Why this therapist thinks having good mental health with a traditional 40hr work week is close to impossible
By Sheena Schuy- therapist, podcast host and founder of Savasana Collective
A few years ago I was doing what many other new business owners do. I was working 40+ hour weeks between my business and working for other people. I was throwing myself into my work (and my workouts) 110%, then coming home to my family and not having much time in between to destress. Until recently, I grew up struggling with anxiety and the need to “fit in” and I felt that I needed to work myself to the bone to be recognised for my achievements as a way of receiving love and validation I wasn’t able to give myself, as lets be honest, working until you burn out has been celebrated for a long time. Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened to me. I experienced such an extreme burnout, actually I experienced several burnouts until I realised that I needed to put a better plan in place. One where I can still achieve my career goals, but without my mental health suffering as a result. As a therapist, I also have seen this story play out in many different ways for other people, and that is why I knew it was time for me to create a solution both for myself and for others.
The truth is, that regardless of how much therapy, self-care and wellness you do, the 40 hour work week system makes it damn near impossible to have good mental health. Because of the “rat race” that has been imposed on us, we've lost our roots and have become a highly individualistic country.
Now what does that mean? It means that we live in a culture that celebrates a “survival of the fittest” mentality. These days people only care about “me, myself, I” and possibly their immediate family. Whereas in the eastern parts of the world, despite having less material wealth, they report much higher mental and physical wellbeing results on the health scales - why? because they look out for each other. They have a community that they regular connect with as well as emotional, financial and physical support around them. Having that support and connection is not overly common in Australia. Instead we work 9-5, constantly rushed, pick up the kids, clean the house, make dinner - and are meant to do all of this while looking beautiful and maintaining a smile on a face. Many of us don’t often get the quality time needed to regulate our nervous system with family, friends and our community compared to just a few decades ago.
If we look at the evolution of human beings, we were meant to spend more time with our friends and family and only work a few hours a day. We are meant to play outdoors, work outdoors and come together for celebrations. The only time we really come together now as a collective society is Christmas and the end of year holidays, and even that’s changed. Instead we have been told to sell our labour from 9-5. If we are working for someone else we often end up doing the same monotonous task day-in and day-out, and if we break free and set up our own businesses, we are often basing them on the models of corporations we have worked for in the past.
So if you are a business owner, don’t fall into the trap. By having good systems in place you can earn more and work less. This will give you more time to focus on all the other things that help you keep our mental and physical wellness in peak shape. We need to stop thinking that “hustle culture” is normal and get better at working smarter rather than harder.
ABOUT SAVASANA COLLECTIVE
Sheena Schuy is a therapist, podcast host, entrepreneur and mum who understands a thing or two about burnout. Having experienced it herself, she turned her attention to coming up with a solution to ensure her business continued to thrive without her mental health and family continuing to suffer. The solution? Finding a system to work less and earn more, a 20- hour business week. But while this may seem like an impossible ask for a business owner, with the right systems in place and a change in mindset, it can happen, and Sheena can help.
Sheena is the founder of Savasana Collective, where she has worked with some of Australia’s top women in business, media, c-suite execs, athletes and health professionals, helping them achieve their business
In addition to helping to reroute mindset, Savasana Collective also helps clients develop systems for their businesses. They specialise in Holistic Psychology, Business Mentorship and Business Support to empower service-based professionals to thrive.