Nowadays, the technology has given us an opportunity to stay in touch 24 hours per day and work without any hint of rest.
Who did not use a chance to work with a tablet in a cafe, sleep in the office and chat with colleagues through messengers? It would seem that such a modernization should have made the work more comfortable. However, it is not like that. Thanks to the Internet and various gadgets, employees are always ready to be contacted. Sitting on the beach, people check their mails. As soon as people are wide awake, they click on Facebook messages. According to the Pew Research Center, 35% of employees admit that new technologies have prolonged the duration of their working day.
"Flexible work schedule" in many vacancies does not mean the opportunity to leave the office early in order to go to a gym or meet with a friend in a cafe. As a rule, it means that employees need to work on the project for 12-14 hours per day. As a result, people are accustomed to working round the clock, so that they do not notice the difference between the real necessity to work and a habit. This phenomenon is an illness of the XXI century. Nevertheless, there is medicine against this disease. Let’s discuss its recipe.
Write Papers to Stop Working More Than It Is Needed
The first task with which you have to cope is to determine what kind of work occupies your free time. Obviously, you need to analyze all working process and arrive at a comprehensible conclusion. The best way to succeed in analyzing is to appeal to a writing therapy.
Generally, writing therapy is considered to be the best method of relieving emotions and feelings. The principle of such a method is very simple: all you need to do is to take a clean sheet of paper and write short essays (or any other types of writing) that will describe the problematic situation. The key feature is that you are free to express all ideas and thoughts that come to your mind. No limits at all!
Moreover, writing therapy is a good method for analyzing issues as well. It is explained by the fact that left brain hemisphere that takes part in the writing process is responsible for analytical skills as well. That is why it becomes easier to comprehend complicated notions when they are written rather than said out loud. In this regard, try to write about your work in a short but expressive way: describe your responsibilities, deadlines, projects, tasks, etc. Therefore, you will be able to determine the sphere to which you have to pay close attention.
Workaholics
While European employers mention "a flexible working day" in ads and the need to constantly be in touch, American companies have started to consider losses from the possible introduction of a new law on overtime. Under current rules, they are required to pay for overtime hours only to those employees who receive less than $ 23,660 a year, or $ 455 per week. This standard may be revised, raising the bar up to 50 thousand dollars a year.
Every year hundreds of people die from causes somehow related to overtime working in Japan. This phenomenon even has a name – "karosi." In this country, the practice of extracurricular work is the most common notion: 22% of the employed in the economy work for 50 hours a week. Therefore, the government projects are devoted to helping us get rid of workaholic habits.
“Reasonable” Grounds
Many people think that working overtime will help to build a successful career as fast as possible. However, the reality is harsh: the employer will not consider your overtime working if the work is far away from the ideal project. That is why people come up with various explanations of additional work. Most of them relate to implementing the desirable result. Below you can find the key moments to which employees pay attention when they work overtime.
- Many believe that if they stay in the office more than it is needed, they will accomplish more tasks. This rule can work in noisy environments: in the early morning or late evening, it is easier to concentrate on a complex project and finally complete it. But it is impossible to deceive biology. Anyway, your productiveness will fall to zero, as there will be no source for recharging the energy. And the energy is a key element in any working process. That is why it is so essential to balance between work and rest. And if you are not aware of the ways of how to relax, go here. You will find a real treasure for your inspiration.
- Managers often work late and thereby motivate people to work longer. In such companies, the employee who leaves the office at 7 pm is considered to be a lazy person.
- People believe that in order to get a promotion, they need to work harder. And the best proof of diligence seems to be working overtime.
- Digital etiquette has not been formed yet, therefore, if an employee has received a message when he is outside the office, he does not know when to answer it, and often decides to tackle this issue right now.