If for once life boiled down to being a pursuit in pleasure and not a struggle in striving, two things in the world would perhaps stand out in their most majestic might- eating and sleeping. Even in their very basic entailing as being entities essential for the very existence and continuation of life, both food and sleep count also as much as indulgence as they do as necessities. And while the experience eked out of both these basic requirements life exclusively depends on to chart out its path in and beyond existence emerges as distinct encounters across the myriad ways they march upon to encompass different modes of expression, the essence of it all still rests somewhere along the realms of pleasure. And pleasure not just in titillating the senses though but also in such assertions that works in their innate capacities as being harbouring of health and happiness to lead us to a life lived wholesomely across all aspects of it.
The importance of food and nutrition in living, both in the basic sense as well in its extensive entailing of worthy living is well known to one and all. Equally recognised is the role played by a healthy sleeping routine in maintaining the essence of life across the diverse activities of which it is a sum total in general. And yet despite such acknowledgement of its distinction as being as necessary a way for life to continue in all fulfilment, the provisions for it do not quite exist in as resonating extents of what characterise the ultimate submission to the food necessity in certain spheres of existence. Particularly across such explorations of life not innately linked to it in the contemporary sense of it, sleep is often even accorded only a status of secondary importance leading to be expected to surrendered rather readily if and when the situation calls for it. So while lunch hours and coffee breaks make for legit windows universally worked out in the world of the professional, nap time does not command yet the same exclusive arrangements of its attending. Sure, certain cultures and countries do further also the sleep prominence in adherence of their own traditional ways and styles of living across even such mostly modern day manifestations of the work life but that largely arises out of their ingrained belief in a custom rather than as a conscious step in furthering the cause of sleeping. By and large therefore, workplaces and offices as well as bosses and managers do not take cognisance of the sleep needs of themselves as well as their employees as something beyond their scope of purview. Worse still, sleep discussions during the office hours might even present as a taboo and for the unfortunate ones slipping into that act of subconscious unconsciousness accidentally upon their work desk itself, the repercussions of it can be anything from a mild rebuking to more stricter disciplinary actions initiated against them. That despite the fact that sleep has been known universally to be a potent factor affecting productivity and efficiency which makes it all the more important a matter to be taken care of specifically in professional circles where results are what that matter the most. And yet, sleep languishes quite some distance behind food and drinks when it comes to commanding the attention of the as sleep starved identities along the diverse echelons of the professional world.
Sleep deprivation makes for a crucial component of what characterise the concurring phenomenon of burnout that so rampantly plagues the settings of the professional world. Which is why adequately addressing concerns of less than optimum amount of sleep needs to take up much more chunks of time and conscience of those concerned with the competent performance of workplaces dependent very much on the services of their employees. That isn’t a consideration traditionally taken to in true spirit of what makes up the workplace etiquette but times sure are a- changin’ and the turning tides of this timeless entity have ushered in a module of professional working, or more appropriately work management that which captures attention as sleep leadership. Leadership being such a key concept in the work settings of what shapes up the professional world, it is only apt that something as essential as sleep has finally been let a way into the expanse of this working structure by evoking the true power of managerial enterprise. Specifically ushered in under the folds of the leadership hierarchy is this novel indeed phenomenon of work life that finally accords due respect to charting out the more than just pleasurable prerequisites of a sufficiently satisfactory sleeping schedule.
The universal referendum on the most optimal amount of sleeping time accounts for eight hours of every night of our lives but that is a segment of living largely unaccounted for in approximate counts of it. Specifically for those limited by the taxing requirements of an extracting work schedule bossed over by result driven farsighters, the luxury of resigning one third of their days to a devoted, undisturbed, sound experience of sleep is a reality rarely realised. With everything from overtime working hours to pressing work deadlines and other assertions of workplace stress taking over their sense and sensibilities rendering therefore them dysfunctional across other areas of life- even when that is one as crucially responsible for life itself as sleep- employees and workers eking out lives within a strict professional regimen struggle to have regular access to their recommended quota of sleep. That indeed impairs their productivity by interfering with the well functioning of their brains and body while also rendering them more at risk of developing a range of health complications affecting indeed every sphere of existence including their professional identity and worth. Add to that the ultimate struggle of having to work under people as insufficiently sleeping as themselves- whether of their own choice or out of necessity- who constantly exploit their sleep starvation to have instead their employees bear the burnt by mistreating them or coming down unduly and unreasonably heavily on their ‘inferiors’ at the slightest of pretexts and the stark significance of what sleep hoards under its unassuming pretentiousness in ironic passing along the living trail, especially within the working to live premise is more than evident. No wonder not catching up on the required amount of sleep is a hindrance to working and living, and in such explorations of it in the workplace that translate also to induced impairment of productivity and even the breeding of an unethical work culture arising out of the many dissatisfied souls slogging it out within the confines of the workspace. Which makes the newly emergent concept of sleep leadership all the more important a pursuit to further by overturning the negatives associated with the traditionally adhered to dictum in rigorous devotion of sleep devaluation.
Source: CNN
Sleep leadership might not sound too self explanatory as leading the way to sleep within an office setting can generate ideas of napping or sleeping during working hours that present a rather perplexing picture not sitting in sync with the wholly formal commitments of the professional world. The image in vagueness tends to be not so inappropriate though as indeed sleep leadership allows for such items of rest to occupy space in offices perhaps not so conveniently affording always of the ultimate experience of sleeping but that which presents an alluring picture still of the esteem that sleep has come to enjoy. Thus from the relaxing seating upon a massage chair to a more full fledged indulgence in designated sleeping pods or the in- between catching up on a quick power nap sprawled across the office couch of course not so much in full public view, workplaces today are more accommodating of such elements and entities that entice employees to sleep indeed to enhance both their existences and their corresponding efficiency. But the world emerging to be more wholesome across its many dimensions as it tends to in the current times means that sleep leadership isn’t merely about what sums up the in house ‘sleeping policies’ for achieving of obvious ends in sight.
Source: Inc. Magazine
Also as integrally associated with this new found facet of what leadership has expanded in its ethics to entail is a diverse, even more heartening aspect of consideration that makes for even more composite a calling upon taking care of the sleeping requirement in all due considerations of it. Actually a two fold exploration in essence is this perspective of sleep coming to occupy prominence within the ambits of good leadership behavior that which sees extension also therefore along such areas and periods of employees’ life not governed by expectations of professional work. It’s about emphasising the importance of sleep as a life requirement across all fores of it even outside the workplace despite emanating within that premise harbouring of leadership scope. In consideration obviously is the enhanced effect that the sleeping behavior has on productivity and performance, explored therefore along also such modes of behavior in example as well as in functioning. Thus everything from not sending work mails to employees after working hours to letting them know how their bosses and managers themselves are striking a balance between work and sleep or even urging regular or habituated over workers to adhere instead to the limits of the time dimension makes for deliberations across which sleep leadership unfurls, summing up therefore a spectrum of thought more in sync with the spirit of living in its basic as well as pleasurable and diversely needful essence. As something that so influences the manner and nature of professional work, it only is commendable that sleep too has managed to discover its own standing among the leadership echelons of the corporate ladder.
