Health and Work Ethic
Translation: Lilja Ragnheiður Einarsdóttir
In my opinion, our attitudes towards work and rest factor importantly into what we consider a healthy lifestyle. I therefore decided to talk to three different people and ask them about their views on work and rest.
Eva María Jónsdóttir, yoga instructor
Photo: Sent in
1. What does a healthy work ethic consist of?
A healthy work ethic is something that both employer and employee have to adopt. The employer needs to respect that the employee has their own personal life, state of health and responsibilities regarding their family and loved ones. An employee with a good work ethic performs to the best of their ability with integrity and enthusiasm with the overall best interest [of the whole workplace] at heart.
2. How does one develop healthy attitudes towards work and respite?
It is naturally built into all animals to rest between laborious tasks. We do not have to develop anything within ourselves, simply unlearn the ideas of work glorification and stop taking part in the race of acquiring unnecessary material goods. Remind ourselves that during sleep we are processing what we have been learning, relinquishing emotions that are not useful to us, getting to a place where we are part of everything there is, where the ego is not singular but can instead flicker between various phenomena and characters. By viewing sleep simply as an annoying necessity we are looking past the wonders of resting, physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically and giving the ever-busy mind a break. If we are surrounded by complete darkness while we sleep and far away from electronics our senses can relax better.
3. What kind of interplay between work and rest is preferable?
I have often thought of the day in three parts where work, sleep and personal life each occupy eight hours. If you have a job that interests you and draws out your best qualities, this can be a good format to cultivate both your job as well as yourself in a conscientious way. Lately, I have found this model problematic, especially because it is man-made. Seventy years ago it sufficed that one person worked outside the home while the other was at home caring for living beings, ensuring that everyone had shelter, nutrition and warmth. Now that most adults are part of the general workforce, materialism has grown and the home has, to some degree, become a more difficult space which results in many people fleeing to work to take a break from the home. I think that, as a community, we would be more satisfied and restful if the labour market expected six hours of work per day for working people. That way we all get more time to be idle and out of that often springs creativity.
4. Do you do anything in particular to maintain your energy for work?
I go to bed early, practice yoga daily and yoga nidra a few times per week. I feel that I am cultivating my energy and try to do it much as a farmer would farm his land, regularly and with great care.
Vigdís Hafliðadóttir, philosopher, musician and comedian
Photo: Sent in
1.What does a healthy work ethic consist of?
I think it means applying oneself at work and being meticulous but also being able to separate work time from necessary vacation time. To think of work while working but not let it bleed into personal time through a guilty conscience. I have never experienced this feeling but have heard that it’s beneficial.
2. How does one develop healthy attitudes towards work and respite?
You’re asking a person who got up at three in the morning to walk to the café I work at to make sure that I had locked the door. I had locked it. I usually get the projects I’m working on stuck in my head, afraid that I won’t perform well enough and disappoint other people. It has required a lot of awareness and conscious effort to try to shake it off and not to be too hard on myself. I haven’t succeeded quite yet but I have tried to choose jobs that are fun to lose myself in and where I have more control.
3. What kind of interplay between work and rest is preferable?
We need to work an X amount to be content and to make a living - but we also need an X amount of rest to feel good. Too much work can contribute to unhappiness but too much rest can do that too. The key is to find a balance between both extremes and I think it’s different between individuals and unhealthy to compare ourselves to others or judge people who live at a different pace.
4. Do you do anything in particular to maintain your energy for work?
My trick, as a perfectionist in remission who constantly feels guilty, is to find rest in the various things I am doing. Practicing with my band can energise me but if I’m in the middle of some creative process with a million things on my mind it can sometimes be great to tidy up or do something in excel. I also frequently take walks, go to the swimming pool or take time to see my friends - something requiring me to be in the moment.
Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Icelandic ambassador in Tokyo
Photo: Sent in
1.What does a healthy work ethic consist of?
It is good to see yourself as part of a team, working towards the same goal with the whole group’s interests in mind and letting those working with you take part in the success that has been achieved. It also bears keeping in mind that with rights come responsibilities to employers and colleagues, such as doing your job to the best of your ability, which I feel is often forgotten. It is important to be ready to welcome constructive criticism about one’s work, even ask for it and view it as a way to improve your performance or the project being worked on. Because I have worked largely in international environments, I would also like to mention the importance of showing understanding and respect to different cultures in all interactions with foreigners.
2. How does one develop healthy attitudes towards work and respite?
I think there has been a rise in awareness on this topic in recent years. Generally, people are more knowledgeable about the importance of sleep and exercise and there are no longer the same prejudices towards depression and burnout. A workplace that puts an emphasis on cultivating their staff, makes space for a balance between work, personal life and rest, and encourages people to look after their health will reap happy and diligent coworkers. On the other hand, symptoms of burnout and stress have increased. Perhaps that is partly because families expect too much of themselves outside of work with so many things available. Sometimes it’s simply best to relax at home.
3. What kind of interplay between work and rest is preferable?
It comes down to prioritising and listening to your body. Of course, in many professions, people have to run on provisionary energy, push themselves at work to finish certain projects on time. In that case it is beneficial to be aware that this should not be the general rule, it is so important to rest between bouts. And if it doesn’t get better there may simply be a need for more hands on deck.
4. Do you do anything in particular to maintain your energy for work?
I see exercise as the key to cultivating better physical and psychological health, now and also long-term. For a large part of my career I have been in supervisory roles and been engaged in tough assignments on an international stage, often under a lot of pressure. This leads to a lot of stress but I have always given myself time to exercise and I go for runs 4-5 times per week on average. While I’m running I listen to music, audiobooks, news or news podcasts with analysis on international affairs. I have also used my running to explore the cities where I have lived because of my job. In Reykjavík and in London I often ran to work and sometimes back home again at the end of the day. I got to work happy and energised, content with myself and my life. Running outside early in the morning at home in Iceland, even in the cold darkness or newly fallen snow, under the moon and the stars is simply magical.