As an organisational Psychologist, my passion in life is to see humanity flourish in and through organisational life. Needless to say, the 4th industrial revolution in particular entices me and specifically what it all means for…our humanity. So, in as much as the world has become evermore complex the ‘smarter’ we getting what should be a very practical consequence are that we should work less, right? So, we have seen through history that following each industrial revolution, the work week has become shorter. But why, if we have smarter technology, are people still working so much? Most people are working longer hours and some even work for their devices. The connected life has achieved just that, made us so connected that we can never shut down.

So, what I am really pining about in these scribbles is that most people are not getting enough sleep and this is not good in the workplace, and everywhere else.

Sleep is not a passive thing; your body uses this time to perform essential repair and growth functions. Individuals who regularly get les than 5hours sleep per night doubles their risk of cardiovascular disease, suppressed immune system and raise the risk of becoming obese. What happens in the body when we don’t get enough sleep?

The bags under your eyes are really a sign of a cortisol increase. You can lose perspective. MRI scans show that the amygdala region of the brain, which regulates emotion, tends to overreact to negative events when we are sleep deprived. A lack of sleep increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

So, next time you reach for that device to answer that oh so critical email… ask yourself, am I working smart for myself?

Sweet dreamzzzzz