Always On, Never Done

Always on, never done?

I know it all too well. That was part of my KPI as a VP.

Once, I made the mistake of sending a strategy deck by burning the midnight oil on a Friday. Early the following Saturday morning, the CEO called asking why I had not joined the Zoom meeting to discuss the strategy deck. Everyone was waiting for me!

Looking back, I now realise that it is such behaviours of late-night work that normalise always-on as a natural state of work-life.

Yet, this “always-on” culture might be the most profound evolutionary mismatch of our time. Despite knowing all too well the chronic psychological stress that it brings, it’s only becoming more mainstream.

Think of it, for almost all of human history, we led similar lives to that of animals. There was only episodic stress: short bursts of high energy followed by complete recovery. We did not have anxiety issues because our stress ended when the lion stopped the chase. There was a clear boundary between rest and work.

Even as recently as the late 19th century, more than 90% of the population engaged in manual or repetitive tasks, which created a clear boundary between work and outcomes. No one took the spade to bed to dig imaginary lands at midnight.

But for the programmer, an analyst, or an entrepreneur, it is very easy to remain stuck in problem-solving mode, even when sleeping (at least when trying to sleep). It’s like we are being chased by that proverbial lion 24/7.

Because we can’t fully shut down, episodic stress becomes chronic. And we mask its consequences with fashionable labels like lifestyle diseases.

This begs the question…

Why is our biology not evolving to help itself?

Unfortunately, it can’t, and it won’t. Until, of course, we artificially coax our genome into submission.

Evolution gives two hoots of how we behave after 15. It’s mainly concerned with our reproductive capabilities, not our career goals.

Also, this problem is very new. A population of laptop-trotting, always-on knowledge workers is, at best, 3 or 4 generations old, barely a blink for complex genetic change.

So… are you and me doomed?

Is our fate sealed with hypertension or a gastrointestinal ulcer?

Not really. There is always a fortune cookie…

So, what can we actually do?

If evolution is not on our side, then the burden is on us to adapt in other ways. Here are three viable interventions:

Force Shutdown

Just be adamant about switching off.

Set time blocks – no work beyond 5PM or on weekends. Delete Email, Slack, Zoom… anything that reminds you of work during off-work hours. Let it be known: this is how you work.

Difficulty Level: High, complex, full of friction

This sounds simple, but it feels like placing a Johnnie Walker bottle in front of an alcoholic and telling them not to drink. Try it…

Choose the Right Environment

Find a company where boundaries are respected:

Mental well-being is beyond sticking “be calm” wallpapers.
Nobody tracks hours because nobody works late.
Email doesn’t exist (yes, that’s one of the goals in my startup).
Rest is measured along with work outcomes.

Difficulty Level: Low, easy, best of luck finding such a company!

Such organisations, though rare, are there. But you need to be lucky to find one and somehow convince someone already working there to quit so that you can join!

Make a Mindful Career Decision

Choose a profession where the boundary between work and life disappears. Because you did do it anyway.

You don’t need to switch off, because your work is already aligned with who you are.

Difficulty Level: One-time high, but your best bet

“Work destroys your soul by stealthily invading your brain during the hours not officially spent working. Be selective about professions.” – Nassim Nicholas Taleb

This is the most tenable and biologically friendly.

This is where Mindful Productivity becomes more than a framework. It becomes your compass.

It helps you choose wisely, aligning your day-to-day work with your core values such that your job respects your biology, curiosity, and emotional cycles.

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How to master time?