Switching off – or changing gear

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy – so went the homily of my parents’ generation.

Nowadays, we talk about the dangers of BlackBerry or iPhone addiction and the need for downtime. The language may have changed, but the sentiment is the same: It’s just not healthy to become obsessed with work to the exclusion of everything else. We have always needed some way of switching off or finding mental refreshment away from our regular work – and we still do.

But how do we switch off when we are ‘always on’? Most of us carry our BlackBerry or iPhone with us all the time, ready to send or receive e-mails and text messages at any time of the day or night. For those of us who conduct business across different time zones, the ability to stay connected in this way is not merely useful but essential.

According to the latest Gartner research, the number of “CrackBerry” addicts will hit 73 million by the end of 2012. The workaholic executive who takes business calls on family holidays has become a cliché, but for some individuals and families it is a real problem. And the ubiquity of mobile devices gives workaholics the perfect excuse.

So what can we do about those people who seem unable to turn off their mobile devices, or turn their attention wholeheartedly to something new? This is essentially a modern manifestation of the Zeigarnik effect, named after Bluma Zeigarnik, a Soviet psychologist who had a Eureka moment in 1927 in a Viennese coffee shop, when she observed that waiters remembered orders only as long as the order was in the process of being served. As soon as the order was delivered, they forgot about it.

In much the same way, we are inclined to keep thinking about problems at work if they remain unresolved. Once an issue is dealt with, we can move on with a clear conscience. But, of course, not all problems can be resolved with one decisive move. We all know the feeling of having an unfinished project loom large in our minds when we know we’re tired and really want to get some sleep.

An unresolved argument with a friend or colleague can come into the same category. E-mails or text messages wing their way to and fro, and if you’re not careful you find yourself hanging about, unable to concentrate on anything else, waiting for the ping of the e-mail or bleep of the text message, like a lovelorn teenager waiting for the phone to ring.

It’s not easy, but there are ways of managing such things. The answer is to set yourself realistic goals every day and work until you run out of steam – or time. If you are still behind schedule, write a to-do list and leave it ready to tackle the next day. And if there’s an unresolved issue, impose your own cooling-off period by sending an e-mail that invites a pause but keeps options open.

In the end, it’s all about self-discipline. I have no time for people who allow themselves to waste hours worrying. And I’ve never been impressed with those who seek to advance their careers by getting to work early, then hanging about at the end of the day pretending to work. I judge people by results. If you get the job done, I won’t be watching the clock to see you put in the requisite eight hours a day.

But I do want you to keep your mobile on, just as I do. That doesn’t mean you have to be a slave to it. Take one task at a time. If you work from home, keep an area as designated office space and don’t let people bother you when you’re working. When it’s the end of the day, don’t be tempted to stick around for a little while longer but close the door and switch off.

I’m not great at switching off. For me, it’s more a question of switching on to something else, finding something that provides a different kind of mental refreshment. So if I’m not dealing with Regus, I’m thinking about one of my other businesses.

Everyone needs to find their own form of relaxation. Most people need holidays, they need weekends to recharge, they need their own form of downtime. So if I call one of my staff and discover they are on holiday, I will get off the line as quickly as possible.

Some people find meditation or yoga very helpful. Taking exercise can help you empty your mind. Even something as simple as changing your clothes can put you in a completely different frame of mind.

In the end, it’s got nothing to do with technology, not much to do with holidays and everything to do with you. Take one thing at a time, and pace yourself. Make sure you have enough variety in your life to give you periodic mental refreshment.

As my parents might have said, a change is as good as a rest.

Mr Dixon is group chief executive officer, Regus.