It is not necessary to be very creative to deduce that the Argentine economic crisis saga, combining inflationary leaps, devaluations, escases, stocks and suffocating regulations end up undermining the will of citizens. But in particular, doors inside the companies, it was transmitted in the form of relations with clients and suppliers and in the same work community, recreating a rough and overwhelming climate.
The truth is that burnout in the field of work remains more in force than ever. According to a consultant’s report Galluphe 44% of global employees experienced symptoms of exhaustion at least once in 2024. For this reason, for this year, there are many companies that began to launch preventive programs, such as training in emotional intelligence, active pause spaces and flexible work schedules. A McKinsey study shows that companies with leaders focused on well -being are 70% more likely to retain key talent, a vital point for sectors such as software development and personalized services.
Argentina, obviously, seem to take this path, Fer Niizawaa “Nikkei” (descendant of Japanese) and an expert in labor well -being, He says that a study by Bumeran showed that 91% of Argentine workers experienced last year symptoms of chronic work stress. In this sense, the specialist, after leading more than 25 years of human resources areas in large regional companies and living in Japan, proposes a different approach to this problem.
Become a true “sensei” of labor well -being, Niizawa shares tools of Japanese wisdom to improve work and day to day. In his book “Ikigai, Japanese happiness and wisdom to transform your life” (2024), proposes to integrate those millenary learning into modern life. “There are no two lives: if you are wrong at your work, you are wrong in your daily day”sentence.
But it is not about motivational phrases, but concrete habits. These are some of the Japanese keys to develop the activity with more purpose.
Ikigai + Gambatte (Work with purpose and commitment). In Japan, the idea of Ikigai is not an abstract concept, but a practical guide to find the sense in everyday life. According to Niizawa, “Ikigai is not a final objective, it is to discover what moves you every morning and gives coherence to everything else. ” It is not necessary to change work or make great sacrifices; Sometimes, it is as simple as reuniting small tasks that can be enjoyed by incorporating them consciously in the day to day. To this is added the “gambatte”, which translates as “to give the best of oneself” or “make the maximum effort.” Applied both in the workplace and in the staff, it implies fully committing to each daily task, regardless of its magnitude, delivering the best of oneself. This principle emphasizes that well -being does not depend so much on what activities we carry out, but on how we carry them out.
Wabi Sabi + Shikata ga nai (Accept the imperfect and release what does not depend on one). The search for absolute perfection generates frustration. The concept of Wabi Sabi teaches not only to accept, but also to appreciate the beauty of the incomplete, the transitory and the imperfect. This mentality is especially useful in high pressure environments.
Malena Higashi, Argentine specialist in tea ceremony and a reference in Japanese aesthetics, explains that it is difficult to give a closed and concrete definition of the concept. “I would say that it is something that is perceived, an aesthetic issue; a conception of beauty, of the patina that prints the passage of time over things. Or finding beauty in the subtle, in what is not perfect or eternal, ”he details. Applied to the work world, this principle invites us to stop fighting each error and start seeing value in what it simply is, without the need for it to be perfect.
Shikata ga nai, instead helps accept what cannot be changed and concentrated only in what is. Applied to work, this principle releases the useless stress that generates out of control, as management decisions or external crises. Accept is not resigning, it is to free yourself.
Gaman + Kintsugi (Transform the difficulty into strength). “Gaman” represents active resilience: the ability to resist and overcome challenges with serenity and dignity. For example, the study “Resilience and Burnout syndrome in emergency health personnel in hospitals in the west zone of Greater Buenos Aires” of the American Open University (UAI) He found that doctors and nurses of the emergency area with higher levels of resilience presented lower symptoms of emotional exhaustion and greater personal fulfillment in their work.
“Kintsugi “, on the other hand, is the old Japanese practice to repair broken objects with gold, enhancing its imperfections. Moved to daily and work life, this concept invites you to accept the failures and mistakes themselves as a valuable part of our identity. A labor or personal error does not define the person, but strengthens professional and human growth.
These principles do not require moving to Japan or take expensive courses. These are habits and perspectives that can be adopted gradually, from the desk or the house. “Welfare is not a privilege, it is a daily necessity. And living with purpose is not only for a few: it is an choice available for anyone,” Niizawa concludes. In times of hyperconnection, multi -employment, multitasking and chronic burnout, perhaps an answer is to return to the essential. To the simple, to which gives meaning.
By Marcelo Alfano
