As our reliance on smartphones and social media continues to grow, experts say it’s getting harder to switch off, blurring the line between work and personal time.
And for people who need to be across social, news and industry trends for work it can be particularly tricky.
“Where you’re constantly monitoring … it’s just harder to get respite from [work],” says Paula Brough, professor of organisational psychology and director of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Griffith University in Brisbane/Meanjin.
“We know the evidence is clear that workers need that recovery period.“
AI solutions consultant Melissa Westbrook, a South Australian now living in London, feels the pull to keep up with industry developments.
“I’m so big on keeping up with AI trends,” she says.
“What I think is challenging from a lifestyle perspective [is] … I spend a lot of time in front of screens throughout the day.
“For me, it’s important to get that balance right between professional necessity and personal interests.”
Melissa Westbrook now lives in the UK. (Supplied)
In Eora country/Sydney, coach, speaker and author Claire Baker feels the pressure, too.
Claire’s business is centred around menstrual cycle awareness, and she runs online training for professionals who want to integrate it into their own work.
“My business is totally online and it’s also very global,” she says.
“Most of my clients and students are in the Northern Hemisphere … so it’s like I could be working at all hours of the day. I think when you’re running an online business, that’s the reality for a lot of people.”
Claire Baker’s work is predominantly online. (Supplied: Hannah Jones)
Claire says while she’s fairly good at setting boundaries between her work and personal life, striking a balance is still tough at times, particularly when it comes to using social media for work.
“It’s such a great tool. But the problem is that it’s so addictive … especially if you’re following a lot of other business owners,” she says.
“I find if I’ve been on there a lot — scrolling, looking at also what my peers are up to — [suddenly] it’s like, oh God, I’ve just been watching ads for about an hour.“
Finding the line between work and play
Guruk/Port Macquarie psychologist Ernest Materyn works with clients suffering from symptoms of anxiety and depression often stemming from burnout at work.
He says for those doing highly online work, the real problem can be knowing what’s work and what isn’t.
Ernest Materyn is a member of the Australian Association of Psychologists. (Supplied)
Your smartphone can mean work comes home in your pocket.
“Most work, historically, has a natural endpoint … the online world doesn’t,” he says.
“We are the first generation that is dealing with something for which there’s no manual, there’s no guide, and it [the internet] has completely … revolutionised the way we work.
“Social media keeps updating, the trend keeps moving, the conversation continues without you.”
As a starting point, Mr Materyn recommends pausing before jumping on your phone after work and really considering what you’re about to use it for.
“Ask yourself, ‘What am I doing? Is this work or is this leisure?'” he says.
Paula Brough is a Meanjin/Brisbane-based professor of organisational psychology. (Supplied)
Professor Brough says occasionally bringing work home isn’t a problem, but when it becomes a pattern, it can lead to burnout.
“If you only live and breathe work, that’s a huge danger sign,” she says.
“You need something else, whether it’s sport or family or some other non-work activity.”
Professor Brough says becoming irritable, thinking about conversations from work in your downtime and trouble sleeping are all signs to watch for.
“These are all these symptoms … [indicating,] ‘OK, this is affecting my behaviour and my health. I need a break,'” she says.
Taking work home and staying “switched on” outside hours can become problematic, Paula Brough says. (Unsplash: Helena Lopes)
How to strike a balance
In Australia, there are laws protecting workers’ rights to disconnect but sometimes, as with Melissa and Claire, work done at home isn’t the result of direct pressure from a boss.
In this case, Professor Brough says setting clear boundaries for yourself is important.
“Time boundaries … I’m only working between X and Y and I’m not going to work, which includes checking emails on phones, in the evening or at weekends, for example,” she says.
“There are also geographical boundaries. So, I’m only working when I’m sitting at my desk … and then when I leave that area, I turn into a non-worker.”
Mr Materyn says behaviours that signal to your brain that work is over, such as changing clothes when you get home or going for a walk, are also helpful, as is being intentional about how you use your free time.
What balance can look like in real life
To maintain balance in her life, Melissa uses a routine she started during London’s COVID lockdowns.
“At 6am I’ll go for a nice walk around where I live,” Melissa says.
Melissa lives in London and makes a point of regularly getting out to explore the city. (Unsplash: Nick Page)
She then allocates time in her day for keeping up with trends in AI and her industry.
“I’ll come back, do my prep work for my actual job, but that’s also when I do my research, what’s happening in the news, in AI … trends in the industry and so on,” Melissa says.
“That makes me knowledgeable for the workday.”
She’s also intentional about spending quality time offline, going out with friends, socialising, hitting theatres and galleries, and exploring London.
“I’ll make a real point of making my Saturday afternoons in particular really beneficial,” she says.
“I try to go away on the weekends as much as possible … those are the sorts of things that can really add that variety into your life, so you don’t feel like you’re glued in front of a screen.“
Another way she has built balance into her life has been taking her quest for knowledge about her industry offline.
After attending a “no code and brew” session, Melissa is now involved as a speaker. (Supplied)
“I started attending these ‘no code and brew’ hackathon sessions [outside work] … and I brought some of my own AI skill building there,” she says.
“From a wellness perspective … actually getting into a room, having a nice chat, maybe a few pizzas and some coffees, and just learning from each other … that’s a real way to bring that work-life balance into the mix as well.”
For Claire, boundary setting has been key to maintaining her work-life balance.
“I work from home, so … I don’t work out of my bedroom, for example,” she says.
As a general rule, she doesn’t work after 6pm and she “fiercely” protects her days off.
Claire built a business that doesn’t rely on social media, which means she can take a break from scrolling when she needs to. (Supplied: Hannah Jones)
Claire also sets boundaries around social media, using desktop apps for work-related posts, which she says feel less “addictive” than her phone, and deleting social media apps every weekend.
“But sometimes I just need a month away,” she says.
“I don’t know if I’d recommend that as a business strategy, but it’s been fine for me.”