If you own a blackberry, or a similar device, it’s likely that your work/life balance has been thrown off. Blackberrys, sometimes referred to as “Crackberrys”, tie a person to their work no matter time of day or location. People bring them on vacation to stay connected to the office, bring them to meetings to stay up to date on emails, and carry them around on the weekends.
One company in Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CCI) has put a ban on Blackberry use, which I think is a really great idea. Workers are prohibited from using them for work related matters at night, during weekends, and on holidays. If you think you are becoming addicted to your Blackberry to the point where you check it several times over the weekend or while you are on vacation, you may want to consider taking a break.
It’s important to disconnect yourself from work at times, especially if you are spending quality time with a friend or coworker. Your health tends to suffer when the only thing you can focus on is work. The next time you take vacation try completely disconnecting from work and notice how refreshed you are when you return to the office.
