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A natural way of working that’s easier than you think
Have you felt like slowing down whenever summer ended, and then felt the energy to pick up a new hobby when spring began?
This isn’t in your head. In fact, it’s natural.
Back in the good ol’ days of colonial America (and wherever your homeland is most likely), people had to forage and hunt for better or for worse. This depended on how warm (lots of food) and how cold (no food) the time period was. Now though, in the digital age, there’s no need to work according to how warm or cold it is when there’s an AC.
Yet, like the days of hunting, there are important lessons to highlight on why we should think about embracing seasonality in our day, especially when working online.
Better focus
When on the computer for a whole 4 hours, I notice that I can’t focus as much. Whether it’s rain, snow, or sun, I’m in such deep focus that I barely notice.
Then I wonder why I get headaches later…
The thing is, you and I are affected by the weather. That’s why people complain of the daytime blues caused by a stormy day, or their bursting with energy when the sun comes up after a long winter.
However, if you have to work in conditions where you’re isolated from nature, the next reason will name a technique that might help.
You can breathe
“What if, for example, you decided to quiet quit a single season each year: maybe July and August, or that distracted period between Thanksgiving and the New Year? You wouldn’t make a big deal about this decision. You would just… quietly implement it before returning without fanfare to a more normal pace.” — Slow Productivity by Cal Newport.
While it can be difficult to schedule a break during work, Cal mentions how we should naturally incorporate a break, or quiet quit, in our work lives by using the holidays.
Flexibility
Just like how a storm seems to come out of the blue, we can’t control what happens in our work lives. Yet, we can establish rituals rather than set schedules that help us keep open-minded.
Cal Newport calls this “Small Seasonality”,
“Varying your intensity at smaller timescales.”
This includes a few ways, like:
- New Meeting Mondays
- See a Matinee (favorite activity) Once a Month
- Schedule Rest Projects
and Work in cycles
Takeaway
Embracing seasonality will not only help you breathe, stay flexible, and have better focus in both your personal and professional life, but also to live life through a slower lens, instead of being rushed with this society’s fast-paced approach to technology.
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