Balancing Work and Life in the Age of Smartphones

 


Back in the prehistoric days of 2010, I was a third-year lawyer, blissfully unaware of the digital wonders that awaited me. My phone of choice? The legendary Nokia 3310, a trusty brick of a device that could survive a nuclear apocalypse. Then one day my firm gifted all of us with BlackBerry smartphones.

These devices marked the dawn of the smartphone era in Rwanda.  Their sleek design and innovative features were captivating. One of the standout features was the tiny red blinking light that alerted you to new messages. It may sound basic today, but at that time, it was cutting-edge technology which made us feel like secret agents.

I received my BlackBerry during a particularly busy work season. I had a new client in Singapore who was interested in purchasing a company in Rwanda. Singapore is 6 hours ahead of Rwanda, and my client often began emailing me at 9 am Singapore time, which translated to 3 am in Rwanda. Many nights, I found myself awake at this ungodly hour, and that blinking red light would catch my attention. A new message ! Who could it be at this hour? Perhaps a friend in distress? There was only one way to find out.

More often than not, it turned out to be my client from Singapore, with an email bearing the inviting title, "Quick query." Typically, my initial thought was  that I could read the email within a minute and craft a response in no more than 4 minutes, allowing me to get back to sleep within 15 minutes tops. So, I would eagerly open the email, determined to resolve my client's latest issue swiftly.

However, the "quick query" frequently consumed around 20 minutes to address. After what I believed to be a comprehensive reply, my client would strike back with more "quick queries" arising from the original one. It would turn into a never-ending game of email ping-pong. Before I knew it, it would be 5 am, and the rest of my day would be marked by fatigue.

Despite my work day ending at 6 pm, my constant urge to respond to every "quick query" and "very urgent" email led me to continue checking and replying to emails from other clients until bedtime. The cycle repeated itself day after day.

The advent of smartphones has unquestionably transformed the professional services industry, offering unparalleled flexibility and efficiency in communication. Smartphones have enabled employees to work from anywhere with an internet connection, providing convenience and responsiveness. However, as I personally experienced, excessive smartphone use for work can lead to addiction and blur the line between work and personal life, potentially resulting in mental health issues, burnout, a compromised work-life balance and less productivity.

So, how can we achieve a better work-life balance in this smartphone era?

A few countries have passed 'right to disconnect' laws, which  give workers the right to not engage in work-relative activities like emails, phone calls, video calls and text messages outside of regular working hours. While Rwanda has not yet passed such explicit legislation, it has long championed the concept of work-life balance, exemplified by its recent move to establish more flexible official opening hours, enabling employees to start work at 9 am instead of 8am. This initiative aimed to grant workers more time with their families.

 

In my personal quest for the elusive work-life balance, I have made strides in managing my smartphone habits. I have come to realize that "quick queries" rarely conclude quickly. I now turn off email notifications on my phone outside of working hours. This small change has been liberating, allowing me to disconnect from work when I am out of the office and enabling me to be more present in whatever I am doing.

While I have found it easier to make these changes due to my firm's work-life balance commitment, it may not be as simple for everyone. Job demands, position, workplace culture, and boss expectations can make disconnecting challenging. In competitive job markets like Rwanda's, some may feel the need to be constantly available to secure their positions.

In conclusion, achieving a work-life balance in the age of smartphones is crucial. Setting boundaries and managing smartphone usage are key steps. However, it is important to recognize that not everyone may have the same flexibility. Depending on your job, culture, and expectations, disconnecting can be challenging. Let us work towards a culture that respects downtime, ensuring that technology enhances our lives without affecting our mental health.

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