Issue #42: The Real Reason for Quiet Quitting
Good morning. It's Wednesday, October 12th. Hugh Jackman turns 54 today - who do you think signs up for Thrive25 first - him or his good buddy Ryan Reynolds?
“When we don’t have control, we lose the capacity to cope. It’s when we have a choice that toughness is trained.”
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The percentage of respondents that experience loneliness due to remote work. All those hours not sitting in traffic, being able to live almost anywhere, flexible time with the family - working from home sure has its perks.
But the challenges are real (trouble focusing, staying motivated, working more) with loneliness being the most complex. Luckily, there are ways to combat it...
Alone at Work
Shout out for working from home - get to wear shorts, avoid angry drivers simultaneously texting and drinking coffee, and eat a healthy lunch that doesn't cost $18 from UberEats.
But then why are 1 out of 4 of us lonely and why is #quietquitting a viral hashtag?
Isolation
Thanks to evolution - at the first sign of isolation our sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system goes on high alert. Without the normal support of our team or tribe (in this case our company), our bodies go into self-preservation mode pumping cortisol and keeping us on high alert.* Our hypervigilance perceives everything as a threat.
Fast forward to today where we rely on slack and Zoom to not only keep us connected with our colleagues, but to be recognized for our hard work. Without the proper communication from managers, we don't know our performance or how we're doing compared to our peers.
So we lean into even more work - scheduling 11pm emails or worse, actually sending emails at 11pm.
But that's only part of the story.
*It's a feature, not a bug, that we can't get good deep sleep when we're stressed - that's when we're most vulnerable for attack.
Control
Most of the articles on quiet quitting lead you to believe it's a cultural issue, and without the in-office perks and in-person conversations, that companies just need to recreate a virtual culture of connection.
This is true - who doesn't want to work at a place that feels more welcoming?
But the real reason for quiet quitting: lack of control and choice.
Even in a society that exudes a "no quit" attitude, humans (like every animal) will give up when there appears to be no control over the situation and no choice for how to move forward - leading to listlessness or "give-up-itis."
Teachers are tasked to follow the testing protocol without autonomy to use their own expertise and creativity to engage students. Managers are tasked with unrealistic goals without enough resources (e.g., people) to achieve them. All of us are tasked to be "on" at all times - after all, we get to work from home.
Solution
We need to feel like we have control and choice in whatever it is we do.
Steve Magness uses a great example of how to change this.
In a standard VO2 Max test, coaches control the speed and angle of the treadmill - forcing runners into exhaustion. The runners have no idea when the pain will finally end. Steve switched it up - he decided to get to his VO2 Max in 10 minutes and be done. He now could run as he would a race - with his own strategy to get to his top speed and exertion.
The result - a much higher VO2 Max when he controlled his own test.
Bringing this to life in the office:
Find something you can control - no matter how small*
Give yourself a choice - know quitting, slowing down, or giving up gives you control
Create a ritual that is uniquely yours (e.g., morning routine)
*Viktor Frankl, in Aushwitz, had no control, but he still found choice - to shave and stand tall everyday.
BONUS For Leaders:
Learn to let go. Give direction and let the team fly on their own
Be vulnerable and engage with your team as humans*
Teach & Coach, don't Manage & Dictate
*Founders and Executives often feel loneliness. Lean into your team - they aren't looking for perfection, they are looking for authenticity.
Check out "Do Tough Things" by Steve Magness to go into way more detail!
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
MLB Playoffs Roundup: Yesterday, the 8 remaining teams in the MLB playoffs kicked off the divisional round. All but one of the matchups involves teams from the same division - our Guardians (AL Central) vs. Yankees (AL East). In the early games, the Phillies jumped ahead of the defending champs, and Yordan Alvarez blasted a 438 ft 3-run walk-off HR for the Spacemen. The late games were late, and the Dodgers-Padres felt even later after the Guardians lost to the Yankees 4-1. Check the latest scores and highlights here.
Healthy Food - More $$$, No Problem: A recent survey from Deloitte, found the majority of consumers want healthier options, and will pay more for them. 84% of consumers consider health & wellness when purchasing fresh foods and 75% believe eating the right food can be the best medicine.
Only a few hours left…: We're not all about stuff (remember Issue #27 on minimalism), but there's some great health & wellness items on Amazon's early access sale. SELF compiled this list of items across 11 categories - there’s something for everyone, even an old guy I know turning 42 this Friday…hint hint.
Wednesday Weights
Back to basics today - just 4 rounds of 2 exercises: Barbell Deadlift & Pull-Up. This workout focuses on our largest muscle groups to really build upper and lower body strength. Need some alternatives? Check out the options below:
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
Wednesday Logic Puzzle (LP)
Need a 2-min break?
In which direction is the bus pictured below traveling? Left or right?**
How about 10 min?
Name two objects for every letter in your first name. Work up to five objects, trying to use different items each time.
There is no answer - the value of this exercise is to work on your attention and working memory. Try every letter in the alphabet if you like.
Credit: SharpBrains
Thanks for joining us today! Hope you enjoyed it - tomorrow we'll continue our journey into the Human Connection.
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.