Dump 17: You Wanted Work-Life Balance but...
Now you live at work...
Hey Besties💜,
Remember when remote work sounded like the dream? No traffic wahala, no annoying office gist, and a chance to work in your pajamas. Now, you’re an on-call doctor, except you’re not saving lives—just replying to emails at midnight. Be honest, when last did you close your laptop before dinner?
The work system is designed to haunt your mental health if you don’t enforce strict boundaries. That’s why ‘The Digitool Dump was created; to show you the human side of tech and what’s possible outside screens”
The Illusion of Freedom
I once burnt my lunch because I had an impromptu work call that snatched my attention and kept me glued to a baseless product meeting screen. By the time I remembered I had something cooking, I almost got cooked in my own house! All because the designer and developer couldn’t agree on micro-interactions.
I know we all thought remote and hybrid work would give us more freedom, but work has just moved into our personal space like an overbearing, Yoruba IJGB man. Studies show that remote workers put in nearly 10% more hours than their office colleagues, yet many still feel like they’re drowning in work. Instead of balance, we now have an always-on culture where stepping away feels like you’re committing a crime.
This is the part where I *Scream my lungs out* and blame the system of hustle culture and shabby work ethics. {I wanna buy a Lamborghini but like this, I'll stick with Lamb Chops}
You Thought Technology Helped?
Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, WhatsApp—these apps are supposed to help us work smarter, but instead, they’ve turned into our modern-day village people, always calling meetings.
Over half of remote workers feel like they must reply to messages instantly, even outside working hours. And let’s not even talk about “urgent” calls from the office at odd hours. Besties, your home is now your second office, and unplugging is now a luxury only the brave can afford.
Work-life balance was supposed to mean more time for life, but somehow, it has turned into “work is life.” Without Lagos traffic to act as a natural barrier (as much as we complain about it), many of us struggle to log off. And what’s the result? More burnout, more stress, and the creeping feeling that you now live at work and just sleep for free.
How to Take Back Control
If your remote or hybrid job is turning you into a corporate zombie, here are three things you can do right now to regain control:
✅ Set Boundaries Like You Mean It – Use "Do Not Disturb," mute work notifications after closing hours, and let people know your availability. Work no go kill you, abeg.
✅ Create a Fake Commute – Take a short walk before and after work, even if it’s just to buy plantain down the street. It helps separate work from personal life.
P.s. I just had to mention plantain because if you don’t like plantain, you’re bad vibes!
Anyway…
✅ Have Closing Hours—and Respect Them – If your job is flexible, good for you. But set clear work hours and stick to them. Just because you can work at 9 PM doesn’t mean you should. No be by force.
I want to hear your stories and we’ll feature you, anonymously, in our next newsletter– unless, of course, you want to share your story with your full chest!
How has remote or hybrid work been treating you? Are you enjoying it, or does it feel like your laptop is your new best friend? Leave a comment and let’s gist.
Phew! I can’t wait to write to you again, next Wednesday. We’ve got something unconventional in store for you. You don’t want to miss it!
Love and Light!💡
With Love💜
Precious (Chief Contributor, The Digitool Dump)
I should send this to my colleagues. They even have sleepovers at work because they need to code and "put out fires"