How to Protect Your Time When the World Won’t Let You

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“Do you still live at your place, or just work there?”

That question hit me during a virtual happy hour in the pandemic, and it haunted me for days.

Twelve months working from my Toronto condo. No gym. No office. No separation between work and life. By month six, I felt like the walking dead.

The problem wasn’t blurred boundaries. It was the patterns I couldn’t switch off: checking Teams during meals, replaying decisions at 2 AM, performing for an audience of one.

If you can’t protect your own space, how can you protect your team’s time?

The Breaking Point

I was constantly “on.” Meetings, emails, planning sessions, no transition, no decompression.

One night, after a particularly long day, I realised: my home felt like the office. And if my own environment couldn’t recharge me, how could I show up fully for others?

What Changed Everything

I implemented four non-negotiables:

• Hard stop at 6 PM. Laptop closed. No exceptions.

• Morning routine first. Emails and messages came second.

• Ask first, jump in second. “What do you think?” rather than reacting immediately.

• One offline day per week. No digital work, no exceptions.

Boundaries aren’t luxuries. They’re leadership tools.

Protect your time, and you protect your team’s time too.

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Worth Reading

Here are a few newsletters I read and recommend:

Leadership Takeaways You Can Apply Today

• Guard your space. Clear boundaries = mental clarity.

• Show up fully. Your team mirrors your energy and focus.

• Pause before reacting. Influence grows when you lead thoughtfully, not reflexively.

• Make offline time visible. Modelling downtime signals it’s safe for others to do the same.

Reflection for the Week

• Where are your patterns quietly eroding your energy and impact?

• Which boundaries could create more focus and influence for you and your team?

• What’s one small change this week that signals “I protect my time, and I protect yours”?

Hit reply or DM me on LinkedIn, I read every message.

When the timing is right, we can explore how to strengthen clarity, influence, and impact without burning out.

Until next time, protect your space, lead intentionally, and let influence follow.

With appreciation,
Chris