Does it cause you anxiety not to do something productive in your free time? Do you want to relax but there are so many stimuli and options that in the end you are stressed? Hyperconnectivity and the fast pace of life threaten rest, but there are ways to achieve it.
The philosopher Byung-Chul Han has the film quite clear regarding anti stress. Although he didn’t use it literally, he dissected the concept in other ways, starting by postulating that the great pathological drama of our century is neither bacterial nor viral, but neural.
in his book The fatigue society He argues that the socio-economic system has succeeded in making human beings their own exploiters, a phenomenon which, instead of leading to rage – a feeling that could trigger a rebellion – leads, on the contrary, to exhaustion, to frustration and, most of the time, self-harm. all. , to blame.
“Those who fail in the neoliberal society of performance make themselves responsible and ashamed, instead of questioning society or the system. In self-exploitation, one directs the aggression towards oneself. This does not make the exploited a revolutionary, but a depressive”, he writes in psychopoliticsanother of his books.
It’s an unsettling feeling. Many people can identify with the scene of the end of the workday (is it really over?) and experience anxiety about not doing something positive or productive, even for their own break.
This is where self-exploitation creeps in, which can manifest itself in different ways: for example, trying to skip to the next task, compulsively exercising, or consuming content about how to be more effective in overcoming procrastination, a phenomenon that has been called flirtatious productivity porn.
Hence this concept, called anti stress in the United States, which could translate into the anxiety generated by rest. Where it comes from? And how did we get to this point where even relaxation stresses us out?
stress when relaxing
“I understand that it’s a fairly old phenomenon, but with new definitions,” says Ignacio Verdugo, bioenergetic therapist at Team Building Partners and monitor mindfulness. He suspects that the release of stress, or the inability to relax and disconnect from work in one’s free time, dates back even to the Industrial Revolution, although in recent decades “it has become even more acute and serious with the technological revolution.
Several things are mixed here. The first thing is that the real feeling of rest only appears after completing the pending tasks of the day, or what was planned. Because the truth is that turning around, or procrastinating – to use the academic term – stresses you out a lot more than you think.
“The Internet and social networks cause people to unconsciously review the status of their unresolved issues, such as their emails, messages or the agenda for the next day”, adds Daniela Quintanilla, occupational psychologist at tawa group .
Many people, at the end of their working hours, instead of logging off, stick to their cell phones again. While some are distracted by memes, videos or news, others stay on social media. “Voyeurism and exhibitionism, the ability to see what others are doing almost effortlessly, is capable of inducing deep-seated envy. ‘Why is he or she having such a good time and not me? Why is this person successful, traveling or eating out, and I’m doing a shitty job here? »
For Isaiah Sharon psychologist, creator of the Integrative Coaching model and podcaster, “a hyper-connected way of life, with multiple inputs that generate stress — such as the news or social networks —, and a permanent feeling of potential danger, also contribute to making the greatest challenge rest”.
Ignacio Verdugo takes the lead and adds that there is nothing more tiring than thinking. “It’s a lot more exhausting than a marathon,” he says. This is why he proposes that, as a form of rest, we carry out activities of full attention.
“When we are in present mode, even for small moments, the mind rests. wall or anything that generates an adrenaline rush or requires mindfulness.That’s when you realize you can’t think of anything else, so when you’re done, you’ll feel physically tired but full of energy, because your mind has rested. The same happens in meditation or mindfulness”.
The dangers of silent resignation
Almost in response to this feeling of hyper-connectedness and self-exploitation, which also contributes to causing the anti stress, Other terms and ideas emerged, such as “silent resignation”: a kind of unconscious “law of least effort” used as a languid protest against the demands of today’s society. For some it is a form of self-care, for others it is simply a reflection, but there are those who see it as a danger to individual and collective well-being.
“It’s a term that is being repeated more and more,” says Quintanilla. “In the eyes of the worker, the demands of the job do not always seem to be correctly recognized: whether through the salary, the hours or the workload that one has. As a result, they get discouraged and lose motivation,” he explains.
But it’s not coming in and leaving a job. Less so in these uncertain times, when a recession is looming and inflation makes it difficult to save. That’s why this “silent resignation” happens, where people slowly decrease their performance and engagement.
Quintanilla warns that this “can have serious consequences, not only for the productivity of the company, but also for the self-esteem of the worker”. In large part, it is up to the employer “to establish open communication, promote a culture of collaboration and recognize the needs and the work of its employees and collaborators”.
Sharon is very critical about this. “The main factor that oppresses a person is his own expectations, success and personal habits, which make it difficult for him to take care of himself and prevent him from having leisure time and interpersonal relationships. healthy and meaningful.”
Verdugo recalls that neither exploitation, nor high demands, nor poor working conditions, nor low wages are something new or typical of our times. “However, today we yearn for more,” he says. “Not only do we want more free time, but work that is meaningful to us, where we feel connected to a personal purpose and to be a contribution. Where one feels seen, recognized and with a feeling of belonging”.
The coach decomposes the solutions in a multifactorial way. Share that the job of personal leadership is to connect with personal purpose. But then there is strategic leadership, which is about mobilizing others. “How do I make people on my team feel worthy, contributing, their presence is important, their questions and demands are legitimate, and they are helping to improve the organization? “, he explains.
For him, “silent resignation” is far from being a form of self-care. It is rather the opposite, since it gradually degrades the quality of life of the individual and also the work environment. “Taking care of yourself is about setting limits, listening to yourself and doing what gives us energy and not just what exhausts us,” he explains.
How to avoid the anti stress
The three stages of self-care, Verdugo lists, are:
- Ask for help to learn more about self-awareness and emotional management.
- Giving meaning to the work or job you have, “either because of what you do, or what you bring to it, or what you get out of it,” he says.
- Recognize the importance of rest.
The latter is very important and perhaps the one with which we could start. “If I keep thinking about workday problems in my spare time, I might not even be able to see any other solutions to what I need to solve,” he says. “For that, pausing and connecting are key.”
Sharon, for her part, believes that the challenge of a balanced life is very complex and has no single recipe. “But if we are looking to build a path, the interesting thing would be to think of a profession that has meaning and a personal goal, with leisure spaces that not only help us to rest, but also to connect with our emotions and our thoughts.”
These, he believes, should be times when we can cultivate our family and social relationships, “so that they become quality and deep bonds”.
For the other stage, referring to having a useful job or profession that helps us in personal fulfillment, he says that we still have a long way to go in cultural transformation.
“Work must stop being seen as a burden and become an opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the environment. Mental health is not always about being relaxed and problem-free, but rather having the level of consciousness and the tools to deal with the ups and downs, which are part of life,” he advises.
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
