How an ‘always-on’ culture can make us slaves to work

Whether its managing emails, WhatsApp, or Teams notifications, in a world of constant connectivity, switching off from work often seems impossible. Yet, before constant demands lead to burnout or other mental or physical health problems, it’s vital to instil boundaries. 

Technology has enabled remote working, undoubtedly creating more flexibility, but simultaneously fuelling expectations of ongoing availability. “This ‘always-on’ culture has blurred the boundaries between work and personal life, and contributed to increased stress, burnout, sleep disruption, and difficulty detaching from work,” says clinical psychologist Doron Zar. “The expectation of continual responsiveness can also heighten feelings of surveillance, urgency, and cognitive overload, which over time may reduce well-being and job satisfaction.” 

This is the case for Bianca Kahn*, who says she has been more stressed out than ever since starting her current job more than a year ago. “I’ve never been pushed to the extent that I have here,” she says. “I work from 07:00 to 17:00, then exercise and start work again at 19:00 until about 22:00. I also work weekends. I am available day and night and on holiday. I have Teams and email on my phone and will answer messages at all hours.” 

She says things are coming to a head. “I am totally burnt out, I’m beyond exhausted, and my whole body is sore. I’m taking stimulants to keep myself productive in the day.” While Kahn tries to prioritise urgent work and to use artificial intelligence to reduce admin, there’s no escaping the need for overtime; without it, she cannot get her work done. 

“I would love to work for myself, but I can’t afford to be without a steady income,” she explains. “I really believe that this affects single women the most. You don’t have a partner to carry the financial load should you need rest or time to find another position that doesn’t reduce your life to working 24/7.” She’s currently trying to create a financial buffer should she lose her job. To boost her well-being amid the stress, she exercises daily and uses mantras to keep herself focused. 

Having first burnt out more than 20 years ago, Terri Tanna Maselle was ultimately diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. “I was a workaholic, my life was fear-driven. I landed up losing absolutely everything I had because I had to float my business from my bed, which didn’t work out.” 

While dietary changes and naturopathic intervention made a big difference, Maselle says rediscovering her faith was a gamechanger, renewing both her mind and her emotional state. In the process, she began studying ontological coaching, how humans function on a mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual level. “It starts in the mind,” she says. “You must be able to take those negative thoughts and cut them off. You’ve got to train your brain.” 

Now the owner of recruitment agency The Good Human, Maselle deals with human resources executives every day. She has observed a proliferation of leaders who run toxic, fear-based organisations, she says, bemoaning the lack of emotional intelligence in the corporate world. That’s why she’s determined to work only with organisations with a positive company culture. 

Those of us who don’t work for such companies need to decide what we’re able to handle. “You have to start from within,” Maselle says. “People have these self-limiting beliefs, thinking they’ll never find another job, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.” 

Rather than coming from a place of victimhood or people pleasing, she says, we need to shift to one of empowerment. “We must have the wisdom to discern what is and isn’t good for us. The first person that you lead in life is yourself.” As such, Maselle lives a structured life, which includes gym, work and relaxation. “I start work at 09:00 and finish at 17:00. Then my phone gets switched off because tomorrow is another day.” 

While the “always-on” culture is still common, companies are increasingly considering employee well-being, argues Nikki Temkin, a wellness coach with a niche in workplace wellness. “Being busy all the time and what I call ‘hustle culture’ is no longer a badge of honour,” she says. 

Naturally, this shift will take time and company cultures differ. “It filters down from top management,” Temkin says. “You still have personality types that will always be pushing, which then becomes the cultural ethos of the company.” We need to set new expectations around what is acceptable, she says. Especially for working moms, who face multiple work and home demands, companies that allow flexibility are becoming more desirable. 

However, those working for companies that don’t prioritise employee well-being face the risk of burnout. Zar says warning signs include constant fatigue and exhaustion, difficulty switching off from work, and feeling emotionally drained. It often comes with increased irritability, frustration, and a sense of being checked out. “Prolonged stress can also cause sleep disturbances, headaches, muscle tension, and illness.” 

Burnout can’t be fixed between Saturday and Sunday, Temkin stresses. “It has to be tackled daily. The prevention framework is to recognise and identify the early warning signs before they escalate. Reflect, pause to investigate the root causes, regroup, and then build up your resilience again by making the necessary changes.” 

No-one but you is going to instil the boundaries you need to maintain a healthy work and home life, and these need to be clearly expressed. “The only people who will be upset by the boundaries that you put in place are those who would have gained by exploiting them,” says Temkin. 

You need to understand what kind of person you are and what you really want, she says. “Ask what kind of work will allow you to look after your health, to have quality time with your family, and to do the things that nourish you.” 

While old terminology was around work-life balance, the new terminology is around work-life integration, which requires flexibility, Temkin says. “This is where we can work in a way that supports the different parts of our lives that are important to us at different times of our lives. In line with this, something during your day or week is going to have to take priority.” 

*Name has been changed to protect her job.