02. The Hamster on the Wheel – The Trouble Modern Day Workers Face

Hamster on the Wheel – Troubles Modern Day Workers Face

“I’m the hamster on the wheel,” Anisha rued. “I’m running faster but getting nowhere. I’m working harder than ever. But, I seem to be getting little done.”

It was close to midnight, and Anisha, a manager in an organisation with global ambitions, had been staring at the idiot box for over two hours.

Not that the mindless soaps were doing much to relieve the feeling of extreme stress and fatigue that had seemed to have flooded over her. If anything, she felt numb, her back ached and she was dreading the next day’s work.

Chronic stress and fatigue had become a common factor of her work life. It left her feeling overwhelmed and burnt out by the end of the day.

Almost every day.

Perspective, or lack thereof
At work, Anisha handled multiple complex projects, each having stringent deadlines. She knew that she needed a way of.

Her tool of preference to manage her multiple projects and goals was creating a ‘daily to-do’ list, something she did almost every day, if not all. Some days, especially when work schedules were crazy, she would get to her desk and pound away.

But no matter whether she made a to-do list or otherwise, at the back of her head was this nagging worry that much more than what was on her day’s list needed to be completed. It was a need that she was always cognizant of but seemed to lack a handle on. Lacking a clear and simultaneous view of all her projects and lacking a means of managing these systematically, she began to feel overwhelmed by her situation.

Multi-Tasking
Devoid of a means of effectively managing multiple tasks, she often had multiple software programmes open on her computer, each related to a different task. Switching between programs, tasks and emergencies as they presented themselves made her feel like she was the consummate multi-tasker, something her boss demanded of his team members.

Quick to respond to emails, messages and requests from team members and colleagues, she felt like the very epitome of the ‘always available’ manager.

Except that…
Except that constant switching between tasks and emergencies led her to take significantly longer to complete work. Her work day seemed to be an endless series of ‘starts and interruptions’. No sooner would she get into some kind of a flow, up would pop an emergency or colleague demanding her time and attention.
Consequently, she would have to stay back (long) after scheduled hours to complete her work.

Disgruntled team members
Her inability to have a ten thousand feet perspective of all her tasks also meant that she often got involved in activities that led her to leave team members and colleagues, for whom her work output formed their work input, hanging.
The resultant displeasure and negative feedback from team members and colleagues only added to her stress about work.

But she found her coping mechanism (or was it?)
During times, when deadlines were less pressing, Anisha would take her foot off the pedal, taking work a tad lighter and spending time on trivial pursuits.

She felt that she deserved this slack time, considering how long and diligently she worked otherwise.

However, slacking off only led to the problem of task pile-up and her team needing to burn the midnight oil as project deadlines neared.

Extreme stress and constant fatigue were her constant companions.
What seemed to intrigue her though was this: barring the odd slack time, she seemed to be working harder than ever. But, she seemed to be getting little done.

She had become like the proverbial hamster on the wheel.

Sounds familiar? It’s time to stop

Anisha’s experiences are hardly isolated.

If your experiences mirror Anisha’s, then this programme is for you. In this programme, you will learn practices that will help you get a better grip on your work life, improve your workplace productivity and reduce the stress associated with work.

Click on the ‘Mark Complete’ button below to begin the journey to improving your workplace productivity; It’s time to stop being the hamster on the wheel, always running, but getting nowhere.