盡管遠(yuǎn)程辦公對(duì)大家來說是個(gè)挑戰(zhàn)，但這也有積極的一面：對(duì)于許多人來說，通勤已成為過去式。僅在美國(guó)，無需通勤每周可以幫員工們節(jié)省出約8900萬小時(shí)——相當(dāng)于自新冠疫情暴發(fā)以來節(jié)省了超過4450萬個(gè)工作日。這些數(shù)字表明，遠(yuǎn)程辦公可以幫我們奪回最寶貴、最有限的資源：時(shí)間。

While the widespread shift to remote work hasn’t been without its?challenges, it does offer a major silver lining: For many of us, commuting has become a thing of the past. In the United States alone, eliminating the daily commute has saved workers around?89 million hours?each week — equivalent to time savings of more than 44.5 million full workdays since the pandemic began! These numbers suggest that working remotely could be a?deus ex machina?for reclaiming one of our most precious and limited resources: time.

然而，盡管有可能節(jié)省出大量時(shí)間，許多人仍然很難如愿用省下的時(shí)間完成當(dāng)初設(shè)下的目標(biāo)：學(xué)習(xí)烘焙、冥想或撰寫下一部偉大的文學(xué)杰作。相反，我們?cè)谝咔槠陂g收集的1.2萬名美國(guó)和歐洲人的數(shù)據(jù)表明，省下的時(shí)間通常被浪費(fèi)在沒價(jià)值的工作和不盡如人意的休閑活動(dòng)上。擁有更多的時(shí)間并不一定意味著我們能夠明智地使用它。到底哪里出了問題？

But despite the potential for staggering time savings, many have struggled to achieve everything they hoped the pandemic would finally make time for:?baking sourdough,?meditating, or?writing the next great literary masterpiece. On the contrary,?data we collected?from 12,000 people across the U.S. and Europe during the pandemic show that the additional time is often burned on unproductive work and unsatisfying leisure activities. Having more time does not necessarily mean that we use it wisely. So, what are we doing wrong?

啟示1：居家辦公，還是辦公生活混為一談？

Lesson #1: Working from home or living at work?

不再通勤之后，工作與家庭之間的界限變得模糊。盡管研究表明，人們將通勤視為一天中最緊張而不愉快的時(shí)刻之一，但取消通勤也會(huì)造成問題。

Without an office to commute to, the separation between work and home becomes tenuous. Although research shows that people?rate their commutes?as one of the most stressful and undesirable parts of the day, having no commute at all causes problems too.

在一系列研究中，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)通勤可以幫助人們?cè)诩彝ズ凸ぷ髦g切換，沒有通勤，人們很難將工作和個(gè)人生活區(qū)分開。如果沒有在下午6點(diǎn)關(guān)閉電腦、擠上車回家，許多人會(huì)比往常更晚下班，“再發(fā)一封電子郵件”的想法會(huì)讓人在電腦前再多窩上兩個(gè)小時(shí)?？墒牵@種超時(shí)工作往往效率很低。

In a?series of studies, we found that being on the road can help people switch gears between home and work, and that without a commute, people struggle to separate their work and personal lives. Instead of shutting down the computer and rattling home on a crowded train at 6 PM, many people are working later than ever, “just one more email” stretching into an extra two hours hunched over the laptop. And that additional work time is not always well spent.

在研究中，人們表示，疫情期間的“文山會(huì)?！备啵刑嗟摹霸O(shè)定議程”，而沒有足夠的創(chuàng)造性協(xié)作，大家的時(shí)間花在了更多沒價(jià)值的工作上。這充分驗(yàn)證了帕金森定律（Parkinson’s law，也可稱之為“官場(chǎng)病”“組織麻痹病”或者“大企業(yè)病”——編者注），只要還有時(shí)間，工作就會(huì)不斷增加，直到用完所有的時(shí)間，每天平均省出的53分鐘的通勤時(shí)間通常會(huì)被其他效率較低的工作占用。

In our studies, people reported being stuck in more meetings during the pandemic than before, doing too much “agenda-setting,” not doing enough creative collaboration, and filling their time with more unproductive work. In a perfect illustration of?Parkinson’s law,?that work expands to fill the time available for its completion, the average?53 minutes per day?people saved by not commuting was often immediately absorbed by additional, less productive work.

