8-5 e-mail plan
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 05:42AM My home life and work life tend to blend. But should they?
Right now, at about 7pm on a Tuesday evening, I am writing - after checking my e-mail, my Twitter feeds, Feedly, and Facebook page. (Of course this is all after a pretty much full day of work, the commute, grocery shopping, and cooking supper for the LWW, and doing the dishes and making the coffee.) Wrting? Isn't that work? Yes, but...
The thing is, writing, for work or for leisure, for me is like watching football or reading romance novels or scrapbooking is for others. It is my recreation, as pathetic as that sounds. I don't mind reading e-mail from teachers in my district outside of worktime nor responding to it. I hope I impress my boss by replying quickly to the e-mails she sends after hours.
But what I do need remember is that I really should shut off the work thing - sending self-initiated e-mails to co-workers - outside of school hours.
The LWW was unhappy last Sunday that teachers at her school were sending her work requests on the weekend. "Shouldn't I be off on the weekend?" she asked. I agreed - as I forwarded a similar e-mal request for a job to be done to a tech in my department.
Oops.
So here's the thing: I now pledge not to send work-related e-mails between 6PM and 6AM or on the weekends. Now professional association business, speaking gigs, personal friendships, nagging my kids, blogging/tweeting, and writing rough-drafts for future blog posts are still all on the off hours and off days agenda. But work e-mail - not so much.
I always thought that somehow my dedication to work shown by doing e-mail outside the school work day was a sign of devotion and dedication, but now, not so much. Maybe it's a sign of poor time management skills during the work day?
Reader Comments (6)
Let me know how this works for you. I may be addicted to work, and I might need an intervention.
This is a great post - especially the distinction that some screen time/work is leisure time.
I sometimes use a tool called Boomerang for gmail to schedule when to send an email (I know there are other tools out there as well). It helps respect folks' work hours and my simple need to (sometimes) to get work done after hours (it happens).
There is, I think, a larger question about work/life balance that I find myself wrestling with as an issue. Culturally, it seems like "long work hours" gives you more street cred in this business (or maybe all professions in America). I'd love the conversations at the water cooler to change from "how much work I'm doing and how long it's taking me" to "in order to be balanced, I've turned my computer off to be with my kids." You can love your job, but also want to put limits on it.
I think after stepping in the professional field specially the I.T sector to which I belong, there is nothing like 8 hours work. The Day I join the I.T sector all that I have witnessed daily so far is 15-16 hours work and hardly 3-4 hours sleep, for me spending the weekend is like spending it in heaven.
I go dark around 6-7 pm Friday night until sometime Sunday night usually. Sometimes I use it as a distraction as our youngest is going through the more terrible part of his terrible 2s.
I hear that work/life integration is the new hot term.
I am a better wife, friend, teacher, and co-worker when I prioritize relationships over work. For me, that means setting aside time that is solely devoted to my family and committing to forget work for that period of time. I used to feel guilty for taking it, but that has subsided now that I see the results of a saner me. I think a work/life balance looks different for everyone, and like so many things in life, we each have to find what works best for us.
Hi Heidi,
When one likes one's job, as I think both of us do, I believe the work/life thing gets more difficult. Perhaps this doesn't apply when one's vocation is also one's calling.
Doug
HI Zach,
I like the Boomerang suggestion.
This is perhaps a more difficult challenge for younger people who both are building a career as well as raising children. I don't envy you!
Doug
Dominic,
I hope they pay you very well for a job that demands these hours. I'd look for another job, myself!
Doug
Hi Nathan,
You're a good dad. I honestly don't know how people with young kids do it today. I am very distressed when I see parents with noses in cell phones while their kids go ignored. Yikes!
Doug
Amanda,
I applaud your priorities. Too late we realize that our kids are only young for a very short period of time that never comes back. Enjoy the family.
Doug