If your professional life seems like a game of sped-up Whac-a-Mole—knocking out tasks as fast and flustered as you can—you’re not alone. After all, 53% of top managers say they are burned out at work, according to a 2022 Microsoft work trend index report.
But as local executive coaches echo in the latest issue of Business Report, this doesn’t have to be the norm.
“A lot of places get this badge of honor for who is working the hardest, and that’s a terrible cultural element because people compete for the honor of being the most overworked, says Christel Slaughter, CEO of SSA Consultants, an organizational development and management consulting firm. “People just get caught in ‘I have to look like I’m working hard because everybody around me talks about how hard they’re working.’ It feeds on itself.”
In an age where hustle culture has been glamorized and being productive receives instant gratification, entrepreneurs and executives are filling up their calendars and not leaving enough room for designated time away from work to think. While it might feel indulgent to step away from the desk and log out of Slack or Teams, taking brief or extended work breaks can stimulate your creativity.
Read more from the latest issue of Business Report on how you can fit “think time” into your schedule.
