Why do engineers who are responsible for the future of the company take naps? [Siesta system]

 

So I'm finally making my blog debut.

Finally, Okazaki is the leader.

 

you know about the "Siesta System"

The origin of the word "siesta" is Latin, and it refers to a lunch break.

Lunch in Spain is later than in Japan, and it is customary for people to sleep in the early afternoon after eating, and then go back to work after siesta.

In general, human mental and physical activity increases in the morning, is highest around noon, and declines from around 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

Data shows that the frequency of traffic accidents increases during periods of low activity, so getting some sleep is a rational thing to do when working.

Quote: Wikipedia

At Beyond, which performs cloud/server monitoring 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the effects of the Siesta system are immeasurable.

In the break room of our Osaka office, there are infrastructure engineers known as ``sleeping pillars.''

I'm sure everyone in the company has seen him sleeping on the sofa at least once, whether it's going on a break, refilling the water dispenser, or throwing out large trash.

Junichiro Okazaki.

Team leader of the system solution department.

He is the only person in Beyond who uses the siesta system.

Mr. Okazaki says, ``I wonder what everyone thinks of me.''

This time, we asked Mr. Okazaki Nemuri, the expected leader of Beyond's infrastructure team, to talk about the effects of the siesta system

Mr. Okazaki before introducing the siesta system

-What kind of work style did you have before using the siesta system?

When I wanted to take a break during work, I would just laze around in the office, or rather, I'd be pretty absent-minded.

▲The office of the Sakuragawa office. In February 2018, they moved to Namba and introduced a siesta system.

 

Don't you get sleepy when it's warm?

But I can't sleep at my desk, and Seiken is sitting next to me...

▲(Photo right) Executive officer and infrastructure engineer Seiken Sato. Currently, operation and maintenance is performed at the Canadian office.

 

So, I used to walk for fun and talk to people from other departments, or just walk around a bit to go to the bathroom.

People around me say that I'm just wandering around.

▲He is sometimes called the "wandering old man" because he often walks around the office.

 

I started using Siesta after my office moved to Namba and a large sofa was placed in the break room.

▲The break room is about four times the size of the old office, and a sofa has been installed that allows people to lie down. It seems that representative Haraoka spent a lot of time selecting this product at IKEA.

 

Other bosses also sleep on this sofa, so it's a bit smelly.

▲Removing the cover of this sofa is extremely troublesome. The only time I wash it is during year-end cleaning. I do Febreze every month.

 

When to use the siesta system

-Do you have a set time for coming to work?

In my case, it's quite different.

It's really like how you feel when you wake up in the morning.

*Beyond has a flex system, so you can come to work freely between 9:00 and 12:00.

-When do you feel sleepy?

Usually after eating.

People get sleepy after eating, right?

Also, I don't like heat, so if it's hot in the office, I often feel dazed and sleepy.

I feel sleepiest at 1:00pm and 2:00pm after lunch.

-Do you often go out for lunch?

It's mostly outside.

-What type are you?

Like going out to eat ramen.

I'm going to the bottom of Namba Walk. Solid type. He's definitely going to be fat.

Menya Marusho Namba Walk branch

Eating ramen makes me extremely sleepy.

It's been bad lately. I don't exercise or go outside. I don't even do muscle training.

I also like alcohol.

-Do you feel sleepy the day after drinking alcohol?

Sometimes I get so tired from a hangover that I take a siesta (lol)

It's the worst though. But sometimes.

Like when I was late at a drinking party the day before.

My headache was so bad that I wanted to lie down for more than just 15 minutes.

▲A scene from a certain drinking party

 

When I started using Siesta

- Please tell us about your memories of using the siesta system for the first time.

memory! ?

Do you remember the first time you responded to an alert?

Well, I said, ``It's okay to sleep.''

But it was very awkward at first.

When the system was just established, people didn't use it.

-Did anyone use it other than Mr. Okazaki?

There were two people at the beginning who were using Siesta properly, but I think I'm the only one using it now.

That being said, it's hard to say that you should actively take a nap.

On the other hand, if someone asked me, ``Do you get sleepy while working?'' I wouldn't be able to say anything.

-But I think everyone will feel sleepy.

You want to sleep, right?

When I don't say much during online meetings at work, I get really sleepy.

There are times when I'm like, "Oh, is this me?"

At that time, I pretend to be listening, memorize only those words, and answer questions in a good way when asked.

But when I really haven't heard anything, I'm like, ``Oh, wow, what were you talking about?''

I wonder if everyone is getting sleepy...?

-Do you feel awkward about taking a siesta now?

I don't feel awkward at all now.

I'm more sleepy than that.

I wonder what everyone thinks.

When you saw me saying, ``I'm going to take a siesta~'' and sleeping on the sofa, I wonder if you didn't think, ``What is this guy?''

-I'm just using the system, so there's nothing special about it. It feels like I'm having a siesta.

Well, I don't have anything to complain about.

But if there was someone else sleeping on the sofa here other than me, people around me might wonder, "Huh?"

Even if we use partitions, we'll still be considerate of each other.

