To have found that checking my work emails in the evenings/weekends has actually been good for my mental health

[octoberblue]

I put my work email and Microsoft Teams on my phone around a month ago as I was having issues with my laptop and needed to speak to colleagues urgently. Ever since then I've left them on there and I've found that it has really helped with my mental health, even though it goes against the general advice for having a good work/life balance.

It's stopped that morning dread of opening my laptop on Monday morning at 9am, unsure of what's come in over the weekend. Like I checked my work emails quickly last night and saw a piece of work has come in for me that we were waiting for, now I know that the bulk of my Monday will be spent working on that, it helps me mentally prepare for the day/week ahead and stop worrying about things.

Does anyone else find the same? Or do you find checking your work emails/Teams messages in the evenings/weekends affects you in a negative way?

I think about work but not actively involved in work

I think this why so many of us feel burnout

its a fairly new phenomenon that so many of the work force are constantly contactable and some constantly involved in work does it make us more productive as a whole or more productive as individuals

The issue for me is that whilst some people genuinely are happy picking up their emails on the bus at the weekend, or Sunday evening on the sofa, if they respond or email at that time it gradually creates a culture where people feel they are expected to be available at all times.

So do what is best for you but consider not responding to emails at the weekend or - something I liked - I once saw a footer saying "You may receive a reply from me outside of normal working hours. This is my working preference but I do not expect a reply from you until standard working hours. Or something more eloquent.

Agree. There's absolutely no requirement at my workplace to check work e-mails out of hours but I prefer to be able to. I work part time so if something comes in on a Weds evening when I'm done for the week I'd rather see it and pop on over the next day or so to action it than get in Monday and find it and have to deal with it alongside everything else. What works for each person is so individual and it's not really down to anyone else to tell you what makes a healthy work-life balance.

YANBU. I don't get anxiety about work much but I absolutely hate that feeling of having to process several days' worth of emails and work stuff in one go. I prefer to keep on top of what's going on in my own mind so when I'm actually at work I can have a plan and hit the ground running. So yes, I check my emails on my days off and on holidays. I feel much more relaxed and in control that way. My job also needs me to keep up with events happening in the world and I do that regardless of whether I'm specifically doing work about them (and I would do that if I didn't work in this field at all).

I don't put any pressure on myself to actually respond out of work hours though.

This is interesting. In my experience, e-mail culture is very much a 'send whenever is convenient for you, it will be replied to whenever is convenient for me'. I wouldn't even think to check and consider when an e-mail was sent, only that it was sent and there it was in my inbox. That footer seems a bit presumptuous to me, like it's presuming that there is some sort of expectation that a person will reply out of standard working hours.

Lots of colleagues have this sort of email footer at my work (local authority), and it always reads a bit ‘humble brag’ to me: look how busy I am, ALL the time!

I like to check mine on a Sunday evening sono now what I'm dealing with the next morning.

I file away ones that don't give me a task to do, and colour code the ones with jobs attached to them. Then I know where I'm starting the next day. It really helps me feel ready for work.

There is no expectation from work that we do this, solely for my benefit, and as PP have said, I make a point of not emailing others on a weekend as that's not appropriate.

Yeah, it's a bit wanky

I can choose when to check and respond to e-mails thanks, I'm a grown adult with a professional job. I don't need permission from someone else who has no managerial authority over me to not reply out of hours. Really odd!