Breaths of Life

Start with you

Imagine you're up in the sky, turbulence hits, and those oxygen masks come tumbling down. Now, the flight attendants, they're telling you to secure your own mask first before you even think about helping anyone else—yes, even your own kid.

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Why, you ask?

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Because you've got to fill yourself up with that life-giving air if you're going to be any good to others. It's the same deal when you're on the grind at work. You've got to prioritize your own well-being before you can step up and support your team like the champ you are.

Taking care of number one means you'll be bringing the positivity, the drive, and the resilience needed to lift everyone else up. So, don't forget: self-care ain't selfish; it's the secret sauce that'll have you making waves and changing lives in the workplace.

Hit the brakes a bit

You know, in today's crazy world, everybody's always talking about being productive like it's the Holy Grail. But what if I told you that maybe, just maybe, the real secret sauce to success isn't always about burning the candle at both ends? Sometimes, you gotta ease off the gas pedal, take a breather, and really soak in life's little pleasures, you know what I mean?

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Now, let me tell you a little something about ancient Rome. Those folks had this whole deal going on with what they called "otium" and "negotium." Otium was all about taking intentional timeouts, kicking back, maybe pondering life's big questions, enjoying some art, or simply chilling out in a warm bath. It was like a gift from above, a crucial ingredient for unlocking your full potential.

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But here's the kicker: otium wasn't just about lazing around. Nope, it was about recharging your batteries so you could dive back into negotium, which was like your daily grind but with a purpose and dignity. See, the Romans understood that action needed to happen in between those moments of pause. That's why they valued both otium and negotium.

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But nowadays, it's like we've lost touch with that wisdom. We're all caught up in this constant hustle, feeling guilty whenever we take a step back, like we're somehow wasting time. But let me tell you, that kind of mindset isn't doing us any favors. It's just wearing us down, making us forget what really matters in life.

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So here's my two cents: maybe it's time we embraced the art of slowing down a bit. Maybe we should take a page out of the Romans' playbook, you know? Because at the end of the day, being a great leader isn't just about how much you can accomplish—it's about being a well-rounded, fulfilled individual. And sometimes, that means knowing when to hit the pause button and just enjoy the ride.

Scientific data

Research has shown that post-work activities such as engaging in sports, learning a new language, or volunteering, made employees more motivated to make a change the next day and made them more capable of such a change. It was also reported that they felt more excited, inspired, and happy, emotions that can increase our willingness to take control of various situations at work.

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Relaxation and detachment from work both physically and mentally through meditation or simply relaxing and listening to music, while indeed made people feel more relaxed and comfortable, did not have the same benefits as doing something more creative.

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See this too: 150 years of research consistently indicate that when one works beyond 40 hours per week, they become less efficient and productive, both in the short term and the long term.

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Why? Simply because the human brain is not programmed to work like a computer that you can open at any time and operate continuously. Just as trees do not produce fruit 365 days a year, so too is a person productive only in cycles where work and rest alternate.

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When faced with frequent requests from your manager to work longer hours, consider using the opportunity to kindly present them with the book "Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance―and What We Can Do About It" by Jeffrey Pfeffer . Trust me, it will have a positive effect on your working life!

Someone said it, and I liked it.

Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.

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The phrase belongs to Henry David Thoreau, and even though it was written in 1854, it seems to have timeless value. After all, from that time of the Industrial Revolution, our work time began to be measured for the first time with clocks. We became cogs in big machines (companies), often losing our personal pace and autonomy.

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The latest generations seem to be starting to set their boundaries more clearly. The period of Covid might have been a period of awakening. But we really need to understand that our time in this world is finite and it's not worth wasting it only on a job that doesn't allow us to eat properly, exercise, engage in activities that please us, or develop real human relationships. Instead of being immersed in an office chair chasing numbers that play no significant role in our real happiness and allowing our human need to connect with others to be wasted on endless scrolling through social media.

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Okay, I said the last part to make the connection with the next paragraph...

Content I suggest this month ??

It's crucial how we utilize our leisure time outside of work. In this realm, we're called to overcome certain habits that distract us. I recommend you watch the TEDx talk titled "The Battle for Your Time: Exposing the Costs of Social Media" by DinoAmbrosi.

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I must say, for me, it was quite eye-opening, and likely will be for you too. I believe many of us have developed a strong addiction to social media. And I'm certain most of us don't realize how much time we truly spend on them. Even more troubling, we don't know how much of our overall free time they consume.

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But perhaps the worst part is the impact they have on us. They train us to become shallow individuals who struggle to focus and delve deeply into something, who cannot build meaningful and profound relationships with others. And in my opinion, this is a consequence worse than that of other addictive habits, such as smoking.

The Offer of the Month

On May 15th, we embark on the inaugural journey of the Happy Leader School, and I'm thrilled to announce that we'll be joined by a remarkable group of individuals. Positions are limited, as my aim is to foster an interactive environment where each participant can leave their unique imprint.

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I've reserved a spot exclusively for the cherished readers of this newsletter. Securing it is not difficult—simply react with ?? to this post, and you'll be entered into the draw. All reactions received until Wednesday, May 8th, will be considered.

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For more details about this educational program, please refer to the corresponding post on LinkedIn. (This education is conducted in the Greek language.)

Question for you:

If you could turn back time by one year:

-????????? How many of the hours you worked would you exchange to spend time with loved ones?

-????????? How many of the enjoyable hours would you sacrifice to work more?

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If you believe that this newsletter can benefit others, share it.

If you want to work together to increase the happiness levels of your workforce, send me a DM and let's chat.

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Here's to the countless smiles ahead!

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Giannis Metoikidis

Work Happiness Trainer