EP 457: How to Define Hard-to-Define Work Stress
01/18/24 • 22 min
1 Listener
So, you're stressed. Or work feels intense. Or you're putting more energy than you should into manifesting a day with "no surprises."
But why? Even if you're not working on an especially challenging project or hustling to get in under a deadline, the work we do can be stressful in a sort of ambient and ambiguous way. And we might downplay that stress because, hey, aren't we just lucky to have a cool job like this?
When we think about work, we're often dealing with an outdated metaphor—The Factory. But if you work in a creative, knowledge-based, service, or caring field, that metaphor doesn't have as much to offer as we think it does, especially when it comes to understanding work stress.
Today's episode offers a way to rethink the ways your work can be stressful so you can rethink the resources you need to feel better and do more remarkable work.
Footnotes:
- Rethink Work, an 8-week cohort-based course
- "Sources of intensity in work organizations" by Armand Hatchuel in Creating Sustainable Work Systems (1st ed)
Every episode of What Works is also published in essay form at whatworks.fyi!
- (00:00) - The Factory
- (01:38) - The Factory Metaphor in Job Creation
- (03:39) - Rethink Work Course
- (04:35) - Why the Factory is a Sticky Metaphor
- (07:31) - The Factory Worker, The Bus Driver, and The Creative/Knowledge Worker
- (16:12) - The Problem with the Factory Metaphor
- (19:53) - Course Info & Credits
So, you're stressed. Or work feels intense. Or you're putting more energy than you should into manifesting a day with "no surprises."
But why? Even if you're not working on an especially challenging project or hustling to get in under a deadline, the work we do can be stressful in a sort of ambient and ambiguous way. And we might downplay that stress because, hey, aren't we just lucky to have a cool job like this?
When we think about work, we're often dealing with an outdated metaphor—The Factory. But if you work in a creative, knowledge-based, service, or caring field, that metaphor doesn't have as much to offer as we think it does, especially when it comes to understanding work stress.
Today's episode offers a way to rethink the ways your work can be stressful so you can rethink the resources you need to feel better and do more remarkable work.
Footnotes:
- Rethink Work, an 8-week cohort-based course
- "Sources of intensity in work organizations" by Armand Hatchuel in Creating Sustainable Work Systems (1st ed)
Every episode of What Works is also published in essay form at whatworks.fyi!
- (00:00) - The Factory
- (01:38) - The Factory Metaphor in Job Creation
- (03:39) - Rethink Work Course
- (04:35) - Why the Factory is a Sticky Metaphor
- (07:31) - The Factory Worker, The Bus Driver, and The Creative/Knowledge Worker
- (16:12) - The Problem with the Factory Metaphor
- (19:53) - Course Info & Credits
Previous Episode
EP 456: Reprogramming Our Source Code
Why is it that our bodies and brains tend to function on so much outdated code? Our personal algorithms and mental shortcuts are often stuck in a different time and place. We jump to conclusions or inadvertently flood our systems with cortisol because some stray line of code gets triggered.
In this episode, I examine the tricky way that our beliefs have a way of creating our reality—not just describing it. What we believe ends up being what we see. Case in point: work-life balance.
Footnotes:
- "Religion as a Cultural System" by Clifford Geertz
- The Second Shift by Arlie Russell Hochschild
- Systems Ultra by Georgina Voss
- "Understanding Mindset: Trade-offs, Heuristics, and Navigating Change" by Tara McMullin
⭐️ NEW: Rethink Work, an 8-week cohort-based course ⭐️ Join me for a live and interactive course on rethinking our beliefs about work—including work-life balance, productivity, data, passion, and purpose. Get all the details here.
★ Support this podcast ★Next Episode
EP 458: How many layers are too many?
Layers. Unless we're talking about cake, you can have too many layers. In today's episode, I share a recent metaphorical revelation I had about sound and sensory sensitivity. And then, I introduce you to a different way of thinking about stress that can help you identify better ways to manage it.
Footnotes:
- Rethink Work: an 8-week cohort-based course
- The Highly Sensitive Brain by Bianca Acevedo
- Stress: A Brief History by Cary Cooper & Philip Dewe
- Stress, Appraisal, and Coping by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman
Every episode of What Works is also published in essay form at whatworks.fyi!
- (00:00) - Layers
- (00:06) - Layers of Sound
- (03:12) - Overstimulation and How I Cope
- (05:01) - Sensory Overload and Work Stress
- (07:31) - A New Model for Understanding Stress (Richard Lazarus & Susan Folkman)
- (10:50) - The Layers of Work Stress
- (12:58) - 6 Categories of Work Stress
- (18:16) - Managing Stress by Removing Layers or Asking for Accommodation
- (22:07) - Course Info & Credits
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