Maybe it takes a lot of nerve to use siesta.

I think I've gotten used to it and it's gotten weirdly thick.

-How many times a week do you take siesta now?

I'm currently working remotely so I don't use it much.

When I worked in the office, I probably used it two or three times a week.

I can't use it when I'm busy.

When I have some free time, or when I'm too worked up and can't think of anything, I like to take a nap and sleep.

Effects of the siesta system

-What changes did you notice after sleeping for 15 minutes?

When I'm at a loss, I just lie down and think, ``What should I do?''

Sometimes I get an image that says, ``Maybe there's another way to do it.''

-You take it when you want to think alone, not just to sleep.

There are times when I sleep because I'm completely sleepy.

It's like trying to think about something in a different way as a distraction.

After all, it's quite tiring to just sit there and think at your desk.

The break room is quiet because there aren't many people there.

I think it's good to use it as a distraction.

When I'm at my desk, I get chats all the time, and my mind gets distracted.

If you think about it without doing it all at once, it's only 15 minutes, which is a short time, but I think it's great.

-If you fall asleep for 30 minutes, you'll have to leave the chat alone for a long time.

It's a pain to return it later.

After about 15 minutes, I probably went to the bathroom.

-But isn't 15 minutes too short?

15 minutes is surprisingly short and will be over in no time.

When you really want to sleep, you close your eyes and wake up to find that 10 minutes have already passed.

However, I do wonder if it's the right time.

Sleeping too much can actually be painful.

-Do you ever think, "I want to sleep more!"?

I just want to sleep all the time after eating or when I'm hungover.

It's a battle with reason.

I'd like to sleep more, but I'm afraid if I leave it any longer, I'll be in trouble later.

15 minutes can be long or short, so I think it's just the right balance.

- What if this became 20 minutes?

When the 20 minute mark hits, I'll sleep for 30 minutes.

I wonder why 20 minutes was such a long time when I was a child, but why is 20 minutes so short as an adult?

I can't believe that during recess when I was in elementary school, I was able to play dodgeball and come home in such a short time.

The speed of moving between the hallways and classrooms back then was incredible.

I can't even imagine that kind of energy now.

If I think about it for 10 minutes or so, it will be over in no time.

The only man who uses the siesta system

- How can I gain the courage to use siesta?

I have no choice but to get thicker.

However, I think the atmosphere is also very important.

I'm already used to it, but I think other people are wondering if it's okay to use siesta.

Once you use it once or twice, it's easy.

I think the first one is the most difficult to use.

There is a theory that leaders should take the initiative in using this.

Well, there's nothing like that.

-But I feel like since the leader is using it, I might as well use it.

If none of the superiors are using it, they won't hire juniors either.

However, it is not something that can be forced.

It's hard to say, "Go to sleep."

I don't force them, but I want to create an atmosphere where they feel it's okay to just take a break.

I was told that I could come and sleep for about 15 minutes.

I don't think it's very likely that people will get angry just because they've been away for 15 minutes.

Well, if someone says "I'm going to a siesta" while the alert is going off, I'll probably try to read the atmosphere a bit (lol).

In the first place, it's strange that nothing can be done if one person leaves the room for 15 minutes.

- How can we spread the siesta system within the company?

There is no need to promote it at all.

I think people who want to use it should be able to use it.

If that improves efficiency, then all is well.

Now that I'm remote, I don't think it really matters whether I use it or not.

I don't think it's okay to not use it because it feels uncomfortable, so I'd like to take that into consideration.

―Finally, what does the “Siesta System” mean to Leader Okazaki?

A siesta is as important to me as a customer is to Beyond.

I'm sure people will think I'm an idiot if I say that much.

-I can say this because I am the leader of Okazaki.

I see, I wouldn't like it if it was just someone sleeping around.

Who would you be if you weren't working with this? That's the story.

He's a pretty dangerous guy, isn't he?

I hope this article will go viral.

No, I don't think it would be a problem if it gets buzzed.

People tease me and say, ``That's the one sleeping.''

It's a sleeping Okazaki. No way.

Sleep Breath, Ichi no Kata, Siesta.

Beyond's sleeping pillar.

It's embarrassing.

summary

Mr. Okazaki's feeling toward his team members, ``It's okay to take a break,'' may be the key to easing the mental fatigue caused by the coronavirus pandemic and allowing them to continue remote work in the future.

Even if you are not an engineer, you will need the ability to control yourself, such as taking a break when you are tired, taking a nap when you want to sleep, and changing your mood when you lose concentration.

Additionally, Beyond plans to relocate in April 2021 due to the expansion of its Osaka office.

``an office that people want to come to even during the coronavirus pandemic,'' and we plan to install individual booths where online meetings can be held and open spaces where people can communicate while avoiding crowds.

We are planning to put reclining chairs in individual booths so that people can take a nap, so we expect that the siesta system will become easier to use.

Actually, I've never used the siesta system myself, so whenever I feel sleepy in my new office, I'll take a 15-minute nap and try to improve my work efficiency like Mr. Okazaki.