Further attempts to improve my wellness

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
02/03/2018 at 16:45 • Filed to: personalopnik

Now armed with two cell phones, yesterday at 5pm was the first time I have ever done the unthinkable: turning off my work phone when I’m not working.

I am bad at “me time” stuff, on a macro level. I often find myself working when I ought not to be working, and really not making the effort to clear my mind (maaan). I am social, and I am productive at home, but always a little on edge. A call or text at 7am on a Sunday will do that. “Oh shit, I gotta send whats-its to whose-its first thing Monday, but I have to be in Edmonds by 8am. Should I plan on getting up at 5 or can I maybe —” and so on.

I actually have two coworkers who leave their work cells at their office. That’s logistically improbable for me, because I work in the field the majority of the time, and sometimes from home during business hours. Plus the most of the important calls I get are often between 3 and 5. So If I duck out early, or am indisposed, customers shouldn’t be punished for not anticipating where I am or what I’m doing. If you call me before 5, you can guarantee I’ll pick up the phone or at least reply before the end of the day. Unfortunately that would spill over into evenings and weekdays. Mind you, no one is demanding I work on my time off, or even suggesting it. It’s always like, “Ah, just a quick email. No harm.” “Just a brief phone call, and it is important one so it’s worth just working a little now.”

Well, this weekend I say, “Fuck that shit, sir.”

It’s 1:30pm and I’m in my pajamas ( sexyemoticon.png ) working on my second cup of coffee. This will be an interesting experiment. I have none of my work accounts synced to my new phone, and no one has that number except for family and close friends. Basically, no one can reach me, nor can I be tempted to look at my phone that has nothing work-related on it.

Here’s to not working.

DISCUSSION (23)

E90M3 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 16:50

When I first started in the oilfield, I would always respond to work calls or emails. It eventually got to the point where all I did was my job. One day I decided to stop it all. When I left the frac van on my 6th day I turned my laptop off and it didn’t get turned off until i was back in the frac van 3 days later. Same thing with my company phone. It was excellent.

benjrblant > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 16:59

Yes! I’m of the opinion that if an employer needs someone so badly that they are on call outside office hours, they should be compensated for that time as well.

Enjoy your weekend. Any plans past your coffee/beer/pajama morning?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > benjrblant
02/03/2018 at 17:02

List of plans:

1)...

2) NO

benjrblant > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:04

Sounds ideal. I’m tidying up the living room inbetween designing storage drawers for the cruiser.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > benjrblant
02/03/2018 at 17:08

I suppose I could finish washing my car... Maybe I should go for a drive. Weather is butt, so I probably won’t be walking the doggo.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:14

The only 2 people from I work I always respond too is the Manager or Owner. If a co-worker wants to contact me they can try to text me, or go through the manager. Most of the time it’s to cover a shift. If the owner calls it’s a serious matter, that needs to be addressed.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:14

I need to be more like you. I’m supposed to be typing an argumentative essay on Julius Caesar for my IB class but here I am right now. I slack.

SmugAardvark > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:15

Always keeping my work phone with me, “just in case” is something I’ve worked hard over the last year to break my habit of. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m making progress.

I started with just the occasional weekend too. Then slowly moved to more weekends. Now, I almost always have the phone turned on, but practically never leave the house with it on my days off. Even on weeknights right now, the phone goes on silent after 9pm. If there’s a true emergency, the important people at my job have my personal cell number.

I’ve found that I sleep better and I’m less distracted, just by letting go a little bit.

Kudos for taking some needed “you time.”

Rico > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:20

First I applaud your work ethic! But seriously, you have to take care of yourself first. Unless you work for an Emergency room where actual lives can be lost I think not responding to a customer on a weekend isn’t the worst thing that could happen. They’ll survive!

For Sweden > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:26

Wellness?

Why would I want to be stuck down a well?

Kiltedpadre > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:34

That is one thing I sorely miss with my new job. Can’t turn off the phone, and winter is the worst time. It’s made even worse since I live the closest. I work for a city where the water/maintenance department only has three guys and only two of us have EPA water certifications.

Snow/ice and I get called first and call in a second guy if it looks like I’ll need help.

Issue with the well field or booster pumps, and I get called first because the other operator lives 45min away versus my 10min. Generally we both get called for that anyway so I can be getting valves and switches changed around while he comes in.

We’re hoping they can hire a couple part timers that can at least give some winter relief from storms and help with the extra work that piles up in the summer and fall that three guys just can’t get to. That will only happen if a street improvement levy passes this spring so we’ll see.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:40

I’ve got clients who try to reschedule literally 24/7. Midnight on a Sunday? Wednesday morning, 5am? Yeeeeeep. Drives me crazy. I tell myself to limit phone time to 8am-8pm but it never works.

Kinja'd!!!

Weather was nasty but turbo 2jz goodness made up for it. I’ll never get over the sounds that this beastly Z can make

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
02/03/2018 at 17:50

I slept in till 11am (which never happens), which is why I had no plans to attend. I just wanted to lay flat for 13 hours.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Kiltedpadre
02/03/2018 at 17:52

I have two brothers who have excellent jobs, but when they’re on vacation and visiting, they have to work a few hours a day or always pick up their work phone when it rings. I am not too interested in living that life if I can help it. But then I caught myself living that life. I was — even if briefly — working on sick days or vacation days...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > For Sweden
02/03/2018 at 17:53

Kinja'd!!!

For Sweden > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 17:56

-_-

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 18:23

Noooo worries. I slept in too, I guess studystudystudy was there for almost an hour before I arrived they do an event the first saturday of each month, 10:30-12:30. Small groups this time of year, but the people all seem like good guys.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 18:46

that’s the spirit!

you’ll feel so much better on Monday too

Kiltedpadre > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 19:11

I have it both good and bad that my work can’t follow me home or on vacation. Good, in that I’m not expected to even check my work email outside of my normal workday. Bad, because if something does need done I have to go in to deal with it. There’s nothing that can be accomplished remotely.

The only people that call outside of my normal schedule I absolutely have to answer. It would either be the county emergency dispatchers that are our after hours emergency contact, or the village manager/chief of police for the village where I work.

Unfortunately, a couple of village council people have my number now, and I’ve gotten a couple odd calls from them. Thankfully, they’ve restricted those calls to working hours so far.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 19:12

Kinja'd!!!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 19:17

My work phone is also my personal phone and paid for by my employer. It mainly sucks during the week because there are time zones and I get emails late at night or calls when I’m pooping in the morning.

RPM esq. > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/04/2018 at 04:56

It me

RPM esq. > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/04/2018 at 05:03

My (ok, really my job’s) concept of “work hours” is not very healthy...there are plenty of hours in the week when I’m not in the office, of course, but I mostly spend them hoping I don’t get an email that requires several hours of work to answer, starting immediately.