We've all faced the double-edge sword of being easily accessible, because that also means we are almost always accessible, but another situation has come to the forefront of late. Aside from feeling bombarded and overwhelmed by the pace and sheer mass of information flying at us, the ease of being able to collaborate with anyone anywhere means we are also grappling with different time zones, with information arriving at all hours of the day and night.
There's been no such thing as a 40 hour week for the self-employed for quite some time, as free-lancers are often hired precisely for their ability to pick up where employees left off at the end of the day/week. But more and more these days we are working on projects with people around the globe, and information and requests come in 24/7. I may be sleeping when someone else is having morning coffee, or making dinner when another is hitting their stride after lunch. When I am collaborating, either with a client or another team member, I try to respond as soon as possible, since I know the feeling of having my work flow interrupted waiting for an answer to a crucial question. So I am answering email as soon as my eyes can focus and even as they are ready to close for the day. But regardless, it beats having no work at all, right?
