18 Women With Stressful Jobs on the TV Shows They Binge-Watch to Unwind
Tune in to tune out.
Photo: Vincent Rivaud for Pexels
It’s safe to say stress levels are at an all-time high. The Dow Jones had its worst day since the 1987 crash, nearly 10 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in the past two weeks alone, and have we mentioned we’re in the midst of an unprecedented public health pandemic? If you’re in need of a bit of escapism (because, honestly, who couldn’t use a break from the anxiety-inducing headlines RN?), scroll on.
Ahead, we tapped 18 women with stressful jobs to find out which TV shows help them unwind at the end of a long day. Whether you’re drawn to dramas filled with heartfelt moments and melodramatic soundtracks or you have an affinity for comedies that make you laugh so hard you start to cry, here are the shows you should tune in to in order to tune out, according to founders, CEOs, and all-around bosses.
Founder & CEO, Chillhouse
The Show: “New Girl”
Why She Loves It: “‘New Girl,’ forever and always. It’s become my new ‘Friends.’ I put it on right before I want to close my eyes and it makes me doze off in complete ease every time.”
Financial Advisor, O'Keeffe Financial Partners
The Shows: “Workin’ Moms,” “I’m Sorry,” and “Better Call Saul”
Why She Loves It: "I am a TV addict so I have a huge list of shows. My go-to's for a good laugh are 'Workin' Moms' (Netflix), 'I'm Sorry' (Andrea Savage is just the best), and 'Better Call Saul' because it's BRILLIANT."
Founder, Megababe
The Show: “90 Day Fiancé”
Why She Loves It: “I could give you a million reasons why I love it. One of my favorite things about it is that I like watching people having to adapt to other cultures… all while they start a new relationship!”
Co-Founder, Canyon Coffee
The Show: “Law and Order: SVU”
Why She Loves It: ”I would have to say my go-to show is ‘Law and Order: SVU!’ I grew up watching with my mom and it was something we always put on together at night. It gets you out of your own head and engaged in a whole other world.”
Founder & CEO, Jiggy
The Shows: “The Office” and “American Idol”
Why She Loves It: "My go-to TV show to unwind is ‘The Office’—it's easy, fun, and can be watched in any order. I never get through an episode without laughing out loud. (Plus, I understand so many more memes/quotes now!). I also rediscovered “American Idol” recently and it's so heartwarming, I've been loving it."
Co-Founder & Chief Education Officer, Prima
The Show: “The Bachelor”
Why She Loves It: “There is no rational reason why this concept could work, but somehow people really do find love. There have been so many Bachelor marriages and babies and I love getting lost in an episode after a long day.”
Financial Expert & Founder, My Fab Finance
The Show: “90 Day Fiancé”
Why She Loves It: "I think a lot with my day-to-day work. This show literally allows me to get lost in the problems and dealings of others. I'm so fascinated by the lengths people will go for the idea of love.”
Tracey Hummel
Founder, Bee & Kin
The Show: “Friday Night Lights”
Why She Loves It: “To de-stress and unwind, I've been on this binge of watching old TV shows that I never got to watch when they were airing! So I just started watching ‘Friday Night Lights’ and it's addictive. It helps me decompress after days of working from home. I love watching something that I can really get into and not think about what's going on in the world for at least 45 minutes. It also gives me hope that we will get back to some sort of normalcy sooner than later.”
Daniella Mizrahi
Founder, Yella Activewear
The Shows: “Workin’ Moms” and “Schitt's Creek”
Why She Loves It: “Comedic relief and a reminder/appreciation of simpler times!”
Amanda Greeley
Founder, Thelma
The Show: “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Why She Loves It: “I've been enjoying the new season of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (sad to say the finale just aired). Some Larry David humor can always make me laugh. Maybe it's time to dip into the archives.”
