Why Work Shouldn't Live on Your Phone

Amy Green: Hello, wonderful people, welcome back to another episode where I'm gonna share with you something quite controversial. And you might be thinking, when I say it, that could never happen. How could I do that? How will I live my life? my gosh, I can't believe she's saying that. There's no way we could do that in our workplace. What is she talking about? And I need you to just put all of those objections down and listen to what I'm going to share. Now I'm gonna start with a story to set the scene. A story that is 10 years old, you know, that happened in 2016. And back then I didn't realize it was kind of a pivotal moment, but believe Me, it was a pivotal moment. I'd been working in a leadership role, and I every day would take my laptop home. I'd make sure I check my emails before bed, I'd check them first thing in the morning. I had that laptop open more than I'd like to admit, just to check emails, really, because I did my work in the workday, and what if something happened? What if I needed to check? What if there was an emergency? Now, in around 2016, that's when I started to notice that I just wasn't okay. And I went to my integrative GP. sorry, nope, wrong one. I went to my GP to begin with. I went to my GP and I had shared with him, you know, I'm tired, I don't really know what's happening. And among the different tools and strategies they asked me to try, which you know I was already doing, gratitude, meditation, yoga, they said, how about putting some boundaries between work and life? And this was ten years ago. This wasn't a common thing. They asked me a little bit about my work and what I did and what it looks like when I wasn't at work, and I shared that I took my laptop home and checked my emails all the time. And they said, What if you didn't do that? And I was like, What do mean? Is that even an option for someone who works? And they said, How about not taking your laptop home? Like, do you ever get an an email that's an emergency? Like, do you ever have anything that you absolutely need to respond to? And I was like, well, no. And they were like, great. So how about you just leave it at work? And I did. I started to do this. I started to make sure that I checked my emails as soon as I got in the door to work, into my office. And the last thing before I left every day, even if we'd had meetings until five o'clock, I would still stay and check my emails to make sure there was nothing urgent, tidy everything up and I would leave and I'd leave my laptop at the at work. I know, I know, I know how that sounds. Some of you were like, this is impossible. And one morning I got to work quite early. I'd been there until about, you know, 5.20 the day before. I was back in at 10 to 8 the next morning. And my leader at the time came chasing me down. She's like, my gosh, Amy, have you seen this email? And I was like, no, no, I haven't. She's like, you need to go and read it. I can't believe you haven't read it. And I was like, well, I left at like 5.20 last night and I don't take my laptop home. So I, you know, I need to go to my office to check. And she's like, well, you need to go do that. And so I did do that. And it wasn't that urgent, and it wasn't really an emergency, and the world wasn't going to end. Later that day, we are discussing said email, and it's a not, you know, super urgent, important message. And in that meeting was a discussion about how I hadn't read it before returning to work. And at the time there was a comment made about my professionalism and commitment to the role if I wasn't checking my emails at home. To which I was like, whoa, I am very professional, I am very committed to my work. And so I had to explain that look, I've been seeing my GP, I'm trying to create some boundaries between work and home, and one of the things that was suggested I try was leaving my laptop at work. You know, of course, if there is an emergency, you can call me, you have my mobile number, but if there Is you know an email like this, I'm just not going to see it. I make sure I check first in the morning and last in the afternoon, and that's it. Now, in 2016, the idea of well-being and work-life balance and and those types of things were not being discussed. Burnout, overwhelmed. Like they just weren't really being discussed at the level we're talking about them. It was just expected that you give your whole life to work. And when I did that, it was it was quite controversial. I had to explain myself. And you know, in the time of that happening and then the further two years that I worked at that workplace and and other workplaces after, I I'm I made sure I communicated that I didn't check emails at home from then on out. And so if someone needed something, there there was no expectation to email me at five and I'd have it done by the next morning. That just wasn't going to happen. And now we have our right to disconnect legislation, which means you can't do that. But also like nothing nothing major happened. No one ever called me. No one ever called me. In the four or five years I stayed in the working world after that, no one called me. But when I think about that now and I get asked, you know, what's something workplaces could do that would be highly impactful and helpful for someone's well being, I th Think right now, what I would love to see workplaces do is have a rule that says, we do not endorse you having the email app on your phone. I know some of you have just like vomited a little bit in your mouth because you're like, that could never happen. But what if workplaces did that? What if workplaces said, at absolutely no point do we expect or endorse or allow you to have email on your phone? We expect instead that you do check your email at regular intervals, especially first thing in the morning to ensure there have been no emergencies or things that you need to respond to or that impact your day. And we expect you to check them in the evening for the before you leave the workday for the same purpose. In our company, if there is some or workplace, whatever it is, if there is something urgent, we start all emails that are urgent, as in they need to be responded to now with URG, so you know, and everything else is within a 48-hour rule. Like imagine if that happened. I think about some of the workplaces that I consult in and schools and I think some would be able to do that and some would have some processes to build before they could actually implement that. Because what we're asking people to do is not be so reactive and expect things now and build in some clear ways of working. But I honestly think if we didn't have email on our phone and if we weren't checking our email while we're in the supermarket line, while we're on the toilet, I know some of you do that. before you go to bed. When you wake up in the middle of the night someone told me they're checking their emails like three AM. They have their phone next to their bed. They can't sleep. They check their emails. Really? Really? Like we don't need to be doing that. Checking your emails while you're waiting for your kids to pick them up. Checking your emails while you're cooking dinner. You've got one hand stirring the pot, you've got the other email scrolling through your inbox. Like When you're watching ki your kids sport on the weekend. Like imagine if that just wasn't an option. Now I know some of you might have a little bit of a panic attack initially, and I did. It took me a long time to adjust. But what I can promise you is that if there's an emergency, someone will call you. Someone will call you. And in the time that I've been doing my work and running my own company, I have deleted my email periodically. When I whenever I'm on holidays or traveling, it gets deleted. But at the moment it's on a five minute timer. So I just go in, I have a look. I don't reply to emails on my phone. And I'm and I'm Pondering the idea of just deleting the email app altogether again. So we're thinking about it, we're thinking about it. Because it's not that urgent, people. Someone will ring you. Someone will ring you. So I don't know. I just think if there's something every workplace could do, it would be this. And if you're thinking this is impossible, I would like to remind you, there was a time when emails didn't exist. And things were fine. Then there was a time where emails did exist, but they didn't exist on our phone. They're just on a desktop or a laptop. And also things were fine. So we, in some ways, have created this, and I think we should uncreate it. So that's my message. I would love to know if you're trying this, are willing to trial it, or are having a panic attack. Let me know what you think because I do honestly feel like this could be something quite controversial but revolutionary for a workplace to try. Wonderful people, I'm gonna leave you with that. As always, have a wonderful day, night, evening, whatever time it for you, and I'll see you somewhere soon. Bye.