The Perpetual Guardian, an estate management firm in New Zealand, tried a four-day workweek but also cut hours down to 32 hours per week. As a result, the company found that the staff's stress levels were reduced by 7% throughout the experiment.
During my experiment, I felt the opposite effect on my stress levels. With this new work schedule, I felt an even greater strain to prove myself, especially since I had read that, according to studies, people who work this unique schedule actually get 40% more done throughout the week. The expectation to meet my goals and exceed them was more apparent than ever.
Although I had the same number of hours, I had to constantly push myself to turn out more content than ever. It felt like a race against the clock every day, and it was extremely stressful.