The balance between work and private life is in danger.
Fueled by the rise of remote work apps and hybrid work and communication on our smartphones, working around the clock has become a disturbing norm. How can you reclaim your private time and put your job back in the 9-to-5 box?
Use the same technology that makes it worse. Here are the best help desk techniques for setting and enforcing boundaries without getting fired.
Set boundaries and stick to them
People won’t hesitate to take advantage of your willingness to work after (or before) work hours. The responsibility for saying no and setting healthy boundaries is yours.
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Sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we lose sight of those boundaries. We end up responding to emails we see as soon as we wake up or feel pressured to answer a question from a colleague at the dinner table.
Take some time to redefine what you will and will not accept as part of your job. That might mean sharing your goals with coworkers or family members, who can hold you accountable. You can set phone reminders for yourself to log out or have an awkward conversation with your boss about your work-life balance.
You can also communicate your boundaries with your email signature or status message in business communication apps. Clearly indicate what hours you work, how long it usually takes you to respond, and what to do if it’s urgent.
Schedule outgoing messages
Make sure you follow your own lead. If you do not wish to receive messages outside office hours, please extend the same courtesy to your colleagues.
Whether it’s via Slack, Teams, email, or even text messages, schedule your messages to be sent at a reasonable time. That means after work starts and ideally at least an hour before the end of the day. This allows you to keep all your business transactions within working hours. If you have a message to deliver at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, but you are on Pacific, write it the day before. If you’re using a communication tool that doesn’t allow scheduling, you can set a reminder on your phone for that time. These practices not only help you keep your work within working hours, but also ensure that your messages do not end up in the recipient’s box.
Minimize your notifications
You’ve told people your preferences – now use technology to enforce them. Change the notification settings on your workplace apps and devices so they don’t ping while you’re eating or playing with your kids.
Outlook allows you to set your work schedule, including the hours you work each day. This allows others to know when you will and will not be on the clock. Messaging apps like Slack also let you set the hours you want to receive (or mute) notifications in your preferences. Your devices allow you to customize your notification settings for each individual app, so you get notifications for breaking news, but not from your boss. And if you just want to turn everything off, you can always enable focus or Do Not Disturb mode on your device for complete silence. If you want to avoid checking work apps, try using screen time limits for yourself.
If you’re stressed by a pile of previous notifications, clear those too. Follow these instructions to declare bankruptcy.
Fill your calendar with buffer time
If you want to make sure no one interrupts the precious 30 minutes you take for lunch, or that your coworker doesn’t schedule a meeting while you’re taking your kids to school, add an appointment to your calendar. That way, if someone tries to arrange a meeting when you’d rather not have one, he or she will see that you’re unavailable and choose a time for you to meet. You can also cut off parts of your calendar if you need time to work with your head down.
Have an emergency plan
While it may be a good practice to completely halt work when it’s time to quit, make sure that important contacts, such as your boss, can reach you at any time. That might mean giving them your personal phone number, or having them text or message you through Signal or another messaging app instead of Slack or an email. You can also change your settings so that they can reach you even when Focus Mode or Do Not Disturb is enabled.
Make sure you explicitly indicate when they should use these contact methods. They are intended for urgent matters, not for tasks that can wait until after coffee tomorrow morning.
