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Springtime begins to kick off when the clocks move forward and the coats come off. It\u2019s when people organize warm-weather clothes, dust off the bikes in the garage, and prepare for the summer activities ahead\u2014better known as the deep spring-clean.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But seldom do people clean up the junk that plagues beyond the garage in the form of constant dings, to-dos, and meetings. Overlooked is the need for what Jennifer Moss, author of Unlocking Happiness at Work<\/em>, deems a spring-clean of your work life.<\/p>\n \u201cThat mental clutter makes us more brain foggy,\u201d Moss tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cIt makes us less efficient. It\u2019s like that room in your basement that keeps accumulating stuff in it.\u201d<\/p>\n We juggle multiple competing tasks <\/a>simultaneously, drown in unread emails, and face relentless Zoom<\/a> fatigue. New research finds that 82% of workers <\/a>are at risk for burnout, marked by feelings of fatigue, distress, and irritability, which hurt well-being, productivity, and performance<\/a>. As the days fly by, we don\u2019t make time to slow down and see what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not, Moss says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re extremely time-starved,\u201d Moss says, but we underestimate the power of doing things in the short term that will make our work life easier in the long run. And unlike a mass closet overhaul, work life organization can be done in bite-sized pieces at the beginning of any season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here are her three tips for spring cleaning your work life to serve you better and your teams:\u00a0<\/p>\n The advice to attend to every unread email would send most people running. Globally, we send over 300 billion emails yearly, so the likelihood of achieving and maintaining net zero is low.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a digital unwellness phase,\u201d Moss says, suggesting people think about the pain points in their inbox. Does your head spin from unnecessary newsletter subscriptions? Is it from an onslaught of daily emails with no way to organize them?\u00a0<\/p>\n Once you have an idea of what bugs you the most, take 10 minutes to address it at the start of the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unsubscribe to 50 email lists over two weeks by choosing to remove your name on five each morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n Create and drop emails into themed folders for 10 minutes daily for two weeks. Alternatively, make a \u201cdo\u201d folder, put everything you need to respond to that day in the folder in the morning, and address them by the time the clock hits 5 p.m. If you\u2019re a manager and on countless email threads, spend a few moments figuring out which threads you want to engage in and which ones you can opt out of.\u00a0<\/p>\n Beyond a personal morning clean out, consider talking to your manager or team about the most effective way to streamline communication. \u201cWe were fatigued by emails before, but then we added Slack and Teams and Google Docs, and all these different places where we also share through written text,\u201d Moss says. \u201cIf we don\u2019t need to send an email, is there a way for us to use different, even leaner, communication? Can it just be a text? Can we jump on a phone call?\u201d<\/p>\n Post-pandemic hybrid work environments often require digital calls, but assessing the types and quantity of meetings is essential to relieve fatigue.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are we thinking that the workstyles, work modes, and habits that we picked up in a global pandemic and a catastrophic crisis are the things that we should continue to foster in the future of work?\u201d Moss says. \u201cWe need to have a reset.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Consider spending a chunk of your spring workplace clean by asking your team these questions, Moss advises:<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we\u2019re invited to a meeting or a stakeholder, or if there\u2019s a deadline, we know there\u2019s expectations to still be part of that,\u201d Moss says. \u201cBut as a team, we can stand up for each other and work to be more efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s time to go cold turkey altogether\u2014even as a test. \u201cWe\u2019re having meetings to prepare for meetings, and then meetings after meetings to discuss those meetings,\u201d Moss says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Many companies are welcoming the lean mindset with open arms. Some have\u2014figuratively and literally\u2014embraced the plank meeting (where it can\u2019t last longer than the employees can hold a plank).\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, Shopify<\/a> reported freeing up 95,000 hours <\/a>for employees when implementing a no-meeting policy for a reset at the start of the year.\u00a0They have since implemented policies to limit meetings and give employees more time to focus, according to NPR<\/a>. <\/p>\n We\u2019ve heard it time and time again, but it\u2019s true: Having a healthy work-life balance can make you more energized, engaged, and happy. Often, pressures outside of our control can keep us online 24\/7.<\/p>\n To start, Moss suggests checking in with yourself and seeing what self-imposed pressure you\u2019re putting on yourself each day.<\/p>\n Do you need to check your email first thing when you wake up, or can you practice a slow, relaxing morning routine\u2014even for 10 minutes\u2014as part of your spring reset?<\/p>\n1. Attend to your email\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Unsubscribe\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Prioritize<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Optimize written communication\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Control meeting fatigue\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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3. Prioritize balance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What are the self-imposed pressures?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Limit multitasking\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n