Gretchen Maclver
Founder, Treehouse Kidswear
The Shows: “McMillions” and “Tiger King”
Why She Loves It: “I started watching ‘McMillions’ just before the COVID-19 crisis broke out and binged my way through it as I was working late in the evenings. However, my true guilty pleasure is now Netflix’s ‘Tiger King,’ which I just discovered. It not only reminds me that it could be worse (as in, my husband could be tiger bait... or, worse, I’d be willing to volunteer him as tiger bait), but I can’t help but chuckle imagining what state we’d currently be in if Joe Exotic had been elected, you know, I can’t say for certain, but I think it would be worse? This show has forced me to drop everything I’m doing and totally tune in, which is a pretty great release. Watch it. Your. Mouth. Will. Drop. And, it just keeps getting better with each episode.”
Founder & CEO, Andie
The Show: “Friends”
Why She Loves It: “It's been my go-to since high school. There's something so relaxing about tuning in to watch their issues, heartbreaks, wins. It never gets old and it really helps me de-stress and unwind.”
Fatma Collins
Co-Founder & CEO, Ten Little
The Show: “Self Made”
Why She Loves It: “I just watched ‘Self Made’ on Netflix this week. It was inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker, who built a beauty empire that challenged the status quo in challenging times, and became America’s first self-made female millionaire. As a female entrepreneur who is building a new brand during these uncertain times, Madam C. J. Walker’s determination was inspiring. The feel-good nature of the series helped lift up my spirits and find comfort in other founder’s stories.”
Co-Founder & CEO, Favour Gum
The Show: Whatever is currently on the Food Network
Why She Loves It: “For me, it’s Food Network all the way (with a little reality TV mixed in, if I’m being honest)—which is kind of nerdy, but I think it speaks to why I love cooking in the first place. During the week, I make it a point to come home from work and cook dinner every night—as it truly is a time where I can destress/unwind, and not be distracted by my phone or computer screen. Even if it’s a 20-minute meal, taking that little amount of time to myself to get creative in the kitchen, helps me to re-focus on whatever I need to tackle next.”
Co-Founder, Favour Gum
The Shows: “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” “60 Minutes,” and “Later... with Jools Holland”
Why She Loves It: “I love to unwind with HBO’s ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.’ I save the episodes and watch 20 minutes at a time. They are like small documentaries mostly dealing with athletes journeys the good and the bad. On Sunday nights, ‘60 Minutes’ is still my favorite. I also search for ‘Later... with Jools Holland,’ one night catching Kings of Leon, Sting, M83 and Jimmy Page. The show is groundbreaking and cast in such a unique way. It’s on my DVR ,I’m a music lover so when this is on I’m locked in :).)”
Founder & CEO, StackedSkincare
The Shows: “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Schitt’s Creek”
Why She Loves It: ”’Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and ‘Schitt’s Creek’ are hilarious and perfect to get my mind off the insanity!”
Rachel Sanders
Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Rootine Vitamins
The Shows: “Grey's Anatomy,” “Gilmore Girls,” and “Entourage”
Why She Loves It: ”I am a big proponent of re-watching series I have previously loved to destress/unwind—very low stress and super easy and fun entertainment. Recently, I have been re-watching ‘Grey's Anatomy,’ which has brought back some fun memories as I started watching the show with my mother when I was much younger. Once I am done, I am planning to re-watch ‘Gilmore Girls!’ I am from a smaller town in Connecticut and I always loved the reminder of home, especially during these times when I can't really travel to see my family in CT. My husband and I also started re-watching ‘Entourage’ together, a welcome bit of comedic relief!”
General Manager, United States, The Body Shop
The Shows: “Below Deck,” “Summer House,” and “Billions”
Why She Loves It: “A lot of Bravo. It’s one of my favorite things to watch, especially recently. Some of my favorites are ‘Below Deck’ and ‘Summer House.’ But for when I do switch it up a bit, I really love to watch ‘Billions.’”
MORE ON THE BLOG
The C&C Team Swears By These Wellness Products for Staying Healthy and Focused at the Office
Calling all cubicle-bound.
This post is in paid partnership with OLLY.
