Google’s Scientific Approach to Work-Life Balance

Post by rbourke » Mon, Mar 31, 2014, 5:44 AM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #17

Bulkington wrote: post #4

Is it possible for anyone who thinks for a living to truly 'segment'? The best I can hope is really intense distraction: mountain biking, sailing, even golf. It's amazing how little I consider anything else while playing golf--but I couldn't get away in the middle of the afternoon unless I had the flexibility to get good work done from 4-7AM. Intuitively, I'd bet job satisfaction is right up there with mate selection…

I think about work in the shower, before bed, etc. But watching "Frozen" with my daughter, I totally forget about work. Or when my wife unceremoniously hands me the baby with a "I already changed a poop diaper today, your turn."

You mean you don't 'consciously' think about work... your brain is actually still joining dots in the background 24/7... unless you stop it by using drugs!

Post by StavrosK » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 11:38 PM UTC

kevindication wrote: post #35

StavrosK wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see why not. When I clock out of work, it all stops. I don't get work email on my personal phone, I sign off IM, etc. I am completely unreachable (except for calls, which nobody ever really does). No matter how stressful the day was, or how much stress is coming up, there's a clear delineation between work and life, and one doesn't bleed into the other. It has kept me pretty happy with my job for more than a…

Both of these positions on the subject are needlessly binary. I often find it the case that, even though I erect careful boundaries between work and non-work, when I leave a problem on my desk, I will continue to ruminate about a solution throughout the weekend, say. Similarly, I will Strategically avoid email when I'm recharging. I don't think it's so easy to boil down as black and white.

Sure, but that's the fun part. There are exceptions, obviously, just don't make them the rule.

Re: Google’s Scientific Approach to Work-Life Balance

Re: Google’s Scientific Approach to Work-Life Balance