[Productivity Tip # 5] - Problems or Challenges? Depression, Burnout,?Turnover

“We have created an environment so complex, fast paced, and information laden, but we must increasingly deal with it in the fashion of the animals we long ago transcended” 

 (Robert Cialdini)

Basically, our biology is not designed for today’s world; it didn’t catch up with the rapid changes of the last ten thousand years.

During our evolution, the feelings of joy and satisfaction were provided by our instinct to reward us for good actions and accomplishments; in today’s world, where everything we need is at hand, these biological triggers got totally out of tune. They are not helpful and, in some cases, they can even be detrimental.

In the average workplace, a lot of decisions need to be taken every day, often very fast; each decision costs energy and stress, and this triggers your preservation mechanism (fight or flight response).

This means that, instead of using your evolved brain, you are making more and more decisions based on primal instincts that are less and less relevant. 

 Often times you rationally know what is best for you, but you still do something completely different. In this way your performance, your happiness and your fulfilment suffer enormously. And so does each person in your company.

All this internal conflict, combined with reacting in fight or flight mode at each email or decision you need to make, leads to unprecedented (and growing) levels of stress.

“The Conference Board reports that 53 percent of Americans are currently unhappy at work” 

(Forbes 2018–10 Shocking Workplace Stats You Need To Know)

You will get similar, alarming stats from other sources:

Think about playing Rugby or American Football: you need to avoid the other team to get down below the bottom line or you will go down and lose momentum.

It’s a constant battle between pushing hard to get to your goal and absorbing the impetus of the events when “the others” strike hard.

This is why you see defenders protect that area of the field, attacking the opponents with so much ferocity as if their life depended on that

In real life “the others” can be your competitors, your colleagues, your managers, your shareholders, or even your family. They all have their interests and goals, which sometimes are even more than legitimate, but maybe they are just different from yours or they come at the wrong moment. This creates struggle and stress.

The more you work and stress, the more your energy and motivation go down.

Defend your energy above this line at all costs, as if your life depended on that.

Because, guess what, your work — and so your life — depend on that!!!!

Before a certain threshold, when you leave work you can do activities that replenish your energy: hobby, side business, family, friends, sports, and any power habit (you can also read Productivity Tip #3).

Under that threshold your energy is depleted: you are so tired and wasted that you feel you cannot do anything — not even your power habits. Even worse, you might delude yourself and think “Oh, even if I did, that wouldn’t help”.

And if you go below that threshold?

Force yourself to stop, pause, practice some of your “rejuvenating habits” (posture, meditation, physical activity, cold shower, etc.) and then do one of your energy activities. 

 You will feel like a rebirth.

Pushing for productivity leads your people to stress and strain, which translates into costs for your company (absenteeism, unproductivity, talents leaving the company).

A good question is “WHAT type of culture (and results) do I want in my company?”

A powerful question is “HOW can I have the right type of people in my company?”

An Elite question is “WHO do I want around to create solid results that last?”

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Maximising human potential is the only way for people to achieve more fulfilment, better productivity and higher profits.

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