Some of us are addicted to efficiency. It is almost the only way to survive the 21st century. However, understanding that we need to be efficient and actually accomplishing it or understanding the know-how that goes into it are two different things.
This is especially evident when we evaluate what is going on outside the office. Sometimes it is a little easier to understand how to define processes when we are sitting in front of our monitor in our office at work. In our cubicle, we have our systems and processes, whether the company for which we work defines it, or we define it for ourselves.
So, what happens when we leave the office?
Business Activity Patterns
There is an interesting study, describing how different people deal with email. Especially interesting is how people deal with it when they are out of the office, including evenings and vacations. Take a look for yourself. What do you think it says about us, as humans?While the trends may support people still using their corporate email during off-hours, there also seem to be some trends that support a desire NOT to use email during those off-hours.
Is this an established business activity pattern? Do you think more and more people are going to be putting their foot down when it comes to working during off-hours? Or, do you think these trends are going to start slipping toward the level of taking work home with you, even if it is just using a smartphone to access email?
Corporate Events and the Value They Provide
Fortunately, there are other ways to get a break from the mundane business doldrums without having to take time off from work. For example, if you can convince your company to invest in having annual or semi-annual corporate events you would be able to have a break that takes you outside of the office. At the same time, that break won’t necessarily require that you stop sending or receiving emails, or even that you have to clock out.
Vacation Time to the Beach and Beyond
Say you spoke to the human resources (HR) administrator at your company and discovered that all of your workaholism has paid off in some unused vacation time. That is great! You can still get that time away from the office, especially in the summer, and not lose your flow. The idea is that, whether you work in a corporate office or you are a freelancer, there are things that you can do, like working ahead, to allow for getting out of the office. That may mean dedicating time in advance to your blogging, search engine optimization (SEO), or social media marketing (SMM) efforts. Of course, working in a corporate office adds a bunch of items to that list, but they are all able to be approached in a similar fashion, allowing you to take that time away from the office.
In Conclusion
If you want to be healthy, do not chain yourself to your office! If you do have to do work at home, you should still allow some time for relaxation. This is definitely something to consider, with the summer coming upon us. Plus, when possible, you can complete some SEO and SMM tasks ahead of time to allow for an office break.So, how much time will you spend away from the office enjoying every moment of life?
