Remember when you thought it was a badge of honor to pull an all nighter? Man, I stayed up all night and rocked that paper out!
Some office cultures are trending that way. Well maybe not all nighters, exactly, but logging in at night has become the way you prove yourself. They way you show your dedication. The way you say, ‘I’m a superstar and I’ll do whatever it takes to help this company succeed.’
Technology has added an second layer of work during the evening hours—a layer that’s becoming expected.
The advantages of occasional evening hours cannot be denied. It offers uninterrupted time to crank out a project. And it gives people the opportunity to leave work at a reasonable hour and take care of kids (or just de-stress) before returning to a high-priority issue.
But the problems are also obvious—largest among them staff burnout and family stress.
People need one-on-one time with their spouse, and you can’t get that when you’re logging in as soon as the kids go to bed.
Plus, our brains require mental rest. Just because you’re not actively working through a problem doesn’t mean your brain isn’t firing away it. Putting space between you and your responsibilities often leads to better focus and clarity.
Is evening work expected at your office?
Are you able to turn off your work brain? Do you even want to?
Tags: working at night
Kyra – Great post. I think the problem sets in when we don’t realize that our brains aren’t working as well, and we plow ahead anyway.
There will always be time when we have to “push” on a project, and put in extra time. I’m a proponent that if our work “bleeds” into time outside of work, I prefer to get up a little earlier, rather than work longer into the night.
The benefit is the same – an uninterrupted vacuum chamber to focus – but our brains are more fresh after resting…and we get to enjoy that first cup of fresh coffeee. Ahhhh!