FOBO - Fear of disconnecting from work
FOBO (Fear of Being Offline) is turning us into a constantly connected workforce - which is neither healthy nor productive.
We are all too familiar with the constantly changing working standards in today's digital age. Have you ever checked your work email while taking a break, or rushed to respond to a WhatsApp message from your boss after work? Or set the status "away" on Slack, even though it's only going out for 10 minutes to grab a sandwich?
We believe that most people have at least once experienced the same situation mentioned above. In the modern world, we rarely have the opportunity to fully rest - whether for just a few minutes or a whole week - without feeling guilty. Being always "on" and constantly connected to work has become an indispensable part of modern life, but this can also lead to burnout and imbalance. So finding ways to enjoy moments of rest and disconnection is an important challenge that we need to overcome.
There is a term created to refer to this syndrome, called "FOBO" for short - fear of being offline. From constantly checking email after dinner to keeping Slack open on our phones while at the gym in case of a rush, we are becoming an ever-online workforce, unable to completely Disconnect physically and mentally.
Caroline Green, founder of career support program The Talent Cycle, commented that such a culture has been formed over time. “We are increasingly impatient and want everything done right away, from food delivery to getting work done,” she said.
Ms. Green also noted that in recent years, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis have exacerbated this situation. "Employees are asked to work more than ever. They worry that if they disconnect for even a moment, they will miss something important."
On one hand, working from home has become more popular, offering flexibility in time and location. However, this also creates new challenges. When all of our work can be done on our smartphones - devices that we have with us day and night - it's no wonder employees feel pressured to be on call 24/7.
This is the downside of the flexibility that technology brings. Employees can easily get caught up in the vortex of always being available for work, causing the boundaries between work and personal life to blur.
Therefore, finding a reasonable balance between meeting work requirements and taking time to rest and relax becomes an important task that businesses need to tackle. Encouraging a healthy work culture, where employees are given control over their time, will be key to achieving this balance.
While constant connectivity may seem like an employer's dream, "FOBO" (Fear of Being Offline) does not result in a happy and productive workforce. As Green explains, "We live in a world that is afraid of resting, because we think it equates to weakness." This causes people to always be in a state of high anxiety. Adrenaline is always pumping, leading to too much cortisol - affecting your ability to withstand stress. As a result, we cannot think clearly, do not have mental clarity, and cannot perform work effectively. In other words, constant connectivity can lead to the opposite of what employers want: poorer performance.
If you feel like you're being affected by "FOBO," there are things you - and your manager - can do to improve.
Companies need to create a culture where rest is accepted and actively encouraged. This applies not only to vacations but also during daily work. As Green advises: "Rather than imposing strict rules about time or routine, there needs to be sensible conversations with employees to help manage workload expectations - which is really what it comes down to." the root of this problem."
You can also take some personal steps, like using an app to limit your time spent on social media or turning off email notifications on your phone. If working from home, maintain a separate workspace and leave at the end of the day without taking your work with you. If possible, replace the response, "I'll be quick...", with "Can this wait until tomorrow?" Almost always, the answer will be "Maybe" - and in this way, you have taken the first step in learning how to manage your time better.
