We’ve never been more connected to each other than we are at this very day. With the ability to be constantly plugged in comes the ability to be plugged into work 24/7.
One of the reasons this leads to eventual burnout is because the human body is great under short, intense periods of stress. Short intense stress usually makes you stronger. But long, dull, and constant stress is a killer. Literally. It’s terrible for both body and mind.
How can we de-couple from the 24-hour work cycle?
I think that having a solid set of available hours when we work and a good shutdown routine at the end of the workday is a good start. These are ideas stolen from the author and brilliant thinker on the issue of “Deep Work,” Cal Newport.
Newport posits that only when you have the confidence that you’re finished with work until the next day can you even begin to recharge your energy and prepare for another day of work. He says that trying to squeeze out a little bit more work in the evenings could make you a much less effective worker the next day.
Even if it means leaving some work on the table and not getting as much done today, respecting your “office hours” and keeping work in its place makes you a better, more stable, and harder worker.