Why detachment is the key to surviving distributed work
Today, millions more than predicted are facing a newly distributed way of working—one where the majority, if not all, of a company’s employees are working from home. Though work from home culture has been building for a while, with some companies adopting it wholeheartedly as others viewed it with c…
Format
- Free 8-page article
Read it if you:
- are burning out, even a little
- spread out your work throughout your whole day (e.g. a few emails before bed) or on weekends or holidays. You know you “shouldn’t” but it’s just a couple emails…right?
- work with people in other timezones who regularly ask you to meet very early or very late
- work from a home office where boundaries between work and home are blurry
- have or want a “flexible” schedule that interleaves work and personal life
- know you generally have a tendency to work too much and struggle to rein it in
I like that it:
- is an immediately actionable principle to design a more sustainable workday
- is ready to show your boss to make a pragmatic business case for detachment
My experience
When I fully detach on nights, weekends, and days off, I see a dramatic difference. I enjoy the time off more, and even small breaks feel longer. I'm nicer to be around and I think it's helped my relationships with friends, family, and my partner. My work benefits too: I'm much better rested when I return, with more energy and ideas. I'm not sure I'm working less, but it is consolidated. The impact of this small change surprised me.
Caveats
- It was written in the context of the early pandemic so sounds dated on its face, but don't worry, it's completely evergreen.
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