Our “always on” culture is overwhelming, but we can use our senses to recalibrate and further balance the scales of work-life.
As artists and creatives, we are hyper-aware of our senses when creating. The vivid colours on our palettes and patterns draw us to find their way onto our canvas.
We feel a form come to life under our fingers in a chilly clay. We tune into the feel of our brush strokes against the canvas–the bumps and grooves as we layer paint and are energized by the music we play in our studio, but our senses can also play a part in burnout. We live in a culture of screentime, constant alerts, dings in our back pockets (thanks to our phones), and other sensory overloads.
This article addresses how we can use our senses to recalibrate and further balance the scales of work.
How do our senses and sensory adaptation act in our work life?
From the beginning, we have utilized our senses to navigate the world, gain perspective, and make informed decisions that make us feel modified to our surroundings and what we are experiencing. For example, when you mistakenly hit the light switch in the middle of the night, your initial reaction is to shield your eyes as your vision is impaired. Within a few moments, you quickly recover and navigate your surroundings easily. This process is called sensory adaptation, which is a reduction in sensitivity to a stimulus after constant exposure to it.
The transition to a hybrid work model leaves many of us still settling.
Over the past five years, many businesses and organizations have transitioned to a hybrid work model to accommodate the needs of their workforce. According to a systematic literature review, the main positive effects of remote work include increased flexibility, autonomy, and job satisfaction. On the other hand, it has adverse effects such as isolation, perceived threats to professional advancement, increased emotional exhaustion and higher cognitive overload.
Although productivity reports have increased, the “light switch” for many individuals in the workforce continues to flicker, and we are all trying to adjust accordingly to balance professional and personal demands.
Expanding the definition of wellness and the impact of burnout
Wellness has been widely discussed as burnout swiftly moves throughout many sectors through ours in the arts.
Individuals are complex. As a result, the definition of wellness continues to expand to reflect a holistic approach and the dynamic way we interact with systems.
Recently, they classified work-related burnout as an occupational phenomenon, a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress. Unlike stress, burnout has been described as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization/cynicism, and reduced personal accomplishment.
Many suggested remedies to combat this occurrence include increasing vacation time, physical movement, and diet modifications. Building on the research around burnout and our innate ability as humans to adjust, we can navigate this uncharted terrain by utilizing our senses as a guide.
The contributions of sensory overload to chronic exhaustion
Individuals within the workforce have multiple points of contact for professional and personal use. These modalities include email, text, video, and various forms of instant messenger.
These multiple points have increased the time of received information and created an always-on culture.
The uptick in screen time among adults has contributed to the escalation of headaches, eye irritation, and blurred vision.
Alert notifications have heightened our sensitivity to touch and sound as we anticipate the vibration of the buzz or await the ding alert.
The sense of smell raises a set of memories from your subconscious and can trigger a wide range of emotions. Are there specific smells you associate with your occupation or a dedicated workspace within your home? How does it make you feel?
Taste also shares the unique ability to summon memory and emotion as well. Many individuals rely on food and beverages to sustain energy levels throughout the day. Some dietary choices can become routine and adversely associated with the workplace.
Using our senses to discover a new path and enhance resilience.
As we centre our minds around this new perspective, it allows us to take a deeper dive into how we deploy our senses and assess the need to reset them periodically to decrease the impact of burnout.
For example, when presented with the opportunity to select an audio call versus a Zoom call, selecting audio can create an opening to decrease your screen time.
Alternating your food choices to stimulate your sense of smell and taste, such as packing an orange for a snack, can indulge the mood and decrease stress. Additional studies have also highlighted the use of aromatherapy to break through anxiety, cognitive performance, and depression.
When applicable, dedicating a specific time slot to select the “do not disturb” option on your electronics can give your sense of touch and sound a breather.
We understand that challenges and roadblocks will ultimately occur. However, developing strategies in your toolkit can mitigate these responses when setbacks occur.
Establish intentionality in your lifestyle decisions.
Our lives are complex. However, we continue to search for balance amongst the demands of our families, communities, workspaces, and organizations. We can build on our lives and incorporate additional strategies within our wellness regimen.
Extended breaks on the weekends and holidays are vital to reconnecting with yourself and others without professional obligations. Continue to search for golden opportunities throughout the day to let your senses guide you to the scales of work-life balance.
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