Workaholism also called work addiction is most times responsible for the unconscious crossing of the invisible line between work and personal life.
In the present day and age of the fast and highly demanding work environment especially in tech, sometimes work demands answering calls, emails and even emergency call-in overtime. Work and personal life have become so integrated that it is hard to tell which is what, which leads to intensive stress and burnout and sometimes down to decreased work productivity.
In situations like this, setting boundaries around work communications is essential to meeting and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
In this article we'll be looking at some strategies to help you limit after-hours work communications.
How to Limit Communications After Work Hours
1. Declare Your Communication Norms
To get started on your journey, you first have to set clear expectations with your work team as regards to your communication.
Communicate your time and specify working hours for all work related responses. For instance, agreeing that emails sent after 6 PM will be addressed the next day. This clarity helps everyone understand when to expect responses and reduces the pressure to be constantly available on your end, giving you time to rest.
2. Dedicated time for Email and Calls
Instead of checking emails and taking or responding to recorded calls throughout the day, allocate specific times for these tasks. You can consider setting aside 20-30 minutes in the morning, noon, and at the end of the day to respond to all work related emails and calls. This helps you focus on the task at hand and can enhance productivity by allowing you to concentrate on tasks without constant interruptions.
3. Utilize Technology
Make the best of technological tools available to you by leveraging tools that can help manage notifications. Use features like “Do Not Disturb” on your devices to silence alerts during personal time. Also, consider using email filters to prioritize important messages. This way, it will save you time and you can then focus on what things that are of priority when you do check your emails.
4. Communicate Your Boundaries
Let your colleagues know about your availability. Let them know your preferred hours for communication and when you won’t be available to respond to messages. For instance, informing your team about your unavailability to check emails over the weekend. Such clear communication sets the tone for mutual respect regarding each other’s time.
5. Lead by Example
If you happen to be in a leadership position, model the behavior you want to see such as avoiding sending emails after hours or during weekends, and also use scheduling tools to send messages during working hours. Things like this not only show your stand on personal boundaries but also encourage your team to respect their own limits.
6. Practice Saying No
Being self-aware is important and along with that understanding that you don’t have to respond to every request immediately. When colleagues reach out to you after work hours, you can politely let them know you’ll address their request during working hours. This practice of saying no helps reinforce your boundaries without damaging professional relationships.
Conclusion
Setting boundaries around work communications is very important for maintaining a healthy work-life balance in the tech space. By establishing clear norms, scheduling dedicated email times, utilizing technology effectively, and communicating your limits, you can create a more manageable work environment.
