Selected Columns
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: 'All work and no play' is no way for a human to live
The end of the fiscal year is upon us, and with it office workers and civil servants everywhere are in the midst of the annual big push to finish all their work on time.
I get many visitors to my office around this time of year who say they are too busy to come for appointments in March and can they return in April, followed by "It's the end of the fiscal year, so I just can't relax my concentration."
"I can't relax my concentration." That is, the tension is constant, breaks are impossible and all attention must be focused on the work at hand. Just imagining the words feels oppressive.
In the past, it was perfectly natural to find a little time to relax body and mind even during the busiest times. It was even considered cool, the view being that the more able a person was the more they could make time to relax, and there were any number of magazines with special sections on hobbies and ways to spend spare time.
Things have changed. Now, it seems a foregone conclusion that downtime equals disadvantage, time is money, and one must always have their antennae tuned to pick up the latest news so as not to let even a single opportunity pass by un-seized. Push forward, get results, and then push forward some more.
And if a person doesn't maintain this kind of go-go attitude? Then in no time at all those around him or her will be saying, "That person's no good."
Human beings, however, are not machines. We can't say things like "I can't relax my concentration" and keep on working indefinitely. Not even machines, I don't think, can go on operating without occasional downtime to cool off. Us humans, if we don't get 16 hours of fun and relaxation for every eight we work, we should not be able to keep our bodies going.
I'm sure that there are people out there who are thinking that especially at the end of the fiscal year they have to forget about sleep, forget about rest, concentrate and work hard. But really it's the opposite. Because it's the end of the fiscal year, now is the time to look out the office window, take in the spring sky and the flowers, and give yourself the space to enjoy the season.
I'm not saying that people should just go blank for hours on end while at work, but rather that even taking five minutes out of the hour, or 15 minutes out of two, is not a problem. Or, while on the train, try not opening a business newspaper or an English textbook, but rather think up haiku verses or other poetry as you let your mind drift.
Even in a busy time, find moments of leisure. This is the creed of the efficient worker, and I hope it once again finds its way into the pages of magazines and beyond to make all our days brighter. (By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) March 28, 2010