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Reading time: 3 to 4 mins | Audio podcast here.
Listening to people complaining about their bad work-life balance always make me shake the head in a disconsolate manner.
Most of us check business emails first thing in the morning and last thing before turning off the light on the bedside table. At lunch-break and at the weekends. We can't help it. It’s a sort of ‘new’ instinct.
We have books, magazine’s articles, blog’s posts and funny pictures sent us via Social Media, conferences, workshops, tip lists trying to teach us how to better manage this issue through time management and prioritisation or flexible working options like reduced hours, compressed working weeks, part-time work or job sharing. But to no avail as they miss the core of the thing. They all pretend not to know the one and only true – and simple – reason for this: everything depends on who is in control. On who can decide over one’s work-life balance. And it’s not us, for sure. Not now. At least not for the most of us.
Ask yourself: Do I really have the power to set the limits? And think about an honest answer. Yes, you’re right: you don’t. We don’t. We’re all too worried about the consequences of being found disconnected at any time during the day (and the night).
On one hand we’re all seriously afraid of a retaliation from the employer, be it a simple loss of prestige or a worse job loss. In this case there’s nothing we can do, unfortunately. It’s them having the whip hand. On the other hand we’re all concerned about the social (on and offline) reproach, but in this case it was us setting and implementing this trend and the wheel now looks unstoppable like a piano piece by Philip Glass. This is the future we ourselves have designed and keep designing for us. I’m sorry to admit I can’t see any way out of this unpleasant situation.
You can say this sounds as cheap philosophy and maybe it is. But not less than all those well-marketed nonsenses sold at a high price as words of wisdom by wellness gurus who claim they can help us live better. “Don't think about it as a balance – some of them say. – Call it work-life integration and you'll feel better!”
It's just our everyday harsh reality but it will be only untill BCI (Brain-Computer Interface), NCI (Neural-Control Interface), MMI (Mind-Machine Interface), DNI (Direct Neural Interface) or BMI (Brain-Machine Interface) come and free us from this meaningless anxiety – some say. Does this latter news appeal you? Perfect. Then don't worry and keep calm. If their forecast is right you won't have to wait too long.
You may also be interested in: Difficult choice, isn't it?
