Fast Company Daily The workday is becoming infinite. Microsoft warns it’s time to set new boundaries
Nov 6, 2025
Discover how the rise of remote work is blurring boundaries, leading to burnout and fragmentation of our days. Learn about Microsoft's findings on after-hours work and effective strategies to reclaim time. Hear tips on redesigning calendars and implementing meeting-free days to enhance productivity. Explore how top professionals prioritize deep work and use AI to optimize their workload. With health at risk from an infinite workday, setting boundaries has never been more crucial!
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The Nine-To-Five Has Fractured
- The nine-to-five has fractured into an 'infinite workday' with early logins, late pings, and weekend catch-up.
- After-hours activity and evening spikes are now common and erode focus and rest.
Context Loss Fuels Exhaustion
- Constant interruptions destroy context and cause mental exhaustion.
- Microsoft's telemetry shows interruptions every two minutes during core hours for heavy communicators.
Clients Show The Real Cost
- Samantha Matosing describes remote work making it hard to keep structure and boundaries.
- Lifehack Method clients often arrive with overflowed inboxes and no two-hour uninterrupted blocks.