From Burnout to Breakthrough. Why a Tech Boss (me!) Launched a Company that Encourages People to go Offline.

Hi,

I’m Steff. and this is the crazy (and summarised) story about how a tech boss (me) ended up founding a company that encourages people to turn off their tech.?

It all started back in 2019.? Well, I guess it was probably a little before that.

Way, way back in 2015, I had just become employee number 2 for software and web development company Six Ticks.

We had big dreams and the world at our fingertips. There was just one problem - we only had one customer...

As the Sales Director and Client Relationship Manager, it was my job to get our new business some business.

I had a lot of work to do.

I started spending hours online - on my phone, on email, online, always switched ‘on’ and always looking at a screen. I found it difficult to turn off.?

Checking my emails and working late, almost became an addiction. That little ‘bing’ when a new message popped up was like a drug.

I’d work late into the night, at weekends, even whilst I was out with friends I’d be frantically typing out messages and refreshing my emails like my life depended on it.?

I did this for a couple of years. I was exhausted. I felt lonely. My eyes hurt. My head hurt, I couldn’t focus, and despite working 60-hour weeks, I wasn’t being all that productive.

My devices owned me.

And the worrying thing was, it seemed that I wasn’t the only one.

In cafes, on trains, even when walking down the street. It seemed that everyone was glued to a screen. I was receiving emails from clients late into the evening. It seemed everybody was online all of the time.?

I started thinking ‘This is not okay’.

I went online (yes, I see the irony) and there was bits of research about how technology impacts our health - many of the things listed I was already experiencing, but there was little practical information on how to make things better.?

I decided it was time to do something about it.

So, in 2020 (pre pandemic), I founded techtimeout - a company whose mission is to help people to have a better life/tech balance. We provide training and information for workplaces and individuals on the impact of technology on health and wellbeing and provide practical support.

techtimeout isn’t about being anti-tech - I love tech and spend a lot of time as a digital nomad and I? still work for software company Six Ticks. It was about helping people to better understand the impact that always being switched on has on our health and wellbeing, and knowing when and how to disconnect when we need to.

In 2021, we launched the national digital wellbeing awareness day techtimeout tuesday. This year’s event takes place on 3rd December 2024, last year we had companies signed up representing 1.6 million employees signed up. A lot of people pledged to step away from their screens to experience the benefits of spending some time offline.

I’m very proud to be raising awareness of digital wellbeing and helping others to reframe their relationship with technology.?

Will you be joining us this year?

If you’d like to find out more about techtimeout tuesday and sign up, get in touch.