The ideal job does not exist. There will always be some aspect to which we have to adapt to be able to perform adequately and feel satisfied. However, in the last 30 years, we have observed a high level of competitiveness in the work environment that causes stress and deteriorates our quality of life. It is an inordinate race to be the best. There must be only one!
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The clinical area of my profession is fascinating. It is about receiving a patient and helping him to improve his blood values (glycemia, cholesterol, hemoglobin, electrolytes), changing his body composition, and teaching him to eat in a balanced way to see him evolve through time towards a healthier state. However, there are policies in some clinics where the efficiency of a professional is measured concerning the number of patients attended, and it was my case years ago. Every day I saw 20 patients over 12 hours. It was a long work day with very little time to do basic things like eating or going to the bathroom. I felt overwhelmed. I was not giving my best to my patients causing frustration and stress to begin to show in my body.
This situation led me to ask myself several questions. What am I working for? Is the monetary compensation compensated for the deterioration of my physical and emotional health? Are there other jobs that offer me the quality of life? Can I leave everything and start from scratch to obtain peace of mind?
When I answered several of these questions honestly, I found some things I was failing at. If I changed jobs and did not correct these things the result would be the same. So I slowed down and established some guidelines to achieve a friendly relationship with my work environment. I started to apply "Less is more".
The first thing I identified was that I did not want to be in a job that demanded more and more from me every day. A job where the more patients I saw, the better, since I was losing quality in my work. That is why I decided to radically change the area and this was fabulous. I was not afraid of my capabilities as a professional. I knew that I deserved a job that would give me personal, economic, and health satisfaction.
In the new job, I learned to manage my time. I organized my schedule ahead of time, taking into account that there could always be an eventuality, so my agenda was more flexible. I established a work schedule that allowed me afternoons off to spend with my son after he came home from school. I also made time to pursue one of my passions as a culinary instructor.
I learned to establish quality over quantity. I attended only 5 patients in a half day's work. This allowed me to have a warmer consultation without looking at the clock. My patients felt that I was listening to them beyond the list of foods they had consumed or the improvement of their symptoms. It was a closer relationship with my patients. Can you believe I started making more money this way? Well, my patients referred me to others, and my schedule was always full, but without breaking the rule of "Less is more" more of what? More quality!
We always complain about the lack of time, but we have our hands on the clock. There are simple rules I try to keep to stay focused and happy in my work. Currently, I try to:
Be in a work environment that values me for my quality, and not the volume of work.
Manage my time. I set boundaries between work, family, and personal time. I have time to take walks, go to the gym, go to the hairdresser and even meet some friends for coffee. I no longer take my work home with me, which my family appreciates.
I ask for help when I need it. I am not ashamed to admit that there are things I don't know how to do. I am willing to learn, but when I don't know something I say it with all the humility in the world. This has allowed me to set my limits and sometimes say "No" to some assignments. Sometimes not being honest in this aspect makes you accept assignments that can end up causing you stress.
Generate a pleasant environment that is conducive to work. I currently have the freedom to work anywhere in the world. I can work from my home, office, or the beach. I didn't get this overnight. I think The Covid helped a lot in not having a rigid space and time for work. So I design the environment for my work to suit my mood. I can listen to the music I like while I analyze the information as well as have total silence where I listen to the chirping of birds while I write my reports. The important thing is to avoid distractions in the time I dedicate to work. I keep social networks off my phone, so I am not tempted to check them.
- Establish rest days. I try as much as possible to take a couple of days a week to not do any work-related activities. This allows me to empty my thoughts a bit and organize them. In this way, I have found creative solutions in aspects of my personal and professional life. It's something I call "mental hygiene". Stepping away from work responsibilities for a moment allows you to see with a broader vision all the options that exist in the face of a challenge or difficulty.
I think the first thing is to start with yourself. Knowing what we expect from a job and not what the job expects from us is fundamental. I know it may sound idealistic, but if you are not well, you cannot give your best.
If each co-worker is clear about what he/she expects from his/her work performance at a personal and professional level, collaborative work teams can be established, oriented towards the achievement of common objectives and not individualistic ones.
At the managerial level, it is essential to establish policies to avoid burnout and unhealthy competitiveness among employees. Policies that value professional quality will lead to important business achievements. This is a way to make the most of the potential of each of your workers.
Does less is more mean less productive? If I were the owner of a pastry shop, I would prefer 5 magnificent pastries made with passion to 100 pastries made with the bile of each of my employees. Is this possible? Yes, the world economy is changing and workers are looking for quality of life and not just remuneration for their services. It is your chance to have a job that allows you to focus on the really important things.
