Breaking the 24-hour email response myth

Every freelancer in the IT industry has gone through this. They work with international clients and then suffer from: The issues caused by different time zone. Because you're building sites in the morning. Taking client calls at midnight. Replying to “urgent” messages during lunch. All while pretending this is normal. But you’re not being flexible. You’re being available. And they’re not the same thing. And the fix is clarity. Not hustle. Structure. Not burnout. And there's a few basic things you can do for next time: 1/ Set your hours like a business Not “when I’m free.” and "Not “when they need me.” Your hours. In your time zone. Write it. Share it. Stick to it. Example: “I work Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm IST. Replies within 24 hours during this window.” 2/ Put it in the Contract Not a vague email. A real clause. For example: “Freelancer’s working hours are 9am–5pm IST. Communication outside these hours may be delayed. For emergencies, phone contact is allowed - only for critical issues.” 3/ Use tools that do the talking Calendly. Auto-responders. These save you from typing “Sorry I missed this” 20 times a week. Let software protect your sleep. 4/ Say it before they assume it Time difference? Mention it. In-person work? Mention it. You’re not ignoring them - you’re just offline. 5/ Keep receipts Confirm availability by email. Screenshot the agreement. So when the drama hits, you have the proof. This is how you stay respected in your field. Boundaries don’t push clients away. They build trust. So protect your time, or someone else will take it. --- ✍ Tell me below: What’s one boundary you wish you had set earlier in your freelance career?

Can we make it a standard practice to delay-send emails that aren't urgent? (Which, honestly, is almost all of them - don't come at me with your "I couldn't get to it until 8 PM on Thursday night, but we need to stay on schedule..." excuses. Accept that your colleague will get to it in the morning and shouldn't be on standby for a late-night email). I am not available 24/7. If you email me on a Friday night or Saturday morning, I will not respond until at least Monday. I say at least because there's a HIGH likelihood that a weekend email will get buried in my inbox or marked 'read' if I open it on my phone by accident and I'll forget about it come Monday. This is a boundary that has been incredibly difficult for me to put in place as a proposal professional. I spent a good chunk of my career being told that I need to be available 24/7 to support the schedule of a SME/PM that has "more important" work to do during the day. As a result, I feel hardwired to respond to emails instantly. I get extremely anxious when I receive odd-hour emails (and yes, I have do not disturb and such on my phone; the notifications still slip through sometimes). That's why I have a timed-send policy for all emails I draft outside of normal working hours. I don't ever want to be the cause of someone else's anxiety because they wake up to an email from me or have their notifications on and see one right before going to bed. TL;DR: If you want to do one very small thing to support a proposal pro today, delay-send your emails and restrict your communication to within working hours.

Unhealthy trend—mandating afterhours availability. Do you believe you should be able to contact your folks off-the-clock? Researchers have coined a term "workplace rumination" to explicate a worker's inability to leave work at work. They seem to be processing their decisions, actions, and the work that is still pending. If your goal is to create a high-performing environment, ▶️ your team's ability to reset should be planned for and protected just like you would their on-the-clock time. ▶️ Running on high for 12+ hours consistently increases the stress hormone, cortisol, causing the human body to break down. ▶️ Leaders own this mentality or routine for the organization. It begins with normalization by communicating the boundary, illustrating it, and correcting behaviors that don't align. ▶️ Important point—do not reward those that work into the wee hours out of habit. When you do, you set an uncommunicated standard or expectation. How do you set this boundary for your team? Some companies are reaching out to garner state legislation to bar executives from demanding a 24-hour reach of their workers. Afterhours emails, texts, or calls that are left unread are made to "feel" insubordinate, causing workers to remain plugged. Leaders should communicate expectations early. ▶️ Get the best of your team by legitimizing recuperation so they can give you their best while on-the-clock. ▶️ Misidentification of "ideal workers," those that remained plugged or their lights on, comes with a cost to worker health, organizational production, and an expressed standard. #coreleadership #helpingleaderswinatwork

On any given weekday, when your manager drops an e-mail bomb on you in the post-working hours (say 7.30 or 8 PM), why do you choose to respond? Does the ticking time bomb make you feel anxious and influence your choice to respond? Do you derive the decision to respond solely based on insecurity? Hybrid and remote work have blurred the lines between personal and professional life. But let’s be honest— we are responsible for the choices we make, including responding to emails post working hours. Managers will manage; organizations will have an unsaid expectation of your availability 24x7; it is us as employees who need to draw the boundary and start respecting our as well as everyone else’s time. As employees, here are a few #growthhacks to better manage such situations- · Expectation setting - Inform your managers about your working hours. Give them clarity about your unavailability and draw the line. Start today and avoid deviations yourselves! · When you work, deliver your 100% – Ensure you are dedicated to your work deliverables in a timely manner and be mindful of taking long extended breaks. While incremental breaks are good for camaraderie, it does mean that you are eating out of your actual working hours, which impacts your working hours. · If you are a manager – Add a message on your email signature citing ‘Our work times and time zones might differ, please do not feel obliged to respond to this communication’. By creating space for people to truly disconnect and providing them with space and #psychologicalsafety - we foster a #culture that prioritizes holistic well-being over relentless productivity. The boundaries we set now will lead to healthier, more engaged employees tomorrow. We will be able to create an impact to change the below metrics: · Burnout - According to a study by Deloitte, 40% of remote workers feel burned out because they struggle to switch off. · Trends like #Quietquitting & #greatresignations – EY’s global survey revealed that 39% of employees are actively seeking new roles due to poor #worklifebalance · Kantar's data is clear: Over 60% of Gen Z workers prioritize #mentalhealth and #worklifebalance when choosing employers. If we fail to address this now, we’re giving them every reason to leave. On August 26th, Australia implemented its long-anticipated #righttodisconnect law, giving #employees the right to refuse employer contact outside of working hours. While I welcome this undertaking, I also feel that it should not take legislation for us to respect basic #workplace boundaries and avoid #burnout of our teams. This conversation is bigger than just today—it’s about the #futureofwork for generations to come. As we start a new week and a new month today, the onus lies on us to start the dialog and initiate this #change Can we really fight the ticking time bomb and win the battle within? #leadership #HR

Working 24/7 doesn't show dedication. It shows you haven't learned to value yourself. The hustle culture sold us a dangerous myth: Constant availability equals success.But in 2024, the smartest professionals are rewriting these rules. Here's what I've learned after nearly burning out twice: 1. Redefine "Professional Excellence" ↳ Stop apologizing for having boundaries. ↳ Set clear communication windows and stick to them. ↳ Your mental health isn't negotiable - it's foundational. 2. Transform Your Meeting Culture ↳ Question every calendar invite. ↳ Ask "What's the desired outcome?" ↳ Convert 80% of meetings into emails or quick calls. ↳ Block deep work time like you block meetings. 3. Master Energy Management ↳ Schedule breaks with the same priority as client calls. ↳ Take actual lunches away from your desk. ↳ End your workday at a set time (and stick to it). ↳ Plan high-impact work during your peak energy hours. 4. Revolutionise Your Response Time ↳ Use templates for common requests. ↳ Keep business communications within business hours. ↳ Your urgency isn't everyone else's emergency. Your worth isn't measured by your availability. It's measured by your impact. The most respected professionals aren't the ones always online. They're the ones who deliver consistent value while maintaining healthy boundaries. 🔥 Ready to break free from the "always on" trap? Share ONE non-negotiable boundary you’ll set, in the comments below. _____________ ♻ Repost this to your network to inspire others to protect their peace too. 🔔 Follow Desma Rovina D'Souza 🎙 for more content of Personal Growth, HR & Entrepreneurship