Why the 9 to 5 Office Worker Will Become a Thing of the Past
A very good article written by John Wesly which I totally agree with. It is exactly why I am freelancing instead of working full-time in a design firm.
In your personal life, when attending to business or working on side projects, how often do you spend 8 consecutive hours in front of a computer? It doesn’t make sense because we lose the ability to concentrate effectively within a few hours.
I work this way because it aligns with my mental energy cycle. Any more than 3 hours in front of a computer and my eyes start hurting and I become restless. I lose the ability to do my best work. Instead of forcing myself to continue, I switch to an activity that allows my mind to recharge. These breaks maximize productivity by eliminating down periods. It’s counter productive to force work when the mental energy isn’t there.
Employers don’t pay for unproductive time and employees get to work in a more natural pattern that adjusts to their personal lives.
Posting comment, please wait…
Lynn fotheringham on May 25, 07 – 10:47 pm
How to you persuade yourself to take a break? [I used to be a textile designer and know run a building design buisness - InsideOut Buildings:The Garden Office. with my partner who is an arcitect, ao am used to being tied to a desk.] I find I go into a trance and can’t pull myself away from the computer.
I do know another desigenr who sets an alarm to remind him to get up and walk around now and again. Any suggestions for learining to take a break?
Aen on May 25, 07 – 11:38 pm
For me, I don’t force myself to take a break. I’ll naturally get up when I feel like it. There are also plenty of reasons to get up.
Lunch time
Get a coffee
Watch some cartoons
Get outside for an inspirational walk
Be lazy and don’t feel guilty about it
Trust me, it helps to put things down. I used to tied myself to the desk like you said. I realized that a break actually works like a restart or a memory clearance. Sometimes I get up and end up spending 2 days on the break. Re-invigoration is productivity!
Tat Wee on Jun 02, 07 – 6:45 pm
Sorry about the last comment. It was purely accidental.
Anyway, my opinion is that 9-5 jobs will still be around in some industry and that it’s the people who demand a more flexible working hours for better work-life balance. Not because companies are eradicating 9-5 jobs.
Herry on Jun 04, 07 – 1:01 pm
I’ll just walk across to my bedroom from my home office, and take half an hour nap when I’m sleepy. After that…it feels like the day has just started. :)
Bluebird on Jun 18, 07 – 2:55 am
That’s what you call a “power nap”.
Thomas on Jun 21, 07 – 12:14 am
We use to have a coffee break in the morning and another in the mid afternoon. If someone miss the hour, the others reminds him… it’s friendly and easy!
Aen on Jun 21, 07 – 12:36 am
What kind of coffee do you drink. The cheap kind I drink at home is Nescafe 3in1 coffee (http://www.nestle.cz/vyrobky/img/nescafe_10ks.jpg) and it come in little strips, just add water.
Nice site!