This is starting to shape up as "obvious week" on Inc. Well, perhaps, after that post I did earlier on how to say thank you, but nothing in business is common sense -- even the things that should be. That's what makes Wednesday's story over at inc.com boiling down a recent Journal of Experimental Psychology study worth a look. The study is about the psychological effects thinking about work when you're not at work has on people.
Basically, inc.com distills the entire 10-page report down to a single sentence, which is apt, and again, should seem obvious, but isn't necessarily to everyone: "thinking about the monetary value of our time when we're relaxing makes us impatient and unable to enjoy our leisure time." In other words, you should be sure to slow down and hear the roses when you have the opportunity. Oh, and you should smell them too, while you're down there.
Even though it might stress you out to take the time to read the full study, it's kinda worth it, if only for peace of mind. There are some other interesting tidbits to be gleaned, but this one stood out for me: Employees who use the Internet at work for "short periods of leisure time… help[s] them to relieve boredom and stress and lead to greater job satisfaction, well-being and overall happiness."
You'll probably be able to pan some other gold nuggets for yourself if you take the time to read it. If not, keep in mind: The study was done on 53 Canadian college kids. What do they know about stress? They have a publicly funded health-care system!
David Wolinsky is a freelance writer and a lifelong Chicagoan. In addition to currently serving as an interviewer-writer for Adult Swim, he's also a columnist for EGM. He was the Chicago city editor for The Onion A.V. Club where he provided in-depth daily coverage of this city's bustling arts/entertainment scene for half a decade. When not playing video games for work he's thinking of dashing out to Chicago Diner, Pizano's, or Yummy Yummy. His first career aspirations were to be a game-show host.
