I travel between 3 countries, one of which is Spain. It really makes life a lot better; in the south of Spain people are so incredibly more relaxed that you first get frustrated with that, but rapidly take over that life style as being frustrated doesn't make much sense. Example: you can be in the supermarket, in a queue behind the cash register and no-one sitting there. You look outside and he/she is standing talking with the neighbor. 10 people in front of you waiting. The foreigners/vacation goers sighing, grunting, annoying and just going away after a while, the people who live here just talking. Doesn't matter if it takes 1 minute or 2 hours. People don't care. And yes they have jobs, but it's so ingrained to work like that...
Another example; you're driving on a one car road and suddenly end up in a jam, you check what it is ; someone is standing still and talking to someone. No honking, people shut their engine and go talk to each other.
This way of life makes you realize what kind of crazy stuff we are doing 'up north'; like every second matters. It does, but not for work. For work, really very little matters. Your clients can wait for a bit. That site that 'must go live tomorrow' really doesn't have to go live tomorrow in almost all cases. If you live 3 months/year in Spain, you'll be well rested and viewing the world more for what's important which are things like rest, your family (however configured), your friends, eating and making quality food, hobbies, and telling people to fuck off for trying to stress you out.
No amount money is worth wrecking your health over and in some cultures they know that; we seem to have forgotten.
This is all very true. But there is one big but. If you live like that you yourself will have it easy, but the economy as a whole will suffer and the weak in society will suffer disproportionally.
The further South you go in Europe, the stronger this effect gets.
Articles like that are not capable of conveying the differences between Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania and Greece and the more Northern parts of Europe but after traveling through most of those this summer I've seen the other side of that medal and the price of the 'laid back' Southern attitude is one that has become very visible to me.
One of the biggest changes in my life when I left my job to work on my startup was the freedom to not be pinned in a chair from 8 AM-5PM. If I get tired, I go take a nap. If I get stiff and sore, I go for a walk. If I can't think, I go do something else.
The net result is that I'm able to be productive 100% of the time that I actually am working, and I can work more than I could otherwise, if so needed.
If you have the luxury to set your schedule, listen to your body, do what it asks, and you'll find yourself operating much more smoothly than you're used to.
That proverb at the beginning is great ("A man grows most tired while standing still."). It reminds me of the quote, "If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it."
I agree that working out is essential, but I believe that putting the right type of food in your body is equally important. For many people, decreasing the amount of carbohydrates after breakfast can provide enormous energy gains. I recommend reading Tim Ferris' 4 Hour Body for some interesting advice on diet, exercise and a very detailed chapter on sleep.
After breakfast? I would include breakfast as well. My energy levels after a breakfast of bacon and eggs is far steadier than after any breakfast cereals, toast, muffins, pastries, etc. Avoiding any large carb intake (post workout _possibly_ excepted) is key to steady energy levels.
For a more rational book, try Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution", which also has an extensive chapter on sleep and cortisol management.
There's a pretty high (but not perfect) correlation between obesity and sleep apnea, which I think is under-diagnosed because a sleep study is kind of an expensive hassle.
"By the time afternoon rolls around, you’re in caffeine withdrawal. This is often why people are sapped by mid-afternoon."
Actually, no. You feel sapped in the afternoon because you need a 15-20 minute nap. That's normal. Take the nap and you'll feel energized for the rest of the day.
Actually, yes. I gave up coffee about a year ago, during a pretty stressful period during which I wasn't sleeping well. It is unbelievable how much better I sleep (and I seriously believed that it didn't affect me), and the second thing I notice is that I'm no longer tired in the afternoon.
I went through a period of being tired all the time - so tired that I found it hard to stay awake in the afternoons. And close friends would mention that I looked like I was putting on weight. I felt confused most of the time. It was lousy.
Turns out it was a thyroid problem combined with myxodema (water retention on the face). My GP diagnosed it after blood tests. Now I'm on life long medication and I have yearly blood tests -but the fat-face has gone, and I feel normal. Also, I get all my prescriptions free. (I'm in the UK.)
Tiredness and productivity seem like very subjective things, hard to measure. Don't get me wrong, there's some good points there, that aren't hard to believe. But i'd love to know how i can measure this kind of well being stuff so i can better myself.
* as the saying goes, "what gets measured is what gets improved"
I believe that NASA and aviation researchers developed fatigue tests some time ago. There's also discrimination-timing tests.
For example, if the object on the screen is a blue circle, press the right side shift; if it's a red square press left side. Reaction time is used as the indicator.
But these are only proxies for what is, after all, a largely subjective experience. You will necessarily need to rely on measuring inputs (hours of sleep, caffeine consumed, exercise length and intensity) and using subjective measures for outputs (a bit slow, tired, very tired, exhausted).
"Be less busy. Seriously, we’re too busy these days. Cut back on commitments, put space between things, allow yourself to have a slower pace. Your energy levels will thank you."
