Every workplace efficiency study I've ever read says that a worker is only at his best for about four hours of an eight hour day. After four hours, the ability to concentrate on work drops precipitously unless someone is actively moving from place to place on that job. Most deskbound workers drop off a cliff after four hours.

In the business series I concluded recently (click on my initials below for the archive), I noted that the whole idea of modern work is flawed--at least in the way we practice it and the assumptions we make about societal definitions and expectations of work.

With so many trapped in jobs that speak nothing to the soul and reflect so little of God's work mandate, should we be surprised that people drift? Again, given what many studies have found, if an employee is only wasting two hours a day, that's good.

i have read the same statistic as DLE that we only get four hours of productivity ina day anyway.

i think a good theology of work would also involve a theology of play and rest. the two are not separate. since i'm reading "the great good place" should a third place be included in this theology as well?

"trapped in jobs that speak nothing to the soul and reflect so little of God's work mandate"

interesting thought Dan. I can see that.

I'm lucky to be in a job that fits my personality (after making changes according to opportunities that came my way for about 8 years) and i can honestly say that although my work is now 95% sitting at a desk and using the computer as a tool, i like what i do and i really do work for at least 7 3/4 of the 8 hours.

sometimes i forget it's time to go to lunch or go home for the day. i think they get 9 hours out me a lot of the time.

Here is something to consider as well. My husband works in IT and he purposefully plays network games with the tech. support every so often. He feals that he gets better work out of them in the long run and that they don't get as stressed. It also keeps the atmosphere of the office more light hearted and possitive.