One of the side effects of working remotely during COVID-19 is that it can feel like we are always at work. While this blog series has focused on how connectivity can help your business weather the COVID-19 storm and beyond, there is a danger to being always connected, and remote work intensifies this danger. Being always connected can lead to burnout, interrupt important relationships, and even contribute to isolation and depression. Disconnecting leaves you time think and be creative. It helps you make sure you have time for and connect with the people and activities that are important in your life. Following are tips for disconnecting from the technology that so often distracts us from real life. These suggestions are useful not only during COVID remote work, but also after things get back to normal.
Designate a place to work in your home
If possible, create a specific place in your house to work rather than working from everywhere. When you work from everywhere, it can feel like you are always at work and connected. But if you designate a distinct workplace—and get up and leave that place at the end of the workday—you are less likely to be distracted by work during your personal time.
Don’t let email control your day
If you continually check email throughout the day and respond to the latest fire drill or never-ending email chain, it will dominate your day and you will never get anything done. In addition, if you receive notifications on your phone or smart watch for email, turn them off. You don’t need to know when every email arrives. If you are distracted by every incoming ‘ding’ of a new message, your day will get derailed. Instead, intentionally schedule one or two times per day to answer email. Also, don’t leave your email open on your laptop or desktop.
If you continually check email throughout the day and respond to the latest fire drill or never-ending email chain, it will dominate your day and you will never get anything done. In addition, if you receive notifications on your phone or smart watch for email, turn them off. You don’t need to know when every email arrives. If you are distracted by every incoming ‘ding’ of a new message, your day will get derailed. Instead, intentionally schedule one or two times per day to answer email. Also, don’t leave your email open on your laptop or desktop.
Stay Connected!
Get the latest IT trends and best practices in your inbox.
Adopt an “Inbox Zero” mentality
Many of us have email inboxes that are out of control. And most of the email cluttering our inboxes is of no importance, making it harder to find what we need to work. One way to tackle this is to create an archive folder and move everything there once you have processed it. You can also send quick questions or notes or schedule meetings via a chat or other tools in an application such as Microsoft Teams to cut down on hundreds (or thousands) of one sentence emails. And using an application like Microsoft To-Do will help you keep your email “task list” from taking over your day and preventing you from working efficiently.
Go outside without technology
The outside world is big and beautiful, full of chirping birds, blooming flowers, and the sun’s warming rays. A great way to disconnect is to go on a walk with a friend and leave your phone at home. The physical exercise and fresh air will be good for your body and the “relationship exercise” will be good for your heart and soul.
Prioritize relationships over technology
Make sure that people don’t think your phone or work is more important than your relationship with them. You can do this by turning off electronics during family events, while you play with your kids, when talking with your spouse, and even when meeting with clients, vendors, or partners. In addition, scheduling “Do Not Disturb” time on your phone after work hours will enable only the most important calls to get through and will leave you grateful for time without constant interruptions.
Pick up the phone or meet in person
Building relationships from a distance is difficult because emotions or emotional nuances are often missed on email or chat. At times, there is no substitute for a quick phone call or face-to-face conversation (if it can be done safely). Sometimes, low tech is better.
Turn off push notifications for social media
Like email, social media can derail the day of even the most disciplined people. Plan your day in a way that schedules a finite time for engaging with social media so you can avoid the rabbit holes that suck away your time.
Put your phone out of sight while working
We all understand the itch to pick up our phone and scroll when we’re on yet another virtual meeting or even while actively working. Most of us are addicted to doing so and do it without thinking. Hiding your phone out of sight and checking it with intention only periodically for important calls can help you use your time more wisely and get work done more efficiently, allowing more personal time for what is really important.
We want to take the stress out of technology for you and your business.
Contact us to learn how our cyber security services will guide you so you never have to worry about threats to your technology and network.
At Logic Speak, our core values shape how we lead, how we work, and how we serve our clients. They’re not words on a wall, they’re filters for decisions and expectations for how we show up every day.
But here’s something we’ve learned the hard way: even good values have a shadow side.
Values, when taken too far or applied without self‑awareness, can create unintended consequences. What starts as a strength can quietly become a blind spot. And if we’re not careful, the very things we pride ourselves on can work against us.
So today, we want to talk honestly about our values, not just the best of them, but the risks of overusing them.
We Care for You
The strength:
Caring for others is foundational to who we are. It means treating people with dignity, empathy, and kindness. It means remembering that coworkers, clients, and partners are humans first, not just roles or tickets or invoices.
The shadow side:
When care goes unchecked, it can turn into avoidance. We may hesitate to give hard feedback because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. We may tolerate behaviors longer than we should because we empathize deeply with circumstances. Over time, clarity suffers, and ironically, so does trust.
Care without courage isn’t actually care.
We Lean In
The strength:
We lean in when there’s a need. We take ownership. We step up when things are unclear or uncomfortable. This value fuels responsibility, initiative, and teamwork.
The shadow side:
Leaning in too much can become overfunctioning. We jump in to fix things that aren’t ours to fix. We take on too much instead of letting others wrestle and grow. Eventually, this can lead to burnout, resentment, or invisible bottlenecks where “that person always handles it.”
Sometimes the most responsible thing to do is not lean in, but step back.
We Love Our Craft
The strength:
We take pride in doing things well. We pay attention to details. We care about quality, process, and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
The shadow side:
At its extreme, loving our craft can turn into perfectionism. We may over‑engineer solutions, delay decisions, or become critical when others don’t meet our internal standards. What was meant to produce excellence can unintentionally slow momentum or make collaboration harder.
Excellence should serve the outcome, not replace it.
We Keep Improving
The strength:
Growth matters here. We believe learning never stops and that feedback, when handled well, is a gift. This value keeps us curious, hungry, and moving forward.
The shadow side:
Constant improvement can quietly create the feeling that “where we are is never enough.” Wins may go uncelebrated because we’re already focused on what’s next. People may feel like they’re always being evaluated instead of occasionally being affirmed.
Improvement without appreciation can feel exhausting.
Why This Matters: Blind Spots Are Part of Being Human
None of these shadow sides mean our values are flawed. They mean we’re human.
Every person, every team, and every organization has blind spots. Often, they’re not found in our weaknesses, but in our strengths, overused or unexamined. The danger isn’t having blind spots, it’s assuming we don’t.
That’s why self‑awareness matters so deeply to us. It’s why feedback matters. It’s why we believe asking questions like “How is this landing?” and “What might I be missing?” is a leadership responsibility, not a sign of insecurity.
Living Our Values With Humility
Our goal isn’t to live our values perfectly. It’s to live them thoughtfully.
That means holding our values firmly, but ourselves humbly. It means inviting perspective, welcoming challenge, and remembering that good intentions don’t eliminate unintended impact.
When we name the shadow side, we don’t weaken our culture, we strengthen it.
Because the best teams aren’t made of people without blind spots.
They’re made of people willing to look for them.
Recent Comments