Slowmaxxing: What It Is and Why HR Needs to Be Concerned

Slowmaxxing has hit the workplace.

It’s the latest in the world of “maxxing” — when people take an activity to the extreme to get major benefits.

Slowmaxxing started as a wellness trend centered on mindfulness and slowing down everyday routines. And according to experts at Owl Labs, it has spilled into the workplace, with employees pacing their tasks to prevent burnout and protect their energy.

Why is that important now?

Frank Weishaupt, CEO at Owl Labs, lays out the reasons, based on their annual State of Hybrid Work report. “Nine in ten employees (90%) say they’re stressed at work, with 51% saying their stress has stayed the same since the previous year and 39% saying it’s gotten worse. On top of that, 7% of employees say their day has no clear start or end at all, and nearly 1 in 5 (19%) say they at least have a start time, but no defined end.”

Simply put, some people who are overstressed are deciding to slow down. To. The. Max.

Problems with Slowmaxxing?

As a journalist who champions HR professionals and employers in general, I looked for reasons slowmaxxing is bad for business. I imagined that slowmaxxing means people will take longer to do their jobs and hurt productivity. I couldn’t find the evidence.

“While productivity matters, companies also need to think about the health and well-being of their employees,” says Weishaupt. “Burnout has a way of catching up with you, and when it does, it hits productivity anyway. Slowmaxxing, in a lot of cases, is a defense mechanism for employees to push back against a corporate world that keeps asking them to be ‘on’ outside of work hours.”

So this story is about burnout and employees’ need to reel it in and be as productive as possible. Employers can help, and slowmaxxing might be one of the tools to help.

Slowmaxxing: Creates Clarity, Focus

Consider this: Slowmaxxing has been referred to as the art of intentionally slowing down to reduce burnout, boost mental clarity and feel more present. If your employees have mental clarity and are more focused, won’t they do a better job? Yes, they will.

The good news is companies are already investing in well-being. The global wellness economy hit a record $6.8 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029, growing 7.6% annually, according to The Global Wellness Institute Report.

Slowmaxxing can be an extension of the existing good intentions and systems.

“When your workforce is stressed — and burnout is the No. 1 driver of disengagement — a productivity dip isn’t a risk you can avoid by ignoring slowmaxxing,” says Weishaupt.

Who’s Slowmaxxing and Why

Some employees may have already adopted slowmaxxing.

“Just as there may be several reasons why employees are slowmaxxing, there are various signs that they are doing it,” says Weishaupt. Some signs are that employees:

• Do only what is explicitly assigned and don’t take on additional responsibility 
• Take longer to respond, especially if it’s after hours, and
• Block their calendars for personal time or for more breaks during the workday. 

On the surface, that might seem problematic: They’re doing the minimum or less. But remember, slowmaxxing is about preserving energy for the right stuff.

Handling Slowmaxxing

Whether you want to address existing slowmaxxing or you want to see if it’s a tool you can add to your well-being toolkit, you want to consider the root of the burnout.

Weishaupt suggests these questions:

• Does the workload make the best use of an employee’s capabilities?
• Is the amount of work reasonable within the workday?
• If and how is their slowmaxxing impacting their output?
• What is causing them stress at work and what can help change that?

“Depending on these answers, a conversation with the whole team as well as one-on-ones with employees is helpful in understanding how to provide the right support if the quality of work is suffering,” he says.

But be aware: “Persistent slowmaxxing may indicate that an employee not only feels burned out but also undervalued, micromanaged, or believes that extra effort will not make a difference in their growth at the company.”

Help Reduce Stress

Stress and burnout lead to slowmaxxing. Employees need other avenues to reduce stress.

“Employers need to address the root causes of that stress, whether that’s setting clearer boundaries around the workday or giving employees more flexibility in how they manage their time, rather than treating slower work as the problem itself,” says Weishaupt.

He suggests managers and HR leaders try these tactics to help employees avoid burnout.

• Identify top priorities for the team and the employee so objectives for the week or month are clear. Decide what can be postponed, delegated or removed with the understanding that priorities may change. If a new priority is more urgent, identify an existing priority that can be moved down the list.
• Give employees more control over their work after providing clear guidance and deadlines. Here at Owl Labs, we believe that as long as an employee’s output remains high-quality and contributes to the success of the team and company, we don’t focus on how and when they work. 
• Train managers to detect stress early by noticing signs like lower engagement, missed deadlines, frustration, etc. Guide them on how to touch base with employees in a thoughtful manner, holding conversations about workload and work that feel supportive and not a performance review. During these conversations, examine together how to reduce unnecessary meetings and calls, simplify workflow for faster, higher quality work and eliminate busywork. 
• Reward effort beyond hours clocked in at the office. Redefine success to highlight collaboration, the quality of the work, sustainable performance and impact, all while taking into account the pressures of outside life. 

Ways to Slowmax Outside of Work

Beyond the workplace and the stress management tactics you offer, you can share these small slowmaxxing strategies:

• Drink one daily beverage, such as morning coffee, without a screen nearby
• Take a 10-minute walk with no podcast, phone call or step count goal
• Read a physical book for 20 minutes without tracking how many pages you finish, and
• Cook one meal a week without a recipe on a screen or a timer running.

Note: None of these ideas require anything more than anyone already has. They require people to use less of the things that stimulate them.