3 rules for better work-life balance | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: Leslie Gauthier Reviewer:

For so many of us,

Translator: Zoe Lai Reviewer: Thomas Tam

對於包括我在內嘅好多人來講

myself included,

our days feel filled with a million small interruptions.

每天需要面對過百萬個小干擾

And this is true even of our days off.

喺假日度都係一樣

你可能需要喺沙灘接電話

Maybe you've taken a call at the beach,

texted your boss from the grocery store

喺雜貨店跟老闆打訊息

or emailed a colleague while on a picnic with your family.

或者跟家人野餐時傳電郵畀同事

We’ve convinced ourselves that these behaviors are no big deal.

我哋說服自己呢啲行為係無問題

It's just one email.

只係出一封電郵啫﹗

But there's a real cost to these interruptions,

但啲干擾會帶來真實嘅代價

and there are smart strategies we can all take

但係我哋可以用啲小聰明

to better protect our time.

保護我哋嘅時間

(Music)

（音樂）

[The Way We Work]

[我哋工作模式]

These moments seem so small at the time,

睇嚟打擾我哋嘅時間係好短

and yet research suggests they add up to a tremendous loss.

但有個研究講 呢啲時間加起來係巨大損失

The constant creep of work into our personal lives

經常任由工作侵入我哋嘅私生活

can increase our stress

會增加我哋嘅壓力

and undermine our happiness.

同破壞我哋嘅幸福

So just what is the cost?

咁，代價係乜嘢？

In one study,

有個研究

researchers recruited parents who were visiting a science museum with their kids.

搵來啲家長 正喺度跟細路參觀科學館

Some parents were told to check their phone as much as possible;

有啲家長被指示盡量多睇手機

others were told to check their phone as little as possible.

另外啲家長被指示盡量少睇手機

After the visit,

完咗參觀

parents who used their phones reported

結果多睇手機嘅家長

that the experience was significantly less meaningful.

感覺參觀嘅體驗比較無意義

They also felt much lonelier.

重好寂寞

In another study,

喺另一個研究

tourists who were asked to have their phones out

要求參觀出名教堂嘅遊客 可經常睇手機

while visiting an iconic church

remembered fewer details a week later.

佢哋一星期後記得較少細節

And in my research,

喺我嘅研究

employees who were paid for their performance

按照表現計薪酬嘅員工

spent increasingly less time interacting with friends and family,

傾向花越來越少時間陪伴家人同朋友

and more and more time interacting with colleagues and clients.

同埋用越來越多嘅時間跟同事及客戶互動

These constant interruptions come at a cost to organizations, too.

呢種持續嘅干擾都會為機構帶來損失

Companies lose 32 days of productivity each year to employee depression,

每年內心憂鬱嘅員工

令公司損失咗 32 個工作天

which is often caused by the stress and burnout of our always-on culture.

員工嘅憂鬱係由於 要面對壓力同持續上網所引起

Despite knowing better,

除咗了解多啲

I, too, have found myself focusing on “urgent work distractions”

我發現自己經常留心『緊急工作干擾』

over important life moments.

多過生命中重要嘅時刻

Most recently, I found myself texting a client

最近，我為第一個嬰兒照超聲波

while in the middle of my first child’s first ultrasound ...

居然喺過程中傳訊息畀客戶……

happy client,

客戶就開心

guilty mom-to-be.

準媽媽就內疚

When you add up all of these moments,

當你將呢啲時刻加起來

the sum total is a life shortchanged on meaning,

使到你生命缺少咗意義

joy,

歡樂、同朋友聯繫、甚至回憶

connection

and even memory.

As we remake our models of work in the wake of the pandemic,

我哋喺疫情中醒覺 重整自己嘅工作模式

now is our opportunity to create a new culture that respects time.

而家就係個時機 等我哋創造尊重時間嘅新文化

And the way to make this really big change

要做出咁大改變嘅方法

is through small steps that we can take right now.

就係用而家可以做到嘅小步驟

The first step that we need to take is to reframe rest.

第一，我哋要做嘅係重建休息時間

Reflect for a moment about what you think about when you hear the word “rest.”

你聽到『休息』一詞就會想到啲乜嘢？

聽起嚟好神奇啩？

Sounds amazing, right?

But in my mind,

但喺我嘅腦海度

I immediately worry about not being productive enough

馬上擔心唔夠效率

or letting down my colleagues.

