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PSA: My months-long struggle with after-hours email checks has officially ended | Remote Work Life - SMM Buzz

kim819•6mo ago

PSA: My months-long struggle with after-hours email checks has officially ended

I mean, for what felt like forever, I was glued to my inbox well past dinner, thinking I needed to be always on. It took me almost half a year to admit that this habit was seriously messing with my downtime. Idk, maybe it's just me, but I started using a simple rule: no work apps on my phone after 6 PM. At first, it was tough, and I kept sneaking peeks, but I stuck with it patiently. Now, after all that time, I actually enjoy my evenings without that constant ping anxiety. It's a tiny milestone, but finally disconnecting feels like a massive win for my remote work life.

3 comments

3 Comments

dakota1666mo ago

Reading your post hit close to home because a buddy of mine went through something almost identical. He's a graphic designer who was constantly checking Slack and emails late into the night. His turning point was deciding to physically leave his work laptop in his home office after 7 PM. For weeks, he'd catch himself almost wandering in there out of habit, but he forced himself to watch a movie or call someone instead. Now he says his sleep improved and he actually looks forward to those uninterrupted evening hours. It's wild how such a simple boundary can reshape your entire relationship with work.

dakota1666mo ago

You're so right about how a simple boundary can change everything. I was in the same boat, constantly tied to my work phone even during dinner. My fix was setting a hard rule to silence all work apps after 6 PM and charge my phone in the kitchen overnight. The first few days I kept reaching for it out of habit, but I forced myself to read a book or cook instead. After a while, that urgency to be always available just faded, and I started sleeping way better. It's amazing how physically separating yourself from the tools of work can reclaim your personal time.

juliamorgan6mo ago

Isn't it funny how our brains create that phantom limb sensation for our phones? I'd catch myself patting my pocket for a buzz that wasn't there (or worse, glancing at my personal phone's dark screen expecting a work notification). That physical separation you both described is key, I swear. It’s like your mind finally gets the memo that the workday is over when the tool itself is in another room, not just silenced in your hand.