Photo: Smith House Photo
Most of us work too hard—it’s just a fact. According to a recent study, the average full-time employee works 47 hours a week (yes, that’s 7 hours more than the standard 40). On top of that, four out of five of us eat our lunch at our desks without stepping away from our screens. And, to top it all off, we only put 54% of our paid vacation days to good use. Look, we get it—it can feel near impossible to prioritize self-care when you’re trying to get to inbox zero, reply to every Slack message, and hit those tight deadlines.
So, in the interest of multi-tasking and seeking ways we can take a moment for ourselves without leaving our desks (hey, baby steps, right?), we partnered with our friends at OLLY and asked our Create & Cultivate team to share the wellness products they swear by for staying healthy and focused at the office—and our colleagues did not disappoint. Spanning stress-reducing gummies to glow-inducing collagen peptides, these are the products that our co-workers here at C&C HQ keep stocked in their desk drawers at all times.
Keep scrolling to find out how you too can squeeze in a moment of self-care during your 9-5.
Maeve Casey, Account Manager
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Daily Energy
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: I’m not a coffee drinker and sometimes I need a little pick-me-up to give me that extra boost of energy. I take this every morning for sustained energy throughout the day. Olly Daily Energy gummies do just that while tasting amazing.
OLLY Daily Energy
$13.99
Alyssa Sage, Marketing Manager
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Goodbye Stress
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: Who isn’t stressed out these days? These gummies are my go-to during an especially busy work week, or when I’m traveling for an event. They’re extremely calming and help me crush through my heavy workload days.
OLLY Goodbye Stress
$13.99
Carly Johnson, Sr. Director, Brand Marketing
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Collagen Gummy Rings
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: I am always open to testing different skincare regimens that could potentially help prevent aging and these Collagen Gummy Rings are my newest obsession. They do their part to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles but if I am being completely honest, they are absolutely delicious, too.
OLLY Collagen Gummy Rings
$19.99
Sacha Strebe, Editorial Director
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Active Immunity Berry Brave
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: We are always on the go—when one show ends another one begins. This delicious gummy vitamin is my savior because it keeps my immunity in check so that when life gets tough, I get even tougher.
OLLY Active Immunity Berry Brave
$13.99
Nairi Najarian, Sr. Director, Digital Marketing
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Sleep
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: Our team clocks a lot of miles when traveling coast-to-coast to all the amazing cities that graciously host our conferences and summits. We have the ATX Pop-Up in March and our Beauty Summit in New York this May, so packing my OLLY Sleep gummies inside my carry-on is my must before a flight. They definitely mellow and calm my mind down, so I can rest up and catch some much-needed zzzs before the next stop!
OLLY Sleep
$13.99
Cierra White, Talent & Sales Coordinator
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Glowing Skin
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: Every day is the perfect day to put your best face forward. OLLY’s Glowing Skin helps me do just that with its perfect mixture of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and sea buckthorn. I not only feel good but my skin looks good! That’s why Glowing Skin is my go-to!
OLLY Glowing Skin
$13.99
Megan Beauchamp, Managing Editor
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Goodbye Stress
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: When I’m on deadline, these stress-relieving gummies help bring down my cortisol levels without compromising my ability to focus, which is exactly the mindset I need to be in to get the job done. Plus, they taste just like berries (always a plus!).
OLLY Goodbye Stress
$13.99
Neha Kumar, Chief Operating Officer
My Office Self-Care Staple Is: OLLY Undeniable Beauty
It’s My 9-to-5 Go-to Because: A few months after having my baby, I experienced extreme hair loss. I started taking these supplements and I now swear by them. My hair is much fuller and radiant.
OLLY Undeniable Beauty
$13.99
How to Marie Kondo Your Career and Enter the Next Decade With a Bang
And go from job to joy.
Photo: Smith House Photography; Design: Ginny Macdonald
There’s not much room for debate. Marie Kondo is the Japanese organizing consultant who is transforming lives everywhere and despite her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing launching in 2011, Kondo continues to inspire people around the world to get their spaces in order.
