Telecommuting and screens:know how to disconnect

The health crisis has clearly generated new organizational methods to continue professional activity.

Many working people testify to their efficiency when they work from home:less stress, better management of daily constraints, reduced fatigue due to saved travel time, real financial savings, especially for those who travel by vehicle ,…

More worrying would be this time spent in front of the screen when it encroaches more and more on moments devoted to the private or social sphere (family meals, outings, evening occupations). This "hyperconnectivity" can be caused by several causes, such as the guilt of not responding to a chain of emails, the fear of being left out of the company, the anxiety of not being able to carry out one's work in times.

Family and friends can be a great help in spotting the signs by pointing out, for example, your aggressiveness if you are unable to connect, or your refusal to admit that you are devoting excessive time to professional tasks via the smartphone. or the computer.

Some working people even develop a form of work addiction with identifiable symptoms such as systematically bringing work home, working on weekends, or real anxiety disorders – in this case, the accompaniment of a healthcare professional may be needed to avoid burnout.

In order to prevent this professional fatigue, or even a negative impact on physical health in the excessive use of screens (back problems due to poor posture in front of the screen, or even carpal tunnel syndrome =poor position of the front arm and hand), it is important to give ourselves the means to use these technologies less:

• Making digital breaks,
• Leave smartphones aside during meals or before sleeping,
• Avoid using several screens at the same time at home,
• If possible, do not “reply to all” in emails to avoid too many replies to manage,
• And why not make relatives (or even colleagues) aware that you are trying to limit your screen use.

Let us remember the messages from our parents who told us that there is a time for games and another for homework; how to consider that the answer to a math problem will be the same if you are focused on the assignment at an appropriate time, as the one you would give if you watch a series at the same time, or just before go to sleep after a hard day at school…? These "little" phrases from our elders must continue to resonate in our adult lives, today aided by tools that allow us to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.