Combatting an Aggressive Work Culture

There is this furious and relentless pace of work and expectation that I am observing more and more in the corporate space.

I am not sure it is particularly new.

The glorification of unpaid overtime, grinding and levelling up has been going on for a long time.

Big companies are implementing wellness programs without altering the outcomes and expectations.

The stresses and pressure on high performance leaders and talented staff to deliver 1.4 maybe 2.0 peoples worth of work is very very real and very dangerous.

In this scenario.

What can you do as an individual who works in an aggressive work culture which simply demands this of you? Front up or ship out as I've heard.

Here are some things that you CAN do to support yourself in surviving.

📴Fix your off switch
When you can be off, be off. Unavailable, uncontactable and off off. Protect that time as it's likely limited.

😮‍💨Breathe 
Intentional breath work is a fantastic way to lower that fight 'n' flight stress response. 7:11 in to out through the nose is super powerful. 3-5mins as many times a day as needed. Anytime. Anywhere.

😴Set yourself up for high quality sleep
Even if the volume is low, be intentional about quality. Transition from work to home thinking, being and acting. Flick the screens off, eat mindfully and avoid sugars & caffeine. Think quality.

❌Draw a line in the sand and a line in the concrete
See yesterday post on this.

⌛️Prioritise your transition time
Your commute is high value time to gradually shift your thoughts, feelings and way of being from high energy, super focused, outcome driven productivity to calm, emotionally present and receptive family person.

🏖️Plan your breaks
Holidays, days/weekends away and deliberate switch offs are a 1million % must. Regular and as much as you possibly can, switch off off and be uncontactable. Consider your daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly breaks. Be intentional, it's a game changer.

If you are operating in an aggressive culture it's a lot more about survival than thriving. Very few people I have come across are truly thriving sustainably year on year. 

But we can often survive better than we are.

What are your go to strategies for surviving your fast paced work life?