Photography: Josh Cozy
Out of Office.
Let’s talk about communicating work expectations to your work environment and most importantly to YOURSELF.
I used to work 60+ hours a week and that has been pretty consistent since college. I even had 6 jobs at one time in addition to my full time student status. I never slept, I never rested, and I never went on vacation. Understanding what “Out of Office” means TO YOU is important. Letting a job take over your life and meddle it’s way into your personal time is an invasion of not only your mental health but your physical well-being.
Things I Have Done to Take Back My Life:
Saying No: Taking on additional task at work temporarily or permanently can be overwhelming but is a great way to expose yourself to leadership, enhance your resume, and potentially teaches you a new skill; however if those responsibilities take over your time outside of the work expectations you have set for yourself it may not be beneficial long term.
Setting Work-Hour Expectations: After working 60+ hours for years I was exhausted. I refused to be pressured into staying past my 50-hour schedule. I left work faithfully at 5:30 everyday. I learned if you can’t do everything you need in the allotted time, it’s not the work, it’s how you prioritize your time at work. Leaving work undone was a struggle but I realized soon it was still going to be there at 6:00am when I came back the next day.
No Checking for Work On My Time Off: Vacation is vacation, but I have worked in environments where the respect for personal time was limited. Your lunch was company time. The walk to get coffee was judged, and the only place you could get space was the bathroom. I had to understand that when I left work I was to NOT engage with my work email. Trust and know that if anything is truly an “emergency” people will find you. We are glued by our phones and keeping work emails and calls circulating during personal time is a false sense of peace.
Say No to Some Work “Friends”: So here is the issue… I spent 60+ hours with my co-workers. They knew me more than I knew myself at times and It was hard to maintain outside relationships and friendships because I was so invested in work. I loved my work-friends but found that I had to choose which work friends were my real friends. Some of my closest friends have come from my work environments but you have to discern who is going to bring work to the party. Don’t talk about work outside of work! It's really easy to do so once that is the staple of your relationship but don't fall for it!
Stop Allowing Work to Consume My Mental: I realized that sometimes the corporate world can consume you. The biggest thing I have learned is to not let the work life consume my character and who I am on the weekend. I have been in situations where the work stressed me so much that during the weekend I just spent my free-time complaining and stressing about it all. Let it go!
Moral of the story: Work ends on the weekend… for me that is.
Definitely a needed read! Work-Life balance has become a huge issue for me. Especially during this pandemic. I work directly with COVID data and it has made it hard for me to say no or even take well earned days off. I find myself stressing or becoming anxious in fear of the magnitude of work that waits upon my return. Out of Office for me has been redefined after reading this! Thanks Olivia!