I think the key here is not to fill the "space" with directionless Internet/Twitter/Hacker News perusing. Easier said than done.
It's a TED talk about a woman claiming that sleep is the secret to success. (I only sorta/kinda agree with her but it's still an interesting point of view to consider)
Exercise and allowing myself, which is SO difficult, to take that afternoon power nap has saved me. I find an extreme amount of gilt when I attempt to force myself into that afternoon power nap, but when I do, and wake up afterwards, I'm 100 times more productive than I ever was before, or if I had skipped it.
[+] [-] tluyben2|14 years ago|reply
Another example; you're driving on a one car road and suddenly end up in a jam, you check what it is ; someone is standing still and talking to someone. No honking, people shut their engine and go talk to each other.
This way of life makes you realize what kind of crazy stuff we are doing 'up north'; like every second matters. It does, but not for work. For work, really very little matters. Your clients can wait for a bit. That site that 'must go live tomorrow' really doesn't have to go live tomorrow in almost all cases. If you live 3 months/year in Spain, you'll be well rested and viewing the world more for what's important which are things like rest, your family (however configured), your friends, eating and making quality food, hobbies, and telling people to fuck off for trying to stress you out.
No amount money is worth wrecking your health over and in some cultures they know that; we seem to have forgotten.
[+] [-] 0x12|14 years ago|reply
The further South you go in Europe, the stronger this effect gets.
http://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/SpanishBusinessNews/4527/qua...
Articles like that are not capable of conveying the differences between Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania and Greece and the more Northern parts of Europe but after traveling through most of those this summer I've seen the other side of that medal and the price of the 'laid back' Southern attitude is one that has become very visible to me.
[+] [-] chr15|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cheald|14 years ago|reply
The net result is that I'm able to be productive 100% of the time that I actually am working, and I can work more than I could otherwise, if so needed.
If you have the luxury to set your schedule, listen to your body, do what it asks, and you'll find yourself operating much more smoothly than you're used to.
[+] [-] sage_joch|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sliverstorm|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] courtneypowell|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wvl|14 years ago|reply
For a more rational book, try Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution", which also has an extensive chapter on sleep and cortisol management.
[+] [-] jacques_chester|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|14 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] latch|14 years ago|reply
I've seen colleagues who are constantly on the verge of falling asleep and the common thread has always been that they are fat.
3+1 guide to productivity: Exercise, Eating Right, Sleeping Enough, and, as a bonus, no long commutes.
[+] [-] prodigal_erik|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gbog|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] aj700|14 years ago|reply
(It's also the reason why the med is comfortable with nudity and the Anglosphere isn't)
Protestant ascetic work ethic: no pleasure is allowed. first toil then the grave.
The med is Catholic, and so far more comfortable with resting.
[+] [-] kstenerud|14 years ago|reply
Actually, no. You feel sapped in the afternoon because you need a 15-20 minute nap. That's normal. Take the nap and you'll feel energized for the rest of the day.
[+] [-] lemming|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DanBC|14 years ago|reply
Turns out it was a thyroid problem combined with myxodema (water retention on the face). My GP diagnosed it after blood tests. Now I'm on life long medication and I have yearly blood tests -but the fat-face has gone, and I feel normal. Also, I get all my prescriptions free. (I'm in the UK.)
[+] [-] TelmoMenezes|14 years ago|reply
In my experience this has a lot more to do with carbs-heavy lunches than caffeine.
[+] [-] unknown|14 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] stephen789|14 years ago|reply
Tiredness and productivity seem like very subjective things, hard to measure. Don't get me wrong, there's some good points there, that aren't hard to believe. But i'd love to know how i can measure this kind of well being stuff so i can better myself.
* as the saying goes, "what gets measured is what gets improved"
[+] [-] jacques_chester|14 years ago|reply
For example, if the object on the screen is a blue circle, press the right side shift; if it's a red square press left side. Reaction time is used as the indicator.
But these are only proxies for what is, after all, a largely subjective experience. You will necessarily need to rely on measuring inputs (hours of sleep, caffeine consumed, exercise length and intensity) and using subjective measures for outputs (a bit slow, tired, very tired, exhausted).
[+] [-] gutini|14 years ago|reply
I think the key here is not to fill the "space" with directionless Internet/Twitter/Hacker News perusing. Easier said than done.
[+] [-] skcin7|14 years ago|reply
It's a TED talk about a woman claiming that sleep is the secret to success. (I only sorta/kinda agree with her but it's still an interesting point of view to consider)
[+] [-] nhangen|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ethank|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] elguntor|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] softbuilder|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thyrsus|14 years ago|reply
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jimjones389862.ht...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones
[+] [-] EponymousCoward|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] earplug|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] eric_t|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Rawsock|14 years ago|reply