In the book, she breaks down her two-pronged approach to cleaning. Step one: Physically touch your belongings, see if said belongings spark a sense of joy, and if they don’t, toss them. Step two: After you’ve done the dirty work and dumped those joyless items, put everything else back in a place where it’s easy to see, grab, and put back again.
It has brought countless people lasting results—to point, none of her customers are repeats. “In this book,” she writes in the Introduction, “I have summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever.”
So we wanted to take her home tidying methods and apply them to work. Because WHY NOT? We want to change our relationship to work forever too! If she can work magic in the home, why can’t she work magic at the office?
Here are four KonMari methods that can be applied to your career, too and kick off the new decade with a bang!
KonMari Method Lesson #1: Tackle Categories, Not Rooms
Tidying by category is Kondo’s first rule. She says to start with clothing, then books and move on to items like documents and old photographs later. The reasoning is that things in like-categories tend to be spread throughout your house, not confined to one space.
How to apply this at work: This will be similar to time-batching, or grouping like activities together. Set aside time the morning for email, time mid-morning for conference calls, and time in the afternoon for writing, creative ideas, and brainstorming. Sure, there will be the odd bits of “clutter” that pop-up during the day-- the email that needs a response while you’re in the midst of your creative jive but batching helps you stay focused and on track.
KonMari Method Lesson #2: Picking Up Each Item and Asking, “Does this spark joy?”
For most of us, minimalism isn’t our strong suit. But from those in power suits to tracksuits, everyone can get on board.
In the book, this method is applied in the literal sense to the home. The clothes that are shoved in the back corner of your closet that you need to lose ten pounds to wear. The pile of books you keep meaning to read. Just because you bought it, doesn’t mean you own it. In fact, if it doesn’t bring you joy, it’s owning you.
“Just because you bought it, doesn’t mean you own it. In fact, if it doesn’t bring you joy, it’s owning you.”
How to apply this at work: The most obvious place you can start is your desk. You can apply the same method to stacks of papers, old receipts, empty bottles of Advil, and that half-eaten Snickers stashed in the back for a 2 pm sugar craving. If your desk is surrounded by “joyless” items that you don’t need for work or taxes, toss them.
Next. There are parts of all jobs that are joyless. From the startup founder who hates Quickbooks to the intern who can’t stand the tedium of stuffing gift bags. However, you can apply a minimalist mindset to your work by understanding what each piece of your work puzzle is contributing to the larger picture. There is a nugget of joy in each task. Even if it's just that at some point, it will be over.
If you’re a freelancer (and can afford to turn down jobs, which, we know is not easy) ask yourself if this project or client will bring you joy and if what you’re contributing will bring joy to other people.
KonMari Method Lesson #3: Put the Kibosh on Nostalgia
Many times through the book Kondo talks about nostalgia and hazardous sentimental attachments to our possessions. Whether it’s boxes of old photographs and birthday cards that lead us down a long and windy path of nostalgia and distraction while cleaning, to items we hold onto for no reason—aka your grandmother’s boots you're keeping even though they’re two sizes too small. Talk about a tropical depression. The nostalgia hurricane is real and it's ruling your life. Feeling strongly about stuff is okay but it can also be the enemy of tidy. Kondo says people keep things out of "fear for the future or attachment to the past.”
“Talk about a tropical depression. The nostalgia hurricane is real and it’s ruling your life.”
How to apply this to work: It's not just stuff kids! We have nostalgia and emotional attachment to ideas. So, what should we do to make space for bigger and better creative thoughts? Kill your darlings. That’s right. The creative ideas that keep falling dead in the water. Every single one of us has that “golden” idea that we can’t escape. The one we reposition and bring up in pitch meetings, the one we’re sure is going to hit with ONE client that simply never does. Accept that. Thank the idea for taking up space in your head and let it go.
Also, those notebooks full of half-baked ideas and sparks (ahem duds) of genius you jotted down and have never looked through—toss them. We know you’re saving them for that one time you’re going to need to reference a page scribbled on in 2007 but just say goodbye. If ideas are really that great, they’ll stick around. You don’t need to create a physical library of your own brain.
