Exploring one of Scandinavia’s best ideas

According to popular sayings a rat race is an unending, meaningless, or self-defeating endeavour. The term compares humans to rats that are striving in vain to acquire a prise such as cheese. It might also allude to a competitive fight to go ahead financially or on a regular basis.

The phrase is frequently linked with a demanding, monotonous existence that provides little opportunity for leisure or enjoyment.

"Escaping the rat race" can refer to a variety of things:

1. A move from a city to a more rural region, either for employment or for a change of scenery.

2. Work cessation, retirement, or leaving

3. Transitioning from a high-strength profession to a lower-strength job, such as the tang ping lifestyle of young Chinese laboratory workers.

4. Developing a Buddha-like mentality

5. Taking a completely different job.

6. Working from home

7. Becoming financially self-sufficient

8. Living in harmony with nature

9. Developing an inner attitude of detachment from worldly pursuits

10. Disconnection from societal standards

But what about something more simple?

If you've ever gone down the rabbit hole of self-help and financial freedom writers, gurus, and "entrepreneurs," you've probably come across Ferris' book "the 4-hour workweek." Entertaining principles, but a less interesting read in my opinion.

However, the concept is that after a few simple steps, you can semi-retire and live on a Thai beach (apparently, to save on rent and taxes too).

But what about something a little more approachable? Something that, perhaps, could be put in place at the national and social levels?

4 days work week

Hello and welcome to Iceland. And no, I'm not talking to the SNL song "Welcome to Iceland," but to the actual nation.

In response to campaigns by trade unions and civil society organisations, Reykjavik City Council and the Icelandic national government launched two significant experiments of a reduced working week in 2015 and 2017.

More precisely, thousands of workers have been enrolled in one of the most extensive studies on the short-week concept ever conducted. The proposal, of course, is to decrease workdays to four across the country. With precious pay, pay would be constant.

Participants' pleasure and work satisfaction improved, as one might expect. As did productivity, and businesses' revenue.

As of 2020, Icelandic trade unions and confederations have obtained permanent reductions in working hours for tens of thousands of their members across the nation as a result of the trials' success. In all, about 86 percent of Iceland's working population has now either switched to working fewer hours or earned the right to do so.

What's the harm?

I mean, truly. What's the harm? Are we concerned about individuals becoming lazy jerks or businesses failing? The fact is that most of us work six days a week to complete tasks (for example) since we only have six days in a week. I believe if a job that was supposed to take five days was due in three, employees would do it in three. Of course, when reasonable.

Maybe this is also the solution to a meaningful existence, where people won't have to fantasise about "escaping the rat race," because we'll have half of the week to devote to our passions, hobbies, surroundings, and networks.

So what's the harm? Is there anything that this system can't do?

To conclude, here are the benefits of working fewer days a week.

According to a research in The Atlantic, people who work a four-day week are healthier, happier, and less stressed — and their employers believe their employees are far more focused and efficient. According to studies, 94 percent of employees experience a better feeling of wellbeing when they believe their company cares about them. According to studies, the ideal amount of hard cognitive work time each day is no more than four hours.

Some of the most significant benefits of the four-day work week, according to proponents, are as follows:

1. Less Work Distractions
2. Longer Hours Do Not Equal More Productivity (same productivity levels)
3. Major Improvements in Mental and Physical Health