Minimalism is about many different things but one clear benefit that I think we could all agree on is the fact that it helps to free the mind. Having less stuff means having less to worry about. One major challenge of course is that some items create a lot more things to worry than others. Case in point:
The Cell Phone/Blackberry Provided By Work
My oh my…how can such a small object create so many headaches. Like many of you, I have a smartphone directly connected to my work. It brings some good and some bad:
Benefits:
-Free phone (paid by work)
-Ability to leave work early (for many of us, the ability to check emails from home makes it easier to leave, even for high power executives such as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg)
Downsides:
-Creates a major challenge when trying to disconnect from work – in a recent survey, 98% of those answering checked emails from outside of work
-Can end up meaning that we work more
-Depending on jobs & bosses, sometimes means we are expected to be “on call” at all times
-Vacations, with no contact from work can become a thing of the past (only 3% from that survey did not look at their emails from vacations)
It All Depends
Of course, we all have different circumstances, different conditions, etc. I personally have found it to be a challenge and while I am much better about disconnecting, I would say that without a doubt it can become a major problem. The line that once separated work from personal life is becoming thinner and thinner over the years thanks to remote working, smartphones, laptops, etc.