啟示2：節(jié)省時(shí)間還是浪費(fèi)時(shí)間？

Lesson #2: Saving time or wasting time?

人們通常不會(huì)明智利用來之不易的空閑時(shí)間。我們的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)：“被動(dòng)消遣”的活動(dòng)（例如看電視）急劇增加，而當(dāng)志愿者或社交等“主動(dòng)消遣”活動(dòng)卻有所減少。雖然一些“被動(dòng)消遣”也是健康的放松方式，但我們的研究表明，它比“主動(dòng)消遣”帶來的幸福感要小得多。

When people did manage to gain free time, it often wasn’t spent wisely: Our surveys found that activities we call “passive leisure” — such as watching TV — rose dramatically, while “active leisure” activities such as volunteering or socializing became less frequent. While a bit of passive leisure is a healthy way to relax,?our research?suggests that it’s much less likely than active leisure to promote happiness.

不可否認(rèn)，疫情阻斷了許多“主動(dòng)消遣”活動(dòng)。但是，在遵守社交隔離的前提下，已經(jīng)有許多創(chuàng)新的方法可以讓我們追求“主動(dòng)消遣”，例如，Zoom推出的游戲之夜和歡樂時(shí)間、聰明的遠(yuǎn)程集體運(yùn)動(dòng)和虛擬志愿者。

Admittedly, the pandemic has made many active leisure activities challenging. But we’ve seen plenty of creative ways to pursue active leisure while following social distancing guidelines, such as?Zoom game nights?and happy hours, clever?socially distant sports, and?virtual volunteering.

在全球危機(jī)時(shí)期，優(yōu)先考慮放松是健康的做法，我們努力最大限度地提高工作效率也是人之常情。但是，當(dāng)我們回到接近工作常態(tài)時(shí)，怎樣才能確保用節(jié)省下的時(shí)間做真正讓我們感到開心、有意義的事情？

During a time of global crisis, it’s healthy to prioritize relaxation, and it’s natural that we might struggle to maximize productivity at work. But as we return to semi-normalcy, what can we do to ensure we use our time savings to pursue meaningful activities that make us truly happy?

以下幾種策略有助你規(guī)劃工作時(shí)間、設(shè)立明顯的工作生活界限，并增加“主動(dòng)消遣”時(shí)間：

Through our research, we found several strategies that can help you structure your workday to enable clearer boundaries and more time for active leisure:

1. 創(chuàng)建專屬于自己的通勤時(shí)間

1.?Create your own commute.

對(duì)于許多人而言，通勤是即將進(jìn)入“工作模式”的時(shí)候。這種過渡不一定必須是真正的通勤。研究表明，最理想的通勤時(shí)間是16分鐘，因此當(dāng)你準(zhǔn)備開始遠(yuǎn)程辦公時(shí)，可以花些時(shí)間尋找一種調(diào)整到工作模式的方式（我們并不是真要像一些倫敦人那樣假裝在坐地鐵）。

For many of us, commuting was when we would get into “work mode.” But that transition doesn’t have to come from a physical commute.?Research?shows that the most-desired commute length is 16 minutes, so when you’re working remotely, take that time to find another way to transition into work mode. (We don’t mean literally pretending to be on a subway, as?some?Londoners?have taken to doing.)

最近的一項(xiàng)研究表明，最幸福的通勤者是那些利用通勤時(shí)間規(guī)劃工作的人。因此，無論是在家還是出去散步，嘗試花15分鐘做日程規(guī)劃，然后再開始遠(yuǎn)程辦公。實(shí)際上，散步是減少壓力的“主動(dòng)消遣”，因此，日常有意做些步行鍛煉也不錯(cuò)。

Specifically, a?recent study?of ours revealed that the happiest commuters are those who use their commutes to plan their workdays. So try starting your remote workday by taking 15 minutes to plan your day, either at home or with a short morning walk. In fact, walking is a form of active leisure that’s?known to reduce stress, so it’s good idea to find ways to deliberately build some walking back into your day.

