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https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/nov/17/the-fatigue-is-not-only-real-it-is-absolutely-legitimate-why-are-so-many-of-us-so-tired-right-now>
"Every year we run this race, and every year we get to the finish line – the
last couple of months of the year – ready to collapse, only to face the
prospect of preparing for festive events and family gatherings, entertaining
children and preparing ourselves for whatever fresh disaster hell our
superheated global climate is readying for us.
It’s exhausting. But this year feels especially hard.
How often do conversations with family, friends and colleagues at the moment
include at least one person commenting how tired they’re feeling? The news
cycle keeps delivering horrors, shocks and moral affronts that drain our
reserves. At the same time, we try to plough on with “normal” life: a calendar
rammed with end-of-year events, office parties, school presentations, catch-ups
with friends we haven’t seen for ages because we’ve been too busy; all the
while many of us try to squeeze in a few more days of paid work because the
dollar doesn’t stretch that far these days and we need all the money we can
get.
In workplaces, homes, shops and schools, there’s a sense that much of Australia
is running on empty; emotionally, physically and financially.
When it comes to reasons for anxiety and exhaustion, the cost-of-living crisis
is high on the list. Rising prices for food and housing are never far from the
headlines but wages aren’t keeping up.
At the same time, Australians have a problem with overworking. “We are a
long-working-hours culture compared to other equivalent OECD countries,” says
Dr Lisa Heap, senior researcher at the Centre for Future Work at the Australia
Institute. More than one in eight Australians work long hours, according to the
latest figures. We also spend less time on leisure and personal care than the
OECD average. “People who are in full-time employment [are] doing more hours
than they’re paid for, and certainly more hours than they want to be doing.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
