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Is full-time work bad for our brains?

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Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#121

Stretching 2 hours of work into an 8-9 hour day through meetings and sneaky Reddit/hn usage is certainly bad for our brains. But this is the norm as long as managers interpret productivity as butts in seats.

Is this you? If so, why aren't you seeking out more work to do, since you have so much free time?

I know this sounds snarky, but I have never seen a company that didn't have undone work. And I've rarely met colleagues who didn't appreciate a helping hand when they were busy.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#122
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A non-trivial part of my job is ansering questions that co-workers run into while trying to do their jobs. This would become far less efficient if we didn't all keep mostly the same hours.

Good thing you don't work in a globally distributed company, nothing could get done. Maybe you should look into technologies like email that allows people to send messages that can be responded to when the person has the time.

This ignores the concept of a blocking issue.

I (in North America) had to interact with a team member in Australia for a short project, and if either of us needed the other for something, we effectively had to find other work to do while waiting for the other to actually be awake and/or at their desk.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like it could be a diet thing. Have you tried eating different things for lunch to see if that affects your mid-afternoon mood?

Do you have any good resources for diet things? I'm interested in this.

Unfortunately, I don't. I tried many different diets, but they either didn't work, or weren't sustainable. I settled on two rules, lost 50+ lbs, and have been able to sustain it for a few years now. My rules are (1) don't overeat, and (2) don't eat processed foods.

It took a few months before I figured out what my portions were, since I don't feel full until about 15-20 minutes after I am. By the time I knew how much I needed to eat in one sitting, I'd become used to eating that amount, so it was a breeze.

I do eat whatever I want, with the exception of processed foods. If I can't make it at home with whole ingredients, I'll likely not eat it. I do cheat every so often, but not much, and not a large amount (I love a box of Raisinettes during a movie.)

As for not being able to think straight after lunch, I used to get that way when I'd eat too much. I used to love feeling full, but it would definitely affect brain function. Now, I get ill when I overeat. I also try to eat a high protein, high fiber breakfast, because it seems to get me further through the day than anything else (I eat a small late lunch).

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#124
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Adding a 12-hour round-trip to any question doesn't seem like a good alternative. Isn't it a given that very few companies actually are hiring the top 0.01%? Unless you really need the absolute world best, you're probably going to do fine hiring local people who can work together closely.

I've found that adding {floor} round-trip to any questions someone could have figured out by reading the first result on a search to be excellent for the productivity of all involved.

Ok but that still leaves all the questions that can't be answered with the first result of a search.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That link returns a 500 error for me.

This link will give you a good collection: https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&site=&tbm=isch&sou...

Google disagrees. Showing results for "china map factory" Even correcting it with the link to the original query doesn't really show much relevant.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As much as I agree with that I'm still at a loss as to why butts in seats management is still so dominant today. Because managers up a level have no other way of knowing if you're being productive or not. So they look and see if people are ferociously typing. This is not a joke.

Yes, a place where I used to work once sent out a memo trying to encourage more regular work hours because management couldn't find people, and the office always looked half empty. The thing is, it was the operations staff for a astronomical observatory. The "missing" people were generally traveling and/or working at night!

I used to work in research physics and recall hearing a similar story, probably embellished with each retelling. The version I heard had the staff complying with the order and working 9-5, then management complains that no observations are being made at night.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That link returns a 500 error for me.

This link will give you a good collection: https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&site=&tbm=isch&sou...

Showing results for china map factory

I was very confused for a bit :)

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, a place where I used to work once sent out a memo trying to encourage more regular work hours because management couldn't find people, and the office always looked half empty. The thing is, it was the operations staff for a astronomical observatory. The "missing" people were generally traveling and/or working at night!

I used to work in research physics and recall hearing a similar story, probably embellished with each retelling. The version I heard had the staff complying with the order and working 9-5, then management complains that no observations are being made at night.

Well, in this case, I personally received the memo. Knowing my co-workers, however, I highly doubt anyone actually changed their behaviour due to it. Other, similar, management antics included scheduling meetings first thing in the morning and complaining that the telescope operators never showed up.

Re: Is full-time work bad for our brains?

#130

Stretching 2 hours of work into an 8-9 hour day through meetings and sneaky Reddit/hn usage is certainly bad for our brains. But this is the norm as long as managers interpret productivity as butts in seats.

Is this you? If so, why aren't you seeking out more work to do, since you have so much free time? I know this sounds snarky, but I have never seen a company that didn't have undone work. And I've rarely met colleagues who didn't appreciate a helping hand when they were busy.

It comes down to cost-benefit: on net, will doing this thing create more positive things (e.g., personal reward, recognition, compensation) than negative things (e.g., dealing with bureaucracy, being hassled, getting entangled in organizational politics)? If it's net negative, there's no reason to do it. Now, that's inherently pessimistic, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't apply to actual work environments. There's also an argument for recognizing this situation and doing something about it (i.e. quitting to do something else), although that can be easier said than done, depending on one's circumstances.
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