2. 給自己一個(gè)收工信號(hào)

2. Give yourself a?Feierabend.

在德國(guó)，F(xiàn)eierabend（含義：下班后的休息）是每天傍晚的“小確幸”，標(biāo)志著一天工作的結(jié)束。通常是酣暢淋漓地來一杯德國(guó)啤酒。無論是喝飲料、吃零食、去跑步還是給朋友打電話，你可以用標(biāo)志收工儀式的活動(dòng)來結(jié)束一天的工作，給自己一些期待。這些細(xì)微的小事可以幫你慶祝白天取得的成就，而不是專注于仍需要做的事情，給生活帶來意義和幸福感。

In Germany, the?Feierabend?is a daily evening celebration marking the moment when work is switched off for the day — often accompanied by a hearty German beer. Whether you finish the day with a beverage, a snack, going for a run, or calling a friend, find a ritual that can mark the end of your workday and give you something to look forward to. These daily routines help you celebrate what you have accomplished during the day (rather than focusing on what still needs to be done), bringing life?meaning and happiness.

3. 集中攻克每日必須完成的任務(wù)

3. Focus your workload on a daily “must win.”

為了避免被無窮無盡的工作淹沒，你要找出每天必須完成的任務(wù)，無論如何都要完成的一件事，然后全力以赴。屏蔽電子郵件和消息的不斷干擾，專注于頭等大事才最重要。研究表明，如果你完成了必須做的事，那么最終的成就感可能會(huì)極大提升幸福感。

If your to-do list is anything like ours, it is?always too long. To avoid drowning in work, identify a?must win?for each day — one thing you need to achieve no matter what — and then pursue it at full steam. In the face of constant interruptions from email and messaging platforms, staying focused on your top priority is a real accomplishment. And if you complete your?must win,?research?shows the resulting sense of achievement is likely to have a significant impact on your happiness.

4. 留出處理非緊急要?jiǎng)?wù)的時(shí)間

4.?Put “proactive time” on your calendar.

預(yù)先留出處理重要但非緊急任務(wù)的時(shí)間，以免日程被永無休止的Zoom會(huì)議占據(jù)。我們的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，每天定時(shí)留出時(shí)間屏蔽所有干擾，只專注于特定任務(wù)，可以幫助員工提高工作效率，減輕負(fù)擔(dān)。定時(shí)留出時(shí)間可以防止你因?yàn)橹粚Ｗ⑾乱粋€(gè)截止時(shí)間，而陷入毫無意義的工作，從而提高效率、減少壓力。

Protect your calendar from never-ending Zoom meetings by blocking out “pro time,” or time reserved for work that is highly important, but not urgent.?Our studies have found?that scheduling a daily pro-time block, in which you turn off all distractions and focus on specific tasks, helps employees feel more effective and less overwhelmed. Pro-time can prevent you from focusing only on the next deadline and getting bogged down with less meaningful work, making your days feel more productive and less stressful.

5. 在隔離期恢復(fù)社交活動(dòng)

5. Reclaim the social in social distancing.

上面的策略可以幫你節(jié)省一些時(shí)間，但獲得更多時(shí)間本身并沒有任何意義，如何利用時(shí)間才最重要。你是否會(huì)用省下來的空閑時(shí)間聯(lián)系其他人？開始運(yùn)動(dòng)或做志愿服務(wù)？就像在工作日中定時(shí)留出時(shí)間一樣，我們建議在工作之余安排一些“主動(dòng)消遣”活動(dòng)。

The strategies above can help you get some of your time back. But more time in and of itself is meaningless — it’s what you do with it that matters. Are you using your newfound free time to connect with other people? To start exercising, or volunteering? Just like scheduling pro-time during the workday, we recommend being proactive about scheduling active leisure activities after work.

