EP 457: How to Define Hard-to-Define Work Stress

So, you're stressed. Or work feels intense. Or you're putting more energy than you should into manifesting a day with "no surprises." But why? Even if you're not working on an especially challenging project or hustling to get in under a deadline, the work we do can be stressful in a sort of ambient and ambiguous way. And we might downplay that stress because, hey, aren't we just lucky to have a cool job like this? When we think about work, we're often dealing with an outdated metaphor—The Factory. But if you work in a creative, knowledge-based, service, or caring field, that metaphor doesn't have as much to offer as we think it does, especially when it comes to understanding work stress. Today's episode offers a way to rethink the ways your work can be stressful so you can rethink the resources you need to feel better and do more remarkable work. Footnotes: Rethink Work, an 8-week cohort-based course "Sources of intensity in work organizations" by Armand Hatchuel in Creating Sustainable Work Systems (1st ed) Every episode of What Works is also published in essay form at whatworks.fyi! (00:00) - The Factory (01:38) - The Factory Metaphor in Job Creation (03:39) - Rethink Work Course (04:35) - Why the Factory is a Sticky Metaphor (07:31) - The Factory Worker, The Bus Driver, and The Creative/Knowledge Worker (16:12) - The Problem with the Factory Metaphor (19:53) - Course Info & Credits ★ Support this podcast ★