The right to disconnect

You hear about the right to disconnect after work more and more often. Luxembourg. Belgium, Portugal.

Do we really disconnect? In general or after work?

Right now, I find it very difficult. I’m scrolling aimlessly on Instagram. I close, Facebook is next. Or LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, you name it. I leave the phone down then I remember: I should text this person. I should answer an email. I should order I don’t know what. And then again I’m on the phone. Then I should take some pictures or I should add a meeting in my calendar or a reminder or an item to buy when going out.

I have all the limits one could have. But once I reach them, I ask for 15 minutes more. And then more. And at midnight the limit clock resets and I’m starting the day at zero. The weekly reminder is ugly and I barely even check it anymore.

I could ban the phone from the bed. Before I used to read books before bed but now I can only read books on my phone after bedtime. And sometimes, it’s easier to scroll and read random things than a book. Also, if sometimes I’m in bed from 8pm and can only fall asleep around 10pm… there aren’t enough sheep to be counted.

Besides, I always like to answer messages. Like this, I checked that thing off my to do list. I don’t like to give answers after days (I started, shyly, doing so. But not too much).

And since I live far away from my family, it’s harder to disconnect. To not send some photos or to call or video call. Yes, this is the quality time.

I guess I don’t have a conclusion or a solution on how to spend less time on my phone. I’m just thinking that it’s so hard to disconnect. If one does this. Even now, as I write this, I’m on a picnic blanket in the garden, enjoying the sun and the wind and the clouds. But I’m on my phone.

And regarding work, I noticed two tactics. I have people sending me emails at 10pm. And that’s fine because I don’t see them at 10pm because I disabled notifications. But I also know they’re not expecting an answer from me then. (It is sad when they do though.) If I’m writing an email and it’s late, I schedule it to be sent first thing in the morning. Just on the off chance that someone sees that, it’s better if they’re at work and not at home doing things outside work.