jan's stuff: maart 2022

vrijdag, maart 18, 2022

Preventing burn-out by changing your work ethics.

After reading this article in the Baffler and after reading these HN comments I came up with my own set of rules to prevent burn-out:

I've long suspected that my work ethics shield me from getting a burn-out. These ethics are:

work is a way, a tool, a means to an end: to make money.
If work becomes more (a way to meet people, a way to have a higher status, a way to fill time) then it should be culled, cut off, put back in its proper corner.
work should not be enjoyed too much. Lest you come into temptation to do more of it than necessary.
work should also not be too boring. A little challenge now and again is fine.
work should be done diligently (you should do the required tasks, and recommend improvements). Any time your suggestions for improvements are sworded down, you should NOT worry. After all, you only work for money, not for your ego.
work should be done honestly (no lying, stealing or cheating).
Do not take shit from colleagues. Talk to them about their behavior. No change? Talk to the manager. Still no change? Transfer or quit this job.
Do not take shit from managers or your boss. Be open about this and direct: the buck stops here. Period.
It helps to have F-you money. I suggest 2-3 years salary is a nice stash.
work should not be done too much (working 2 to 4 days per week seems ideal. I've worked for 3 days a week for years and can highly recommend it).
You do not work overtime, not even when paid, unless there is an emergency. If there are more than 1 emergencies per year, then the company's definition of an emergency is wrong. Look for a less toxic company.
You do not do any unpaid overtime. Work is for money. No money means no working. It's really that simple. But would you really want to abandon your colleagues/coworkers? No, but it's the task of the shareholders or company owners to chip in, not yours.
When fired, give yourself a year sabbatical.
In case of being fired, do not take it personally. Were you really under-performing, or was your new manager just not able to appreciate your work? Hint: he was too short-sighted to see your work's true value.
But what if the manager was right? Maybe you do suck at this. It is better to think about such soul-searching things after the sabbatical. When you still agree: look for a whole new kind of work. A different position with fresh perspectives.

The New Neurasthenia | Charlie Tyson

[This book] is an attack on the cruel idea that work confers dignity and therefore that people who don't work—the old, the disabled—lack value. On the contrary, dignity is intrinsic to all human beings, and in designing a work regime rigged for the profit of the few and the exhaustion of the many, we have failed to honor one another's humanity.

https://thebaffler.com/latest/the-new-neurasthenia-tyson

maandag, maart 14, 2022

We are big losers (of weight)

I found this on HackerNews as a comment and thought, why not try it?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30617118

I will say what worked for me ( lost 30 Kgs ( 66 Lbs ) in ~6 months ) sorted by what I think it is easier and more effective:

1. Eat slowly, as slowly as you can, the feeling of being full takes a while to reach your brain ( I know this is not the scientific correct definition but gives the idea ), the slower you eat the less you eat.

2. Drink a lot, something I noticed is that sometimes I want to eat something but the reality is that I want to drink and I'm just eating to get the liquids out of the food, when you want to eat first drink a glass of water and wait 1 minute to see if you still want to eat.

3. Brush your teeth 5 minutes after you eat anything, I myself find washing my teeth a chore and I want to do as less as possible, brushing my teeth after lunch stops me from eating snacks after lunch because I don't want to dirty my teeth and wash them again.

4. Have a food journal, use an app to log everything you eat, before you eat it. It is important that is before because in this way you know how many calories you are going to eat, and sometimes that number is higher than what you expected, at least on me this usually has the effect that I choose to eat less of what I was going to eat or I will eat something else entirely.

5. Eat breakfast as late as you can, and dinner as early as you can. This is called intermittent fasting and works, but it requires quite a willpower.

6. This one is the one I find the hardest but also the most effective: Limit the amount of sweets you eat, I know it is hard as hell and when you see a sweet you already start salivating ( or at least I do ), but say to yourself: "today I will eat maximum 250kcal of sweets ( that is usually 1 croissant max )" or if you are more advanced you can swap today for "this week"

7. This one doesn't really apply to me because in my country we have the culture of cooking, but from what I heard around it helps in countries where cooking at home is uncommon: Cook your food from scratch, don't buy a ready meal, cook it yourself, in this way you have full control of what goes in that meal and you know what goes in it, it will save you from eating unnecessary sugars and conservants.