Leavism: Learning How to Leave Your Work at Work

Leavism is not a term you hear often, but you probably know all about it.? It refers to that tendency many of us have to not leave work behind when we leave the office.? It’s become even more common now that there often isn’t an office to leave behind.? Working from home blurs the life-work line, to the point where the boundaries aren’t so clear anymore.??

Not surprisingly, it’s a common cause of burnout and stress if it becomes habitual, and certainly it can have adverse effects on your mental and physical health.? It’s always been an issue for the workaholics among us, and it’s very common these days when we hear of layoffs in various job sectors.? It makes people think “my job is secure if I put in the extra time to show how valuable I am.”

Here are some things to ask yourself as an employee to see if leavism is affecting you:

• Do you often use your paid time off or earned flex time to catch up on work?
• Do you go in to work sick so you don’t fall behind?
• Do you take work home a few days each week to get things done on your off hours?

I’ve done all these things at one time or another, and you probably have as well.? Hey, I’m writing this post on a Sunday but oh well.? Really, leavism is something I, as a small business owner, also have to pay attention to.? As an introvert I need my down time and I find time to exercise, be social and just chill out but I have to be watchful of my thoughts.? I’ve seen that you can do all the right “physical things” in order to have “work/life balance” but I notice that even when I’m hiking or just watching TV my thoughts often turn to work-related issues, such as yesterday when I was home thinking about this post.?

It’s one thing to say that you have a balanced life because you spent a weekend at the beach with your family but were you really able to tune-out the worker in your head who says “what about that project that you need to finish next week?”? It’s all easier said than done, and I’m sure there are some people out there who resonate with the guy in the picture with his laptop on the beach.

So what can you do to not fall into the leavism trap?? Here are my suggestions.

• Be mindful of what you do and how often you do it.? Keep track of your work time (physical and mental) on your calendar app and add up all the hours at the end of the week.? You might be surprised at the number.
• If you find that leavism is affecting you, use your calendar and block off some non-work time, and take those down times seriously.? In the long run you get more done when you are sharp and balanced than under the (self-imposed) gun.
• Think about your work processes and see if you can work smarter, not harder, to get things done in a reasonable amount of time.? There are usually better ways to do things.? Find them.
• While you are at it, find an accountability buddy at work to talk to so they can check on how you are doing.? If they are also suffering from leavism you can help each other.? Very often an outside point of view is needed since it’s so easy to be blind to what you do.
• Be brave and talk to your manager about the situation.? They might be more flexible and understanding than you assume, and they might be going through the same thing!

As an employee, I really believe that these things are doable and I’ve had success with most of them in the past.? But what if you are a manager and you see (or hear) that your staff is dealing with the stress of leavism?? One of the first things to do is to take a look at your corporate culture and see if your business practices are actually promoting leavism in your workplace.? Do you have enough staff?? Are your time off policies adequate?? Are people making use of them?? Do you have a practical wellness program that employees actually see as beneficial?

The key thing in my opinion is communication.? If you are an employee, talk to your coworkers and managers and tell them how you feel.? Just that in itself will probably help.? As you probably know, unless you voice your opinions, people will assume that you are doing just great!? And for you managers out there, talk to staff not just about projects and deadlines, but about how they are dealing with them and how they are getting their work done.? They may be super productive and great for the bottom line but if they are being affected by leavism, you can bet that they won’t be around for long, or at least will be miserable while they are there.

Getting caught up and staying ahead of work is fine when needed, but when it becomes a habit, it becomes a problem.? As an employee, be mindful and watch for the mental and physical signs.? Do the same as a manager or an HR professional with the people in your company.? Talk to them openly about how they are doing.? If you know what’s happening you can possibly do something about it.??

I always tell people, work should serve your life, not the other way around.? Treat yourself well and remember that you matter more than the work you do!