I would love a warts and all perspective from anyone thats made the transition to days inbthebUK.
robtherobber•2w ago
It's very circumstantial, so individual responses may turn out to be red herrings without a higher level analysis.
That said, I am one of these people and here are the warts in my specific case (which is not exactly what the 4 Day Week Foundation is arguing for): less money and a tendency to go out less - somehow, being forced to travel to work also made me keener to go out more.
Other than these, which are not major issues for me, things are great and I can't recommend enough to people to reduce their workweek and spend more time with their family, friends, take on hobbies, volunteer, do sport, learn new skills, get involved in their communities and civically, and generally whatever they wish to spend their brief existence doing. It's been a boon for my mental health and it's allowed me to flourish in some respects. I appreciate it won't be the same for everyone, but we should absolutely offer this option to citizens as a society.
theothertimcook•2w ago
Thanks man, that’s an interesting side effect, do you have any suspicions as to what’s drive withdrawal, are you Fillmore of your time with intentional valued activity as touched on? Or are you being less impulsive/blowing off steam?
Have there been any productivity changes noticed at work?
robtherobber•1w ago
> that’s an interesting side effect, do you have any suspicions as to what’s drive withdrawal
It's just convenience, I suspect. Once I was out of the house, it was rather convenient to keep myself out and do other things. Plus, you pay for public transportation to get to work and there's some sense in maximising that expense and try to do more.
Working from home somehow impacted that. I still go out, albeit not as often; I've become a bit more comfortable, which I don't see it as a problem necessarily.
> are you Fillmore of your time with intentional valued activity as touched on?
Absolutely. More volunteering, more time on my personal projects, more physical activity, more time for my hobbies.
However, I think that the idea that free time should be used to do something meaningful or useful is not entirely positive or defensible.[0] As creatures we play multiple roles simultaneously: romantic partners, family members, neighbours, employees, volunteers, philosophers, citizens, economic, political and social agents etc.; but, crucially, before all of those we are animals: we need to eat, drink, rest, shit, we need safety and protection from the elements, love and be loved, and all that jazz. Think about something akin to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - perhaps with more recent research.[1][2] Understanding this order is essential and it should drive the organisation of societies.
I don't want to spend all my free time 'optimising' myself continuously, or doing something that can be construed as valuable. Whilst that is or should be considered in part, I sometimes intend to just be rather than do; waste time, think about nonsense, search for food recipes online that I will never cook, watch silly videos.
> Or are you being less impulsive/blowing off steam?
I am definitely being less impulsive, no doubt about that. My mental health has improved significantly, and I'm generally more satisfied with life (and even with work).
> Have there been any productivity changes noticed at work?
Somewhat, yes. I work better when I'm less stressed, I think this applies to most people. I continue to have good days and not-so-good days, but that's because I'm a human being. Whether that impacts work or not it really should not matter in the least: we work to have good lives, not the other way around.
theothertimcook•2w ago
robtherobber•2w ago
That said, I am one of these people and here are the warts in my specific case (which is not exactly what the 4 Day Week Foundation is arguing for): less money and a tendency to go out less - somehow, being forced to travel to work also made me keener to go out more.
Other than these, which are not major issues for me, things are great and I can't recommend enough to people to reduce their workweek and spend more time with their family, friends, take on hobbies, volunteer, do sport, learn new skills, get involved in their communities and civically, and generally whatever they wish to spend their brief existence doing. It's been a boon for my mental health and it's allowed me to flourish in some respects. I appreciate it won't be the same for everyone, but we should absolutely offer this option to citizens as a society.
theothertimcook•2w ago
Have there been any productivity changes noticed at work?
robtherobber•1w ago
It's just convenience, I suspect. Once I was out of the house, it was rather convenient to keep myself out and do other things. Plus, you pay for public transportation to get to work and there's some sense in maximising that expense and try to do more.
Working from home somehow impacted that. I still go out, albeit not as often; I've become a bit more comfortable, which I don't see it as a problem necessarily.
> are you Fillmore of your time with intentional valued activity as touched on?
Absolutely. More volunteering, more time on my personal projects, more physical activity, more time for my hobbies.
However, I think that the idea that free time should be used to do something meaningful or useful is not entirely positive or defensible.[0] As creatures we play multiple roles simultaneously: romantic partners, family members, neighbours, employees, volunteers, philosophers, citizens, economic, political and social agents etc.; but, crucially, before all of those we are animals: we need to eat, drink, rest, shit, we need safety and protection from the elements, love and be loved, and all that jazz. Think about something akin to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - perhaps with more recent research.[1][2] Understanding this order is essential and it should drive the organisation of societies.
I don't want to spend all my free time 'optimising' myself continuously, or doing something that can be construed as valuable. Whilst that is or should be considered in part, I sometimes intend to just be rather than do; waste time, think about nonsense, search for food recipes online that I will never cook, watch silly videos.
> Or are you being less impulsive/blowing off steam?
I am definitely being less impulsive, no doubt about that. My mental health has improved significantly, and I'm generally more satisfied with life (and even with work).
> Have there been any productivity changes noticed at work?
Somewhat, yes. I work better when I'm less stressed, I think this applies to most people. I continue to have good days and not-so-good days, but that's because I'm a human being. Whether that impacts work or not it really should not matter in the least: we work to have good lives, not the other way around.
[0] https://leftie.uk/stopworking/topic/how-to-be-human/
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3161123/
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S03057...