It's time to punch out
May 31, 2022
We have built ourselves a work world that moves very quickly. More than ever today, we often feel swept away by this current, alone in front of our computer screens, not really focused, but not really with our brains on off either.
We try to finish everything before 5:00 PM, but the noise of the washing machine is distracting, and the children with runny noses are no longer at daycare. So, we tell ourselves it’s not so bad, that this is what "flexibility" is for after all, that we will finish preparing our meeting at 8:00, 9:00, maybe 10:00 PM.
The morning comes quickly, and upon waking, it’s obviously easier to grab our cell phone from under the pillow than to get up to open the curtains. By reflex, we check our emails: a happy mix of work and personal. Then, well, at that point, it’s too much to ignore: a quick glance at the Slack app, and there we see the little red dot notifying us of a notification. Oops, did I miss a message yesterday?
A routine has quietly settled into our pandemic life. After two years of remote work, we suddenly realize that day after day, we stretch our “8 hours” of work from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. There really isn’t a beginning, there really isn’t an end. All there is, is a mushy brain, a feeling of anxiety, a latent bad mood, and a fierce desire to go on vacation.
I’m not the one saying it; several studies now confirm that being constantly connected, available, and semi-engaged in work at all hours of the day creates a growing sense of anxiety. This false “flexibility” can also lead to conflicts with our loved ones or negatively affect our health when we lack time to train, cook, or even sleep, for instance.
Conversely, establishing a strict end-of-workday hour allows, among other things, to:
- Restore our emotional and cognitive resources;
- Reduce our level of fatigue;
- Increase our sense of well-being on a daily basis;
- Increase our level of satisfaction (both in life and at work!);
- Decrease our level of stress and the feeling of always being overwhelmed; and
- Increase our engagement and motivation at work.
And that’s not to mention the time we finally free up to grab an ice cream cone, read a good book, or have a small drink in the middle of the week!
At Boite Pac, we believe it is definitely worth changing our collective habits to actually finish our days at respectable hours, without compromise!
Okay, okay, that all sounds nice, but how do we finally put an end to our workday? How do we disconnect, switch off, and put the “switch to off”? It’s easier said than done, that’s for sure, but here’s a mini game plan inspired by Joe Robinson, a specialist in work-family balance and stress management.
Post-work ritual
→ A routine that helps to dissociate from all work-related thoughts and engage in experiences that bring our mind and body back to a pre-stress state. AKA a Reset button we can press every day! 🙌
1. Detachment: we leave work at work and stop thinking about it, guilt-free! (Is this hard for you? Take five minutes to prepare for your next day and write down the things that are looping in your head).
2. Relaxation: we take 30 minutes to do an activity that CALMS us. This could be a short run, a nice shower followed by a mini meditation session, a long walk home, or simply listening to music while taking the subway.
3. Mastery: we do something that stimulates us, but that is absolutely not related to work. For example: we listen to a podcast on a topic that excites us, learn a new recipe, prepare a little wine tasting, plan our next trip, etc.
4. Control: Finally, we must take the time to structure our life outside of work and reserve moments for our hobbies, passions, social life, etc. When we think about it, it’s just as important, if not (MUCH) more important to organize our life than our client meetings!
And you, what time do you really finish working? Are you joining us in the the-day-is-done movement?
Source: Work to live
Article written by Catherine, B Corp Consultant (she/her/her)
