Guilty feelings got no Rhythm

Before the industrial revolution there was no clear cut separation between work life and private life. Both were naturally integrated. People worked where they lived and lived where they worked.

The industrial revolution drove people - especially men - out of their houses and into the factories. As mobility increased, so did travel distance between home and factory. As roads started to congest, travel time increased. As work changed from factory work to office work, we created administrative factories and kept on commuting. As technology created the possibility of working anytime and anyplace, we still kept on commuting. Due to our mental drag: the context changed, but our behavior did not.

Now some of us slowly adapt and start working from home now and then. But even then we feel compelled to work at least from 9 to 5. We might not have any difficulty working 'overtime' in the evenings or weekends, but we sure do have problems of taking leisure time between 9 and 5.

Do you?

Take this litmus test for yourself and see if you are truly ready for the New Way of Working (NWoW). Shift some of the work you need to do towards the evening or weekend and start doing other things during 'office hours' like taking a hike, doing some shopping or go to a movie. Do you feel prying eyes? People pointing and talking about you? Do you feel guilty?

Chances are that you do. As long as you feel guilty, you are not yet completely into NWoW. Don't be discouraged. It took me several years and it's not fun: guilty feelings got no Rhythm. But once you have adapted you will value having more freedom of choice in deciding when and where to work. NWoW does have Rhythm!!