I used to think you had to answer every work email immediately, even at 9 PM.

My boss in Charlotte actually told me to turn off my notifications after 6 PM, and my stress dropped in a week. Anyone else have a rule that finally got them to stop working after hours?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_lewis853mo ago

Setting a hard stop for email is a game changer. It trains your brain to actually disconnect, which makes your time off feel real. The real work is sticking to that rule when the ping hits.

tessa_hill863mo agoMost Upvoted

Hard stop sounds nice in theory, @blair_lewis85, but it's a fantasy for a lot of jobs. Some of us have clients in different time zones or real emergencies that can't wait. That ping might be someone needing a critical answer to keep their own project moving. Training your brain to ignore work just sets you up for a bigger mess Monday morning. Being always-on is brutal, but sometimes being totally off just isn't an option.

simon37813d ago

And honestly isn't this the same trap we all fall into with everything now. I catch myself scrolling work emails while making dinner, then feel guilty for not being fully present with my family. It's like we've all agreed this crunch is just how it goes, but nobody stops to question whether it actually makes us better at our jobs or just burns us out faster. The real kicker is when you realize the emergency that couldn't wait on Friday is totally forgotten by Monday morning - half the time it wasn't even that urgent.