或者令啲同事失望

When we do have time off,

當真係有休假嘅機會

we need to find ways in which we can enjoy the present moment

我哋就應該有方法去享受當下

and savor the leisure time that we have available,

保住休閒啲時間

as opposed to seeing it as an unproductive barrier to our work.

而唔係將休假睇成工作嘅阻礙

One specific strategy we can take

一個我哋能運用嘅技巧

is to treat our upcoming weekend like a vacation.

就係將快到嘅週末睇成假期

On Friday afternoon,

星期五下晝

jot down how you would act and behave as if you were on a holiday.

寫低假如我哋放假 會做啲乜嘢

Maybe you and your partner will buy a bottle of wine

你可能會同你嘅伴侶買支酒

and watch online clips of the Eiffel Tower.

再睇網上 Eiffel Tower 短片

Maybe you’ll visit a local café

又可能去一家本地嘅 cafe shop

and listen to some live music.

聽現場音樂表演

Or maybe you'll go for a long walk in the middle of the day

又或者你放下工作與手機 喺中午出去散步

with no phone and no agenda.

The plan doesn't have to be expensive or extravagant.

啲嘅計劃唔使你花好多錢

Another strategy you can take is to create clear boundaries

另一個技巧係為你嘅休假

for your time off.

設置明確界線

Instead of saying, "I'm out of the office.

唔好講：『我唔喺辦公室

Feel free to Slack me whenever,”

隨意放鬆下自己，』

say, "I'll be offline.

係話：『我唔上網

Call me only if it's urgent."

喺緊急情況打電話畀我。』

To uphold these personal goals,

我哋需要合作嘅團隊

work together as a team.

去鞏固個人目標

Set team goals for personal time.

要為團隊設置私人嘅時間

Do it publicly,

公開呢件事、收集數據 同彼此大家問責

collect data

and hold each other accountable.

These goals could sound like,

目標係

“I will not check email between 6:00 and 8:00pm;”

『我喺晚上六至八唔睇 email ；』

“I will have dinner with my family four nights a week;”

『我每星期會同家人食四餐晚飯；』

or "I will go for a jog midday."

或係『我會中午慢跑。』

Check in our your team's progress

要檢驗團隊嘅進度

and see how everyone's doing.

睇下大家做成點

If you or your teammates are unsuccessful,

如果發覺你同隊友都唔成功

就要彼此幫助去完成個人目標

work together to help accomplish personal goals.

Lastly, you can negotiate for more time

最後透過協商爭取更多時間

to prevent work from creeping into your personal life.

防止工作佔有個人嘅生活空間

In business school, I teach students to negotiate for salary

我喺商業學院 教學生點樣去傾自己嘅薪水

but realize I spoke almost nothing about negotiating for more time.

但我發覺幾乎無提到有關時間嘅事

What does this look like in practice?

究竟可以點實踐呢？

You can ask for more time on adjustable deadlines at work.

如果工作限期可以調整 就攞多啲時間

If your client asks for a deliverable Monday morning,

如果客戶要求喺星期一早上交貨

ask for an extension until Tuesday afternoon

你可要求延長至星期二下晝

so you don’t find yourself working on your well-deserved weekend.

咁樣你就唔需要喺寶貴嘅週末趕工

And don't worry too much about reputation.

亦都唔使過份焦慮你嘅聲譽

Quality truly is the metric that matters most.

品質先係關鍵

In my data,

喺數據度

employees who proactively asked for more time

主動要求獲得更多時間嘅員工

reported lower levels of stress and burnout,

有較低嘅壓力同疲倦

and were seen as more committed and professional by their colleagues.

更獲得同事認為對工作更加有承擔同專業

These are small but powerful changes to not only reframe rest,

呢啲雖小但係強大嘅改變

唔單止重建，重將你啲休息時間搵翻嚟

but to reclaim it.

Once you discover the profound impact that these changes can have,

一旦你發覺呢啲改變帶來深遠嘅影響

就會相信你有能力要求其他人尊重

you’ll feel empowered to demand that others respect

and accommodate your approach to time.

同配合你對時間嘅分配

Maybe they’ll even feel inspired

或者你會啟發佢哋

to piece together the fractured moments of their lives, too.

將好似碎片嘅時間重新組織