KonMari Method Lesson #4: Simplifying and Letting Go Feels Good, So GOOD
Yes! Getting rid of clutter and freeing up your home space feels great. You feel lighter, more free, and less emotionally tied to STUFF! When it comes to closets specifically the Marie Kondo method creates space between stuff. Your clothes have SPACE GLORIOUS SPACE to live and breathe! Dressing all of the sudden becomes easier when you can SEE everything! Decision making is easier when you love everything and therefore you become more efficient with your time! Exclamations abound!! (For real, this is happy, joyous stuff.)
How to apply this to work: You don’t have to do anything here! Once you start letting go of the clutter on your desk and in your head, you will free up space for the next steps. You’ll be giving your career the breathing room it needs to expand. It will also help you become more clear on what projects to say yes to, and which projects to turn down.
You’ll feel relief instead of anxiety, joy instead of a job.
What are some ways you can apply this method to work? Share in the comments below!
This post was originally published on September 15, 2016, and has since been updated.
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
New Study Shows Have Fun First, Work Later
Do you have on your Monday Party Pants?
By: Naomi Hirabayashi, co-founder Shine
*This piece originally appeared on Shine, a free daily text to help you thrive.*
Work hard, play hard. We’ve habituated ourselves to feel like this is the only appropriate order of things.
We save up our movie nights and dance parties for the weekends. We hold out on that calming bubble bath until the end of the day. We don’t let ourselves Netflix and Chill until we’ve pushed through all (OK, most) of those backed-up emails.
Yet new research shows that waiting to have fun until after we’ve worked doesn’t necessarily make it more enjoyable.
In fact, the study shows that fun is just as fun even if you haven’t “earned it” and it can actually motivate us to work smarter.
Fun is just as fun even if you haven’t earned it.
Tweet this.
Ed O’Brien, a professor at the Chicago Booth School of Business, discussed his new research in Harvard Business Review:
“We built a makeshift “spa” in the laboratory — with a massage chair and footbath — for 259 ever-at-work University of Chicago students. Students could choose to come during the weeks right after their stressful midterm exam period or during the weeks right before midterms began. (We had essentially the same number of students show up at both time periods, and they were of similar age, gender, etc.) They predicted their enjoyment before visiting and rated their experience afterward.”
The results:
“We found that while the students who visited the spa before midterms predicted that the experience would be less enjoyable due to looming midterms exams, they actually enjoyed themselves just as much as those who visited the spa after midterms.”
While happy hour before work might not be realistic (or desirable), the powerful message that not only are we allowed to loosen up in between all of our obligations -- but it can actually make us more motivated and better equipped to handle our busy days, is a welcome one.
How can we enact this in our daily lives?
By flipping play on its head and finding ways to start (instead of just finishing) with fun.
Dance before you leave the house in the morning; you don’t have to wait until Friday night to do throw on some #TBT 90s hits or to let DJ Khaled remind you that ‘we the best’.
Pre-game a big meeting with a funny video that puts everyone in a good mood or share a random fact you recently learned with the group.
Swap a weekday / weekend routine; typically save dinner with a friend for the weekend? Get an extra boost of joy by going for a breakfast or lunch catch up during the weekday.
Whatever your version of fun is, remember: you don’t have to earn it. You already deserve to enjoy yourself and by incorporating more play at the beginning, you’ll give yourself a catalyst to stay motivated and keep hustling.
photo credit: Geronimo Balloons
Shine is a free daily text message experience that makes it easier to live a more intentional life. Each weekday morning, Shine sends curated content and actionable tips across confidence, daily happiness, mental health and productivity. Why? Because we all need a little help to get through the day—and Shine’s got your back. To sign up, text “SHINE” to 759-85 or go to www.shinetext.com to learn more.
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
The Origins of Work/Life Balance & How To Achieve It
It's not a myth, and it can be achieved with 4 small steps.
Work/life balance is the unicorn in every bedroom, kitchen, and desk of the modern working woman.
