I have always been fascinated with the stigma sleep carries with it in the corporate world. Somehow we have all come to agree that being well-rested is a sign of sloth and that being busy and overun is a clear indicator of success. True, there are people that only need a few hours of sleep to operate at their full potential, but the medical consensus is that we all need the proverbial 8 hours a night. In the entrepreneurial world, where discipline and focus are key to making it big, sleep has become almost taboo.
For example, to schedule a meeting "first thing in the morning" now means 730am, where 5 years ago the meeting would have been at 9am. By nine, many of our "top performers" have hit the gym, had breakfast, taken the dog for a walk, written three proposals, made ten phonecalls and are on to their next shower. But is this really what we should aim for? Are these people performing at the top of their game? Or are they just doing more things half-assed?
In this job I am very lucky to get to sample many work environments, from peaceful havens where you can hear silent typing in the background, to hectic hells where no one is really sure what’s going on I have spent the last two weeks with a team that pivots around focus. The team is hunkered down at all times but it is still a very relaxed environment. Quite admirable, actually. There is definitely a busy buzz in the air but no one seems to be busting at the seams nor stressed out beyond their limits. Also, no one is ever here past 6.30pm.
By simple deduction, it’s clear that everyone has lives outside this office, happy lives, that allow them to also get some rest. With very few exceptions everyone comes in bouncing the next morning, ready for more. No one wears tiredness as a badge of honour, no one complains about not getting enough rest.
After working in the agency world for so long I have gotten used to people competing for who gets the least amount of sleep and who is the most martyred worker in the bunch. I do have to admit it but I have played the game, too. It’s inevitable. The competitive vein in me doesn’t allow me to stay behind, even when it comes to competitive suffering! What’s worse, the trend seems to be a lot higher amongst women. That’s right, ladies, we are the biggest whiners when it comes to sleeping.
In a world where women are starting more businesses and getting more education than men, at least statistically, it’s hard for me to accept this type of self-victimization amongst my gender. I catch myself doing it all the time: “I’m so exhausted”, “I’m running on 4 hours of sleep…” Even if it has been true for the last couple of weeks it feels as if we have to point it out to justify underperformance. It’s like wearing a button that says” I’m working so hard I can hardly stay up.” What a slippery slope.
The fortunate thing is that many of us are opening our eyes to the dangers of not sleeping and, more importantly, or the martyrdom of unrest, and actually being vocal about it. One of the biggest reliefs for me was watching the video of Arianna Huffington, from the Huffington Post, below on sleep and success.
Arianna is one of the most iconic women entrepreneurs of our time. Whether you agree with her left-leaning biased or her lifestyle choices, we can at least all get behind that businesswise, the lady knows what she’s doing. So take a look at the video below and let me know what you think….
Are you a victim of your own sleep cycle? Is the lack of rest getting in the way of you big idea? Are you using sleep as a deterrent or as a tool?
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