‘Work Smarter, Not Harder’: Book author claims practicing ‘quiet quitting’ can boost productivity

The term “quiet quitting” has no universally accepted definition. Setting limits and refusing to take on more work was essential to some people, but going above and beyond differs from what it meant to others. Most, though, concur that it does not imply quitting your work.

After it entered the trend in TikTok, several people created content regarding this, and a teacher explained its concept to the viewers. She stated in her video that it entails working solely during your contracted hours and refraining from taking on additional work, as this is how you become exhausted or exploited.

The action was interpreted as a rejection of the hustle culture and a change in priorities from earlier generations. Naturally, businesses were not happy. Seasoned CEOs expected young employees to be hungry for opportunities, so it didn’t sit well with them when an employee would clock in and out without trying to do more than what was required of them.

Cal Newport, the author of “Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout,” explained to Dan Harris on a recent episode of the podcast “Ten Percent Happier” that the concept of quiet quitting isn’t entirely useless. Still, you have to use it in a “stealth” manner. Burnout results from attempting to give everything in your life all at once. Newport advised, instead, to temporarily reduce the amount of effort you put into your work. If you’re a generally productive worker, your supervisor probably won’t notice if you temporarily reduce the amount of work you do.

Newport suggested, “Let’s reintroduce more variation and intensity at different time scales into work.” He encouraged people not to see this in a bad light or as a periodic slacking.

Slowing down at work for some time can make you more productive in the long term as you’re less likely to burn out. Every day working with a little extra can be more taxing to the employee’s health, and a company without its employees is nothing.

“The benefit you get from the recharge helps you more afterward,” Newport affirmed. One’s health is essential for functioning in one’s daily life. One must have a balanced work-life attitude that would benefit not only in the meantime, just by performing outstandingly for a short period, but also by having a healthy lifestyle that could maintain productivity in the long run.

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