這不一定要投入很多。研究顯示，短暫的非正式社交互動(dòng)（無論是線下或線上），抑或10分鐘或20分鐘的“主動(dòng)消遣”，都可以增加幸福感。這不是要你每天花兩個(gè)小時(shí)社交，你只需花上20分鐘與朋友聊聊天或散個(gè)步。

This doesn’t have to be a big commitment. Research suggests that?short informal social interactions?(whether in person or digital), as well as just?10 or 20 minutes?of active leisure, boosts well-being. This isn’t about dedicating two hours to socializing every day, but rather spending 20 minutes catching up with a friend or going for a walk.

你甚至可以將社交時(shí)間與其他追求相結(jié)合，例如與朋友一起運(yùn)動(dòng)，從而最大程度地提升“主動(dòng)消遣”。這不僅可以一石二鳥，還能讓其他人敦促你實(shí)現(xiàn)目標(biāo)，也更容易堅(jiān)持。

You can even maximize active leisure by combining social time with other pursuits, such as exercising together with a friend. This way you can kill two birds with one stone; plus,?involving others?in your goals makes it easier to stick to them.

此外，嘗試在日常工作中增加社交機(jī)會(huì)。例如，利用通勤時(shí)間與他人（哪怕是同車的陌生人）建立聯(lián)系可以增進(jìn)幸福感。如果是遠(yuǎn)程辦公，或許你可以每天固定與家人或朋友聊聊天。

In addition, try building social opportunities into the flow of your normal workday. For instance,?studies?show that using commute time to connect with others — even strangers on a train — promotes happiness. To replicate this while working remotely, perhaps part of your end-of-day routine could be a chat with a family member or friend.

6. ?進(jìn)行時(shí)間管理實(shí)驗(yàn)

6. Run time-management experiments.

例如，我們的團(tuán)隊(duì)在蘇黎世大學(xué)發(fā)明了“3-2-2周”模式，讓我們保持工作和生活的良好平衡：我們每周在辦公室工作三天（辦公室給我們帶來歡樂，讓通勤時(shí)間變得有價(jià)值），在家工作兩天，還有兩天留給家人和朋友。嘗試用不同的方法分配時(shí)間，找出在疫情期間和疫情后最適合自己的方案。

For example, here at the University of Zurich, our team invented a “3-2-2 week” that gives us a good balance: each week, we spend three days at the office (yes, we think the commute time is worth the conviviality that only the office can afford), two days working from home, and two days dedicated to family and friends. Experiment with structuring your days and weeks in different ways to see what feels best for you, during the pandemic and beyond.

在全球范圍內(nèi)，轉(zhuǎn)向遠(yuǎn)程辦公可以節(jié)省數(shù)十億小時(shí)。但是，如何用好這些時(shí)間取決于我們自己?，F(xiàn)在是時(shí)候應(yīng)該認(rèn)真地思考一下，如何重塑工作才能得到更多我們最渴望的東西：時(shí)間。

Around the world, shifting to remote work could save billions of hours — but it’s up to us to spend that time well. Now is the time to make thoughtful choices about how we reshape work to get more of what we all crave most: time.

如今我們都在參與一場(chǎng)如何利用時(shí)間的大型實(shí)驗(yàn)。但是，即使取消疫情期間的社交限制，我們還是要繼續(xù)嘗試新的時(shí)間管理方案，找出最適合自己的那個(gè)。

Today, we’re all part of a grand experiment in how we use our time. But even after pandemic restrictions are lifted, it’s a good idea to keep trying out new time management schemes to see what works best for you.

勞倫·豪是蘇黎世大學(xué)未來工作課題的博士后研究員。

艾希莉·惠蘭斯是哈佛商學(xué)院談判、組織和市場(chǎng)部門專業(yè)的助理教授。她的研究主要關(guān)注時(shí)間、金錢和幸福感。她的第一本書《巧用時(shí)間：如何找回時(shí)間并過上幸福的生活》（Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time & Live a Happier Life）將由哈佛商業(yè)出版社于2020年10月出版。

約亨·門格斯是蘇黎世大學(xué)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力和人力資源管理專業(yè)的教授，也是劍橋大學(xué)組織行為學(xué)的講師。

柴茁 | 譯? ?孫燕 | 校? ?騰躍 | 編輯