If you’re looking for a great way to ruin your weekend, ruin a relationship, kill the mood, or simply make sure you don’t get a good night’s sleep, constantly check your work e-mail or text messages.
In this era where we’re always connected, always in the loop, always on call like a physician, and always working, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate one’s personal time from one’s work time.
I realize some of you are workaholics and running a successful business, and one of the reasons you are successful is because you and your employees are always connected and always in the loop. That’s all well and good, but whatever happened to the notion of downtime? You know what I’m talking about. It’s that downtime, weekends or after hours when you’re not spending time with family, friends, significant others or maybe even yourself. That time is critical too and can have a positive effect when you get back to the daily grind.
Unfortunately, something happened on the way to today—the Internet, e-mail, Blackberries (Somebody out there is still using this technology I guarantee), smart phones, and the iPad to name just a few. Now, we’re always connected, always in the loop.
Personally, I like to think there’s still some freedom of choice and the ultimate decision as to how often we’re connected and in the loop is up to each one of us.
My significant other belongs to the group that is compelled by some unseen force to always be connected, always in the loop. She’s the one on her smart phone checking her Facebook page or her work e-mails while eating dinner, while we’re driving in the car (I’m doing the driving in case you were wondering.), watching a movie on TV, at a concert, at a sporting event, while entertaining friends—pretty much always. She can’t help herself.
Even my 17-year old daughter finds it a little much. If anyone in my house was going to spend that much time checking e-mails, scrolling through Facebook, or texting, you’d think it’d be the 17 year old. Nope.
It’s easy to get caught in that trap. I once was. However, I’ve become more disciplined about being always connected, always in the loop. These days I rarely check work e-mails on the weekends or after 6 p.m. in the evening. So far the effects have been more positive than detrimental to my health.
I’m less stressed about work issues on weekends and in the evening, I sleep better at night, and I’m more focused after hours on non-work related activities, which is a good way to recharge my batteries so when the next day or Monday morning comes along, I’m ready to rock.
I understand not everyone can do that, and maybe I’m living in the past, but I prefer to be always connected and always in the loop on my own terms and on my own time.
Thanks for reading.
