It's About Time | Time Management & Productivity for Work Life & Balance

The Overwhelm Epidemic: What the Past can Teach Us About Work-Life Balance (And What to Do About It) ft. Jenny Powers

Jan 20, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Jenny Powers, a writer, scientist, and former athlete, sheds light on the historical roots of our modern overwork crisis. She reveals how ancient hunter-gatherer wisdom can reclaim our time and joy. Topics include the challenges of balancing work and family life, the pitfalls of instant gratification, and the significance of self-care. Jenny emphasizes embracing mindfulness and the potential of simple breaks to enhance productivity, urging listeners to prioritize their well-being in a demanding world.

55:07

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Episode guests

Jenny Powers

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Quick takeaways

Understanding the historical roots of overwork reveals how agricultural life shifted our perception of time and work priorities.

Implementing practical strategies like scheduled breaks and self-care can help reclaim personal time and improve overall productivity.

Deep dives

The Historical Roots of Overwork

Overwork has deep historical roots that trace back to the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural life. In prehistoric times, humans worked around 15 to 20 hours a week, focusing on immediate needs and living in a community-oriented society. The shift to agricultural lifestyles introduced concepts of delayed gratification and ownership of land, which fundamentally changed how people perceived work and time. This change also fostered a culture where individuals increasingly emphasized future security over present well-being, leading to modern overwork tendencies.

Intro

4min

Balancing Life: Strategies of a Busy Parent

12min

Navigating Work-Life Balance: Challenges and Self-Care Strategies

3min

The Journey of Self-Discovery Beyond Academia

21min

Exploring Delayed Gratification in Modern Life

2min

Reconnecting with Our Bodies

11min

The Power of Simple Breaks for Enhanced Productivity

3min

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly on the go, juggling work, family, and life’s endless demands—yet still feeling like it’s never enough—this episode is for you. But here’s the twist: what if I told you that our overwork problem didn’t start with our jam-packed calendars, our smartphones, or even the industrial revolution? It actually goes back thousands of years. And the surprising part? Our ancestors might hold the key to breaking free from the overwhelm and finding more time for what truly matters.

I’m sitting down with Jenny Powers—a writer, scientist, and former athlete—who’s here to connect the dots between ancient hunter-gatherer wisdom and our modern-day overwork epidemic. She’ll share how we got here, why it’s so hard to step off the hamster wheel, and—most importantly—how we can start reclaiming our time, energy, and joy.

🔗 Check out the Shownotes for Episode 260: annadkornick.com/260

🔗 Grab Jenny Powers’s new book, On the Origin of Being: Understanding the Science of Evolution to Enhance Your Quality of Life

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