By Olivia Sack, Moving Mindsets Psychology Clinic
Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, and you probably cannot remember spending a day without your smart phone or tablet. Imagine sitting around a dinner table with a group of friends, and a beep goes off. Everyone instinctively picks up their phone to check whether they have received a text message or email, and it is perfectly acceptable. In fact it has become normal for us to respond immediately to ‘the beep’.
We all know from our daily lives that technology has changed the way people work, but has it helped or hindered our quest for Work-Life Balance? Some would argue that it has increased our ability to have flexibility in the way we work, and we are able to work anywhere, anytime, with greater connectivity.
We can work effectively from the comfort of our home, on a beach in Tahiti, or in the evenings after spending the day being a parent. It gives us the freedom to manage our time, and the flexibility to structure our day so that we can be everything we wish to be.
However technology has facilitated a 24/7 working culture where many of us feel that we cannot really switch off, even while going to sleep in the evening, or whilst on holiday. We operate in a global community where our customers, colleagues and friends are interacting with us in different time zones, and we are expected to respond at a rapid rate. Whilst technology does bring greater flexibility, it can increase our stress levels and our inability to relax and turn off our thinking mind.
So how can we foster the benefits of technology?
1. Set expectations that are reasonable and achievable. Does an email need to be read and responded to immediately, or can we still provide a service and be professional by responding within 24 hours?
2. Set boundaries that allow you to be present in your home life. It used to be acceptable to switch off from work between 6pm-8am, so what has changed? Try and go back to setting basic boundaries and stick to them.
3. Switch off your email notifications so that you don’t feel compelled to respond to ‘the beep’.
4. Ensure that you spend the first half hour of the day doing something peaceful and do not check your email or phone. This sets the tone for the day so try exercising, meditation or simply reflecting.
5. Do not take your technology to bed with you.