It is a term used indiscriminately that powerfully affects how we approach day-to-day tasks. How do we find it? Where is it hiding? Is it possibly beneath this desk I want to nap under? (No, it’s not there.)
Most Millennial women report that such a concept is a myth. Or at best, the out-of-key piano soundtrack to our lives that we can’t figure out how to tune. But work/life balance is no whisper campaign that effectively targeted and exploited a vulnerability-- even if it feels as such at times.
We all have the desire to buy into this concept as possible and the want to improve our quality of life. It makes sense that this groundhog day concept keeps appearing.
So how do we reconcile our relationship to work/life balance? How do we make quantitative decisions about what is right for us? How do we, as working women, scale balance?
Our friends at Origins created a new post-workout products that help us refresh after the gym and continue that zen a little longer, and it inspired us to nail down 4 keys ways that help us approach the elusive work/life balance.
REMOVE ONE APP RIGHT NOW!
In an almost astonishing way technology has changed the way we work. But it’s a double-edged sword because we’ve come to rely on said tech in ways that hinder our ability to balance.
If you know that the phone is an issue in your life stop relying on apps to solve all problems. Learn to rely on yourself again.
“Learn to rely on yourself again.”
Tweet this.
Remove one app from your phone right now that you rely too heavily on. You know what it is. It’s disguised as convenience, but has made you all the more entrenched in the work crunch. I.e. Food delivery apps that have made it all the more simple to order lunch straight to our desks. Delete it and walk to lunch tomorrow.
UNBLUR THE LINES BETWEEN WORK AND HOME
One person’s approach should not be another’s. In fact balance is idiosyncratic. Create & Cultivate keynote Rachel Zoe said that when she’s at work, she’s present and when she’s with her kids, she’s present. Which means she’s not scrolling IG at the dinner table. There is separation in her life and it’s important to her well-being and productivity as an entrepreneur.
Create a routine that’s not about work.
INCORPORATE A WEEKLY WORKOUT INTO YOUR ROUTINE
Working out is one of the best motivators, confidence boosters and is proven to increase productivity. But while we often think about pre-workout-- which is often rushing from the office to a class-- and the benefits of the workout itself, there’s also a chance to slow down, and take that post workout high time for yourself. You don’t have to sprint from the gym home. Instead take a little extra “balance” time for yourself and try the following:
Post-sweat session use Origins Shower Off™ Exfoliating Body Wash, a refreshing post-workout scrub cleanser designed to refine and deeply purify the skin by removing perspiration and dirt. Likewise, Origins Warm Down™ Warming Lava scrub, a water-activated heating lava scrub addresses three key needs after a workout – it detoxifies and exfoliates skin, while also promoting relaxation for sore muscles. Activated in the shower, it warms up on contact to help comfort sore muscles, while volcanic ash deeply purifies skin by removing dirt, sweat and perspiration.
You should also take a moment to replenish the skin. An average person sweats the equivalent of two large sports bottles per hour during rigorous exercise. Which means your skin is losing moisture too. With Origins new Hit Refresh™ Cooling Moisturizer with Hawaiian Mineral Water, you’re instantly replenishes skin’s hydration post-workout.
These products leave skin smooth and refreshingly clean, while your brain and body feel balanced and calm.
WHEN YOU GET HOME POST-WORKOUT, PUT YOUR PHONE IN A DIFFERENT ROOM
Check your email and answer anything pressing on the subway ride or walk home. Or if you commute, answer before you leave the gym.
You can make the choice to not let your work cross the threshold with you. When you arrive at home, place your phone in a different room. It’s a simple spatial barrier that will help you break a habit that is detrimental in your quest for W/L. (I.e. checking your email or Insta every five seconds while you enjoy an end of day glass of wine or cup of tea.)
You should also put your phone in a different room when you finally hit the hay, that way you’re not checking your email or putting out fires FIRST thing in the morning.
Simple adjustments allow you to be proactive about your day, instead of reactive, and aid in your desire to find balance.
