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

Transcriber: Leslie Gauthier Reviewer:

For so many of us,

譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi) 審譯者: Regina Chu

對很多人來說，

myself included,

也包括我自己，

our days feel filled with a million small interruptions.

每天都會被干擾幾百萬次，

And this is true even of our days off.

即使當天放假也不例外。

Maybe you've taken a call at the beach,

你可能在沙灘上接電話、

texted your boss from the grocery store

在超市傳訊息給老闆，

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

或是和家人野餐的時候 寫電子郵件給同事。

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

我們說服自己這些事沒什麼大不了。

It's just one email.

不過是一封信而已。

But there's a real cost to these interruptions,

但是我們要為這些干擾付出代價。

and there are smart strategies we can all take

其實有很多明智的方法

to better protect our time.

可以讓我們好好保護私人時間。

(Music)

（音樂）

[The Way We Work]

【我們生活的方式】

These moments seem so small at the time,

這些時刻在當下感覺很微小，

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

但研究顯示，把這些時間 加總起來會是一大損失。

The constant creep of work into our personal lives

工作不斷潛入私人生活

can increase our stress

會讓我們的壓力變大，

and undermine our happiness.

並為快樂心情埋下地雷。

So just what is the cost?

那是要付出哪些代價？

In one study,

在一項研究中，

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

研究人員找來一群家長 帶孩子去參觀科博館。

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

部分家長被要求 盡可能時常看手機，

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

另一部分家長則被要求 盡可能不要看手機。

After the visit,

參觀完之後，

parents who used their phones reported

看手機的家長回報

that the experience was significantly less meaningful.

這趟出遊的意義 比起另一組人感覺的小很多，

They also felt much lonelier.

他們也覺得孤單多了。

In another study,

另一項研究中，

tourists who were asked to have their phones out

被要求手拿著手機

while visiting an iconic church

參觀知名教堂的遊客

remembered fewer details a week later.

一週後記得較少細節。

And in my research,

在我的研究裡，

employees who were paid for their performance

依照個人表現決定薪水的職員

spent increasingly less time interacting with friends and family,

會花越來越少時間 和朋友家人相處，

and more and more time interacting with colleagues and clients.

卻花越來越多時間 和同事和客戶互動。

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

機構本身也要為這些 不斷出現的干擾付出代價。

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

公司會因為員工憂鬱情況 每年損失 32 天的生產力，

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

他們生病來源是隨時待命的文化 所造成的壓力和職業倦怠。

Despite knowing better,

即使懂比較多，

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

我也發現自己 對「工作緊急事項」的重視，

over important life moments.

大於生活中的重要時刻。

Most recently, I found myself texting a client

最近我意識到自己

頭胎第一次產檢照超音波的時候 還在傳訊息給客戶……

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

happy client,

客戶高興，

guilty mom-to-be.

準媽媽很內疚。

When you add up all of these moments,

把這些片段時刻加一加，

the sum total is a life shortchanged on meaning,

總數就是生活短少的部分：

意義、喜悅、

joy,

connection

與人連結，

and even memory.

甚至是回憶。

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

疫情出現後 我們發展出新的工作模式，

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

現在是我們創造新文化的機會， 讓我們開始尊重時間。

And the way to make this really big change

做出這個大轉變的方式

is through small steps that we can take right now.

只要透過一些小步驟， 而且人人可以立刻執行。

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

第一步是重新定義休息。

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

思考一下，你聽到 「休息」的時候是想到什麼。

Sounds amazing, right?

感覺很棒吧？

But in my mind,

但我心裡

I immediately worry about not being productive enough

馬上就擔心起自己產能不足，

or letting down my colleagues.

拖累同事。

When we do have time off,

我們休假的時候，

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

就要找到方法來享受當下片刻，

and savor the leisure time that we have available,

細細品嘗我們擁有的休閒時間，

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

而不是把這段時間視為 沒有生產力、阻礙工作的時間。

One specific strategy we can take

有一種我們可以採取的具體方式是

is to treat our upcoming weekend like a vacation.

把即將來臨的週末視為渡假。

On Friday afternoon,

星期五下午

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

寫下你休假的時候會做什麼樣的事。

Maybe you and your partner will buy a bottle of wine

也許你和伴侶會買瓶葡萄酒，

and watch online clips of the Eiffel Tower.

然後上網看艾菲爾鐵塔的剪輯。

Maybe you’ll visit a local café

也許你會造訪當地的咖啡館，

and listen to some live music.

聽一些現場演奏的音樂。

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

你也可能白天去散個步，

不帶電話、沒有待辦事項。

with no phone and no agenda.

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

這個計畫不見得要奢侈昂貴。

Another strategy you can take is to create clear boundaries

還有一招是劃下明確的界線，

for your time off.

切割出休假時間。

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

與其說：「我今天不在辦公室，

Feel free to Slack me whenever,”

還是隨時可以跟我聯絡。」

say, "I'll be offline.

不如說：「我不會上線，

Call me only if it's urgent."

有急事再打電話給我。」

To uphold these personal goals,

維護個人目標，

work together as a team.

和同事團隊合作。

Set team goals for personal time.

為個人時間設立團隊目標。

Do it publicly,

公開進行，

collect data

搜集資料，

and hold each other accountable.

信任彼此。

These goals could sound like,

這些目標可以像是

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

「我傍晚六到八點不會看信。」

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

「我每週會和家人 一起吃四次晚餐。」

or "I will go for a jog midday."

或是「我中午會去慢跑。」

Check in our your team's progress

確認你團隊的進度，

and see how everyone's doing.

看看大家的狀況。

If you or your teammates are unsuccessful,

如果你和隊員的目標 都進行得都不太順利，

work together to help accomplish personal goals.

一起合作幫助彼此實現個人目標。

Lastly, you can negotiate for more time

最後，你可以跟公司談， 要求更多時間，

to prevent work from creeping into your personal life.

避免工作潛入個人生活。

In business school, I teach students to negotiate for salary

我在商學院教學生談薪水，

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

但我發現幾乎沒教怎麼談工時。

What does this look like in practice?

實際上要怎麼做？

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

你可以針對截止日期較彈性的工作 要求多一點時間。

If your client asks for a deliverable Monday morning,

如果你的客戶要求星期一交件，

ask for an extension until Tuesday afternoon

問看看能不能延到星期二下午，

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

這樣你就不會 在應得的週末都在工作。

And don't worry too much about reputation.

不要太擔心評價。

Quality truly is the metric that matters most.

品質絕對是最重要的事。

In my data,

我的資料裡，

employees who proactively asked for more time

主動要求更多時間的員工

reported lower levels of stress and burnout,

回報他們感到 壓力和倦怠的情況比較少，

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

在同事眼裡也比較認真專業。

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

這些都是小而強大的改變， 不但能重新定義休息時間，

but to reclaim it.

也能讓我們拿回休息時間。

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

一旦你發掘這些改變 帶給你的深遠影響，

you’ll feel empowered to demand that others respect

你就會得到力量去要求其他人尊重

and accommodate your approach to time.

且適應你對時間的態度。

Maybe they’ll even feel inspired

或許他們甚至會因此得到啟發，

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

也重新找回他們生活中 支離破碎的時刻。