The Hidden Cost of Being ‘Always On’

There was a time when being busy meant being important.  Now it just means being exhausted.

“Always on” used to sound like commitment.  Today, it’s a warning sign.

We’ve built environments that mistakes endurance for excellence — where inbox zero passes for impact, and presence is measured by green dots on Teams.  However, constant availability doesn’t make you a better leader.  It makes you a distracted one.

The Myth of Constant Availability

According to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report, 70% of workers say “always-on” expectations have increased their stress levels and more than half link it directly to burnout and declining job satisfaction.

It’s no coincidence that the same report shows innovation scores are falling.  Creativity doesn’t survive in overdrive; it needs space, stillness, and time to think.

The problem isn’t just the hours.  It’s the mindset: that responsiveness equals value.

When you’re always available, you’re never fully present.

What ‘Always On’ Does to Teams

It’s not just leaders who pay the price.  Entire teams do.

• It erodes trust.  People stop believing leaders who talk about “balance” but never live it

• It reduces performance.  Cognitive fatigue can lower decision-making accuracy by up to 20%, according to McKinsey

• It kills depth.  Shallow work replaces strategy.  Busyness becomes a badge instead of a red flag

I know this one personally.  In agency life, being “on” felt like proof of importance.  Over time, you realise that people don’t follow the loudest or busiest leader.  They follow the one who models restraint, presence, and clarity.

Leadership isn’t a message, an email or a text — it’s a mirror.  Your team won’t do what you say about balance; they’ll do what they see.  If you’re the one always replying at midnight, skipping breaks, or never logging off, you’re showing them that boundaries are optional.  Leading by example isn’t soft; it’s structural.  It’s how cultures actually change.

REclaiming focus and your sanity

Progressive leaders are flipping the script.  They’re redefining productivity not as more, but as meaningful.

Set & Show Boundaries

• Block deep work time in your calendar and make it visible

• If you send emails at midnight, you teach your team that rest is optional

• If you unplug with intention, you give them permission to do the same

• And if you genuinely need to work out of hours, change your Teams status to “Offline” or schedule send.  Your habits teach louder than your words — so model the boundaries you want your team to respect

Create “offline windows”

• Blockout an hour, every day for lunch 

• Rest doesn’t reduce performance — it amplifies it

Reward Outcomes, Not Hours

• Ask your team what impact they made this week — not how many hours they logged

• Focus on clarity of purpose, not quantity of activity

Model Recovery

• Talk about what recharges you.  Share the walk, the swim, the space

• Role model that its ok to go for a walk at lunchtime or to grab a quick 30 minute gym session 

• Leaders who model sustainable habits create teams that last  

• Leading by example gives others permission to follow in your footsteps 

The Real Flex Isn’t Hustle — It’s Control

In a world where everyone’s shouting for attention, calm is a superpower.  Focus is rebellion.

“Always on” leaders don’t scale.  Focused leaders do.

When you protect your energy, you protect your people.

So take a breath.  Switch off.  Step away from the noise.  You’re not falling behind; you’re building capacity to lead forward.