Rest is productive

(It can be reached at moitrayee.das@flame.edu.in.)

Ishita Malhotra

(An undergraduate student of psychology at FLAME University, Pune)

“There’s nothing, no task, no paycheck, no project that’s more important than our and your well-being,” Laura Pendergrass, Industrial Psychologist

Infosys’s founder Narayana Murthy’s remark on a “70-hour work week” for Indian youth has sparked multiple debates and huge amounts of criticism from professionals across industries. Murthy argued for the idea of a 70-hour work week to improve productivity among Indian employees, claiming the country has the “lowest productivity”. But is working long hours truly the solution to increased productivity?

According to a McKinsey report, Indian employees have the highest burnout rate, followed by Japan. Several other reports have concluded that the Indian workforce is highly stressed, overworked, and dissatisfied at the workplace. Such alarming reports of the workplace prove to be extremely problematic in the current scenario where work is perceived as worship and the boundaries between work and life are ever so blurry. India’s economic struggles have led to individuals developing a “scarcity mindset”, which, combined with praise and constant reinforcement, has led to these boundaries of life and work becoming blurry. This work-oriented culture brings with it the concerning problem of an individual’s work becoming their identity marker.

The overwork culture is not only a result of societal expectations and toxic workplace environments but rather a result of a more deeply rooted and internalized perception of work that an individual is conditioned to believe. The hustle culture is largely to blame for this mass burnout among Indian employees, leading to decreased productivity, work dissatisfaction, poor work-life balance, mental health challenges, and more. These workplace challenges, sadly, are intertwined such that the disruption of one automatically affects the other. Employees with poor work-life balance are bound to experience burnout, thus eventually leading to lowered productivity and decreased work performance.

According to data from the International Labour Organization (ILO), Indians dedicate 48 hours on average per week to their work, thus making them one of the most hardworking employees globally. However, long working hours sometimes equate to productivity. In fact, an essential and often overlooked aspect of productivity is rest. The slogan “hustle, hustle, hustle” proudly held by some fails to deliver when rest, or rather a balance, is not incorporated in one’s routine. Researcher Alex Soojung-Kim Pang wrote in his book, wrote “Rest is not this optional leftover activity. Work and rest are actually partners. They are like different parts of a wave. You can’t have the high without the low. The better you are at resting, the better you will be at working.”

Post-pandemic, the rules of the workplace have changed drastically as most organizations adopted a hybrid mode of working. While some state that they work better in a hybrid setting, others have noticed a clear decrease in productivity and poor work-life balance. This overspill of work into an individual’s personal life has taken a whole new level as the hybrid model of working blurs these lines. It is also not a coincidence that mental health post-pandemic, especially amongst youth, has been worst affected, with an extremely concerning rise in cases of depression and anxiety.

Various studies have shown the link between taking regular breaks and its positive impact on not only productivity but the emotional and physical well-being of an individual in general. Functioning on auto-pilot leads to burnout and decreased performance over time, thus starting a vicious cycle. However, a well-balanced lifestyle and intentionally prioritizing rest can help boost productivity by giving the mind and body enough time to recharge. Signing off from one’s workplace at a particular time, understanding the importance of weekends, and intentionally drawing boundaries between work and family, and so on, can help an individual mindfully choose rest.

Research on sleep, downtime, and rest has concluded that the brain requires sleep and downtime to function at its highest capacity. Time away from work helps the brain consolidate the day’s memories, replenishing the brain as well as promoting productivity and increased creativity. Sleeping a minimum of 7-9 hours a day, practicing mindfulness, setting clear boundaries, and protecting your energy during and after work hours are a few ways to give your mind and body the rest they need and deserve. To quote Gary Keller, entrepreneur and author, “Productivity isn’t about being a workhorse. Keeping busy or burning the midnight oil... It’s more about priorities, planning, and fiercely protecting your time.”

With the over-glorification of “hustle” and “grind” and the ever-blurry boundaries between work and life, it is more important now than ever before to prioritise rest and restoration. True productivity does not necessarily equate to longer working hours; rather, productivity that produces good work stems from working smart, protecting time and energy, and prioritizing emotional and physical well-being.