Simple adjustments allow you to be proactive about your day, instead of reactive, and aid in your desire to find balance.
Tweet this.
And remember: you get to day 500 of balance by starting with day one.
What If You Could Only Work 35 Hours a Week?
If the French can do it, can we?
The idea of a 9-5 is laughable for most of us. The Great 40-Hour Work Week Myth. A concept adapted after the Great Depression in efforts to stimulate the job market, 40 hours was considered a shorter work week. It was the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 passed, which established the five-day, 40-hour work week for everyone, which is still observed today.
In France however, a 35-hour work week is the current law. The cap, introduced in 1999 was flagship reform of the Socialist government in power in efforts to fuel job creation.
In January of this year, in what is likely to be one of the final big policy initiatives of President Francoise Holland's government, Holland and Socialist prime minister Manuel Valls proposed an overhaul of the policy. It was not met with welcome arms. Quite the opposite, working to divide an already fractured Socialist party. Of the country's 3,400 page labor code, 125 are dedicated to working hours-- hours many citizens see as a major tenet of the Socialist party.
On the 9th of this month, protestors took to the streets as Holland and team presented draft reform of the labor code to cabinet.
All of this uproar got us thinking. Surely we're better off than the 1800s when it was standard for men, women, and children in the U.S. to work 14-hour days thanks to the Industrial Revolution. But with the average worker in the US clocking 47 hours per week, what would a 35-hour work week even look like?
And when, if ever, would you be in the prime position to pitch it to your boss?
THE FAIRYTALE THAT NEVER CAME TRUE
This one has nothing to do with princes, and everything to do with market principles.
Once upon a time in the '30s, influential economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that as technology advanced and made us more productive, the work week for man would become much shorter. In an essay called, "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren," Keynes anticipated a 15-hour work week. Today, we are working longer hours than ever, though one part of Keynes theory came true.
Technology has made us faster, more connected, and in effect more productive. We link up with international clients with the click of a button. We can upload and market from our phones. Yet advancements have increased our workload, blurring the boundaries between on-the-clock hours and off.
Technological progress also fueled a consumerism boom, so instead of working less, people started buying more. The easier it became to market and distribute goods, the more we bought, and the more bought the more we had to work to bankroll our consumer tendencies.
THE BENEFITS FOR YOU, YOUR BOSS, & THE ECONOMY
The Indeed Job Happiness Index 2016 scrutinized data to rank job satisfaction in 35 countries as well as major cities in the US and Europe. The study, released earlier this month, revealed that the happiest workers in the US live in Los Angeles. According to Indeed the happiest workers in LA are those with “personal assistant, creative director, production assistant, and teaching assistant” roles. Might this have something to do with the non-typical work hours of those jobs? Perhaps.
According to the study, "Compensation consistently ranks as the least significant factor when it comes to considering what makes people happy at work. However, although the work-life balance correlates closely with overall job satisfaction." In other words: shorter hours.
"The work-life balance correlates closely with overall job satisfaction."
Tweet this.
There are other potential benefits. Shorter hours for one worker means more hours for another. Which is why some economists believe that a shorter work week is a job creation tool.
Shorter hours might also mean a reduction in stress, anxiety, be better for your overall happiness, and reduce child care costs if applicable. It would mean less money, but if the saying is true, money can't buy happiness.
To deliberately work less would mean that you would also have to deliberately buy less.
SO IS A CONDENSED SCHEDULE RIGHT FOR YOU?
Hard to say. If you want to broach the subject with your employer, the best argument for a shorter work week is that it has been proven to increase productivity. But you also need to consider that the adage of working smarter, not harder applies to the case of the 35-hour week.
If you have only four days to complete assignments you would typically finish in five days, it's economical for the company, beneficial to your mental health, potentially giving you the opportunity to find happiness and live-work balance.
Is that, and a reduced pay check, worth the extra day off to you? Because you can't have your cake and eat it too in this case-- no matter what the French do.
Or you could simply move to LA, where we might have the happiest workers and the angriest drivers.