February was a month for science videos, work, books, work, shoujo mangas, work, games, and work that I thank heavens for “Schedule posts” feature. How are you? COVID-19, Parasite, and Kobe Bryant sent us on a roller coaster ride of emotions. One day, you are peacefully enjoying your time, watching anything that strikes your fancy in Netflix, then suddenly a big news, exhilarating or terrible, upsets your equipoise. Just thinking about is exhausting for me. Here’s my take on the articles I read this month:

Can Germans’ right to switch off survive the digital age?

Feierabend, the German word for end of work, must be practiced. The thing is, there are still those out there who simply can’t stop thinking about work because their brains aren’t wired that way–the same way some employees can’t stop playing games during their work hours. The nature of work, pressing deadlines and time-management may be contributing factors. Apart from that, some still can’t switch off because the very device they use to entertain themselves has also become a source of stress.

Messaging applications and emails at the very tips of employees’ fingers, those innocent applications people often use to socialize, have now acted as a leash, restricting employees from fully enjoying their holidays. How could they when every messaging sound heralds another task or a banner notification reminds them of the pending responsibilities waiting for them the next day? Work anxiety and burnout have lead to destructive results not only for employees but enterprises.

Companies in my country may not be able to practice feierabend completely and before they attempt to do so, controls must be firmly set. It’s a concept easy to be taken advantage of. They wouldn’t want to extend deadlines just because an employee used it as excuse. The reality is, some employees will still demand rest event when they have spent 30 percent of their work hours playing games.

How to Tell if You’re being Breadcrumbed at Work

Having a different long-term goal for work from a personal one is like getting yourself a pair of blinkers that will prevent you from getting distracted or astray. The harsh reality is, in a big corporation with hundred and thousands of employees, opportunity for promotion is quite slim unless one is rubbing shoulders with the Decision-Maker.

Why aim for small promises of those who can’t control the big decisions in a company? Would it be worth the trouble? Looking at it from where I am standing, I’d rather focus on things I can control and that’s my mindset. Perhaps a reminder as big as a billboard telling people in big bold letters “Your workplace doesn’t define you!” might work for other people.

Why you should embrace the joy of missing out

I know it’s not exactly an article but a video with a looooong write up at the bottom.

Let it be known to all humankind who have stumbled upon this post and my future self that I don’t dislike social media. Platforms for creativity and thought interest me- at least I know they do at the time I’m writing this.

Over time, these platforms tend to drain my energy. Regardless of how discriminating I am with people I follow, the content they post online may not agree with me and that goes for a lot of people who follow me, too. With that said, there’s one option available for everyone: simply closing the app. How that can be practiced remains rooted on one’s discipline, though, so good luck with that.

Could we live in a world without rules?

I know I can’t. My life is biologically patterned according to a set of universal rules. Then again, like any other mortal, there are some man-made rules – including corporate ones, *cough* – I choose to follow or break. Ones that I find senseless are the most tempting to violate. Still, I believe I rarely cross the line.

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How’s March going to be?