Are You Having Fun at Work?
(Photo : Are You Having Fun at Work?)

We must be lazing around more and have more fun on the work floor. It can prevent us from a lot of stress and getting a burnout.

That chance of burnout is enormous. It is the outcome of the National Enquête Working Conditions (NEA), carried out by NTO and the CBS. Is costs employers a lot of money. In 2017 it was all about 2,8 milliard euros. More than eight thousand euros per employee. 

Practically: You feel great on a Saturday evening. You take a bottle of wine out of the wine cooler (translated to Dutch: klimaatkast). You are in a good mood. On Sunday it is already trickier. You look up to the next day. You feel the stress coming up. Your job costs you a lot of energy. And there is nothing that can take that away. There is nothing that gives you so much energy that you can keep up to it. 

Tensed and tired

A lot of people get into a negative spiral. One day of or even a holiday can't stop that. More sleep in the weekend? One week Glamping Spain (translated to Dutch: glamping Spanje)? As soon as you are back on the working floor, it starts all over again. You feel tensed and tired.

In this case, there is more going on. And burnout is lurking. Numbers don't lie. Therefore, having fun on the work floor is very important. It doesn't mean you have to make jokes all day, but there has to be a balance between stress and fun. 

Stress is not bad

Stress is not bad at all. You get more productive and more creative, but it goes wrong if you feel too much stress. When you go to work everyday end already feels bad when you grab your shoulder bag (translated to Dutch: schoudertas) and step out of the door. There is no balance between things that cost energy and things that give you energy. As well as on the working floor as in free time. 

Take an example in sportsmen. They rest al lot so they can recover enough. That is the reason why you have to laze around now and then. Take breaks at work. Stop multitasking. Focus on one case. Your body and mind are no an 'all you can eat buffet'. 

Be aware of what you need

Ask yourself if you are completely yourself and are doing what you like to do? Working hard is not the case. If you love to do what you do, this is not a problem. But when you are daily doing what you don't like, then you get problems. Most people do not know what they like. It is important to figure that out. 

And it is also important to communicate with your employer about working stress. Talk about it and tell your employer what you need.