and mind and the repercussions of leading this life?
With these and a million other questions in my head, I started my research.
I read this on Business Today site:
“Nearly 9 in 10 Indians suffer from stress. In fact, the recently-released findings of the 2018 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey – Future Assured, conducted by Cigna TTK Health Insurance, show that stress levels are higher in Indian compared with other developed and emerging countries, including the United States, the UK, Germany, France, China, Brazil and Indonesia.”- Business Today, July 10, 2018
Whether you are a doctor / lawyer / consultant/engineer/ have your own business, or any other professional, the time to dedicate to your own mental and physical well-being is a luxury you just cannot afford!!
The need to stay on top of it all, supersedes everything else.. The non-stop calls and meetings and travels without breaks, is a norm.
Well, this lifestyle is not doing anyone any good. On the contrary they have adverse impact on your life and your body and even your work that you so love.
Let me state some:
- Reduced efficiency/productivity at work as a human body can only do a limited amount. Even a high-tech machine gives up upon constant use. Your brain and body need rest.
- A tired body cannot sustain itself for too long. If your body doesn’t get adequate rest, it will affect your work, your temperament, sleep and most definitely your immunity.
- Your social life goes for a toss. With these hours spent at work, you meet your friends and relatives very rarely and no matter how much they love you, they will get tired of your “I am busy” and “I can’t make it” replies, and soon will make lesser and lesser attempts to meet you. We humans are social animals. We need to meet people. It’s good for us. Healthy for us. It’s a necessity.
- Well, your family will always love you (not too sure about it though) but they will have their complains and your need to be with them, will also not be met. It’s important for any of us to spend time with our spouses/ partners, parents, kids, pets, grandparents and extended family. The lesser time you spend with them, the more your brain will register stress.
- Your body and mind gets little rest and soon you will be susceptible to various diseases. You don’t have time to eat healthy or exercise and this adds to ill health even more.
- You are more prone to obesity, heart ailments and brain related illness.
- You definitely age faster.
My question is, ‘Why lead this life?‘
Is any amount of wealth, success, fame, or some designation worth it?
NO!
Slow down a bit.
Take your weekends off, give your mind and body a rest.
Your work will happen and will happen better if a happier you is doing it.
With That note, I end my article. Hope you liked reading it!
P.S. 1. Everything that i have said above is totally my view, my observation and my understanding. It is not binding on anyone and nor am i qualified to give anyone any advise. These are just my views I am expressing.
2. I know the pictures used are only of women, that’s cause they were the ones willing to pose for me. 🙂 I totally believe that men are equality stressed and over worked.