In Search of Liminal Space (Friday Remote Roundup)
11 things better than a commute to replace your commute
Recommended Read
“Commuting has an upside and remote workers may be missing out” from NPR
When I talk to people about what they love about remote work, one of the top things I hear is the elimination of a commute.
It makes sense. A 30-minute commute each way burns an hour of your life that feels like it can be better spent. As someone who has spent more than his fair share of time on Indiana’s I-465, I get it.
But a recent study out of Rutgers University actually shows that the loss of a commute may be doing significant harm to remote workers. From the study:
“In our recently published conceptual study, we argue that commutes are a source of ‘liminal space’ — a time free of both home and work roles that provides an opportunity to recover from work and mentally switch gears to home.
During the shift to remote work, many people lost this built-in support for these important daily processes. Without the ability to mentally shift gears, people experience role blurring, which can lead to stress. Without mentally disengaging from work, people can experience burnout.”
This reflects my experience. As someone who was working from home before COVID, I noticed that it became demonstrably harder to “shut my brain off” when I lost my commute. All of a sudden, the built-in buffer I had to provide me with some separation from my work was gone. It all felt like it was bleeding together, and it was hard for me to mentally clock out.
That’s why I started introducing a “virtual commute” to my daily routine. I usually got started early in the morning so I could be done by 4 pm. At 4, I’d pick a relatively mindless activity that I felt like I could space out while doing and dedicate a minimum of 30 minutes to that task.
Not only did I notice my mental health improve, but I actually noticed myself getting a lot of things done that would have normally eaten into my personal life. Here are a few of my favorite commute alternatives…
A List of “Virtual Commutes” I’ve Used and Loved
Going to the grocery store
Going for a run or to the gym
Walking around the block with my partner
Going for a walk solo and listening to a podcast
Doing yardwork
Playing video games
Playing guitar
Journaling
Meditating
Going to the driving range
Cooking an early dinner
Have you found something that helps you create this liminal space for yourself? If so, hit reply and let me know. I want to expand this list over time.
Recommended Podcast
How The Abilene Paradox Affects Communication With Jamie Librot
This episode from the Negotiate Anything Podcast dives into one of my favorite anecdotes… The Abilene Paradox. If you’re not familiar…
On a hot afternoon visiting in Coleman, Texas, the family is comfortably playing dominoes on a porch, until the father-in-law suggests that they take a [50-mile (80-km)] trip to Abilene for dinner. The wife says, "Sounds like a great idea." The husband, despite having reservations because the drive is long and hot, thinks that his preferences must be out-of-step with the group and says, "Sounds good to me. I just hope your mother wants to go." The mother-in-law then says, "Of course I want to go. I haven't been to Abilene in a long time."
The drive is hot, dusty, and long. When they arrive at the cafeteria, the food is as bad as the drive. They arrive back home four hours later, exhausted.
One of them dishonestly says, "It was a great trip, wasn't it?" The mother-in-law says that, actually, she would rather have stayed home, but went along since the other three were so enthusiastic. The husband says, "I wasn't delighted to be doing what we were doing. I only went to satisfy the rest of you." The wife says, "I just went along to keep you happy. I would have had to be crazy to want to go out in the heat like that." The father-in-law then says that he only suggested it because he thought the others might be bored.
The group sits back, perplexed that they together decided to take a trip that none of them wanted. They each would have preferred to sit comfortably but did not admit to it when they still had time to enjoy the afternoon.
I’ve seen this exact same phenomenon play out in dozens of projects across various companies, and the root cause is always the same… Leaders rarely, if ever, go out of their way to seek dissent. Rather than solicit constructive feedback to uncover areas of concern, many leaders feign confidence in an effort to sell an idea. They don’t get enough buy-in and they don’t see their own blind spots until it’s too late.
A simple rule to avoid the Abilene Paradox: The most valuable thing that leaders of distributed teams can do is convert implicit assumptions into explicit expectations.
I’m working on a project right now that’s tailored to help remote-first leaders avoid this trap. If you want early access, reply to this email with “I’m in” and I’ll add you to the waitlist.
Recommended Follow
I’ve really enjoyed the MGMT Playbook from Dave Kline. Whether you’re leading an in-person or distributed team, his no-nonsense leadership guidance is a weekly must-read. You can follow him on LinkedIn here.
Tim Hickle is a marketing leader who helps high-growth startups and scale-ups get unstuck and hit their goals while embracing AI and the future of work. To learn more about how Tim can help your organization grow, visit TimHickle.com