New America
Better Life Lab

Experiment No. 33: Work-Life Boundaries

Could a simple Out of Office e-mail help you stay present when you're not at work?
Blog Post
Nov. 4, 2022

Our latest experiment focuses on a growing problem for workers who can operate in digital and hybrid work environments. As overwork persists despite new technologies and flexibility, many workers report a lack of firm boundaries between work and home.

While virtually all of our previous Better Life Lab Experiments are family projects, geared toward creating family systems and accountability for creating more awareness and equitable sharing of a household problem, Experiment No. 33 is a bit different. While organizational change and family support are essential, Jill Carey and Annie Warshaw of Mission Propelle help individuals see how they can create more space and time in their own lives for what matters most, by setting and enforcing boundaries with their technology use.

Learn more about Annie's and Jill's work in an interview with the Better Life Lab.

By Annie Warshaw and Jill Carey, Mission Propelle

The Basics:

We’re Trying to Solve: Ineffective work boundaries/around-the-clock expectation of availability

Target Audience: Parents and Caretakers

Category: Work

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Difficulty Level: Easy

Directions:

  1. If you have a partner, let them know that you’re feeling pressed by competing pressures of work and family and that you’re attempting to create firmer boundaries between the two. If you don’t have a partner, reach out to a close friend or family member. Ask if they want to join you in the experiment, and help keep you accountable to the boundaries
  2. Create an Out of Office (OOO) message to automatically enable when you sign off at the end of the week, or even everyday in the evenings. The message should conform to your company’s standards and your designated working hours, but may sound something like the following:

    Auto-reply: I'm screen-free on weekends. See you Monday!
    Message:
    Hello,
    From 5 p.m. CST Fridays to 8 p.m. CST Sundays, my screens are powered down so I can be present with my family. If your matter is urgent, please text at _______ and include URGENT in the message so that it bypasses the Do Not Disturb settings. Otherwise, you'll hear from me first thing Monday morning.
    Thank you for your understanding,
  3. Turn off the message when work hours begin. During work hours, feel free to check your messages and respond to them as needed. But outside work hours, when your OOO message is on, try not to check messages at all. It can likely wait until work begins again. If you are in a job where occasional emergencies require your attention outside normal work hours, then give yourself permission to check once per day for peace of mind.

    You and your partner should discuss this and how it’s going. Is checking those messages during your non-work hours testing your resolve to set boundaries? Is it pulling you back to “work brain” when you want to be focused on family and your own being? Consider adjusting and setting new boundaries over time.
  4. Reflect with your partner or friend: After 2-3 weeks of using this away message, what do you notice? Did you feel more relaxed or present over the weekend? What changes have you noticed in others in your household? Have you received any feedback from colleagues or clients?

View our full collection of experiments for a better, fairer, and happier life at Better Life Lab Experiments.