The Freedom Trap: Why "Microshifting" Might Be Ruining Your Life
The Guardian calls it the secret to happiness. I call it the "Infinity Workday" in disguise. Here is the truth about the latest productivity obsession.
I recently came across an article in The Guardian that didn’t just catch my attention; it set off alarm bells. It discussed a growing trend called “microshifting”, the idea of breaking your working day into small, non-continuous blocks to fit around your life. Want to hit the gym at 11 am? Go for it. Need to handle the school run at 3 pm? No problem. You simply shift those work hours to early morning or late evening.
On the surface, it sounds like the dream. It promises the ultimate work-life balance. But is it? Or is it actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing? As I read it, I couldn’t help but feel a familiar tug of caution. It reminded me of a concept I explore in depth in several articles and podcast episodes: the fine line between autonomy and the “always-on” trap.
While microshifting offers liberation, it also risks accelerating a phenomenon I have warned about before: the Infinity Workday.
The Core Concepts: Microshifting vs. The Infinity Workday
To understand if microshifting is a solution or a trap, we need to look at two opposing frameworks.
Microshifting (The Trend): As described in The Guardian, this is the intentional fragmentation of the workday. It is not just “working from home”; it is “working from anywhere, anytime, in short bursts”. The goal is to accommodate personal productivity peaks and domestic needs.
The Infinity Workday (The Risk): This is the concept I discuss in Enhanced Leadership and my recent podcast. It is the creeping reality where work has no start or end time. The “neat box” of 9-to-5 dissolves, and without clear boundaries, work seeps into every moment of our lives, leading to chronic fatigue and an illusion of productivity.
Navigating the Shift
Microshifting is essentially the Infinity Workday by design. The question is: who is designing it?
The Case for Microshifting The argument for microshifting is strong. It acknowledges that the industrial 9-to-5 model is a relic. We are not machines that power down at 5 pm. Some of us do our best deep work at 6 am; others are night owls. By allowing people to “shift” their hours, we unlock energy that is usually wasted staring at a clock.
The Danger Zone However, the danger lies in the execution. If you microshift without the right mindset, you simply end up working all the time. That hour you took off for the gym? You pay for it by checking emails during dinner. The school run? You make up for it by answering Slacks in bed.
In Enhanced Leadership, I argue that flexibility without boundaries is just exploitation in disguise. If we are not careful, microshifting validates the toxic culture where being “responsive” at 10 pm is seen as a badge of honour rather than a failure of planning.
The Solution: To make microshifting work - to turn it into true freedom rather than fatigue - we must apply the three core principles:
True Ownership: You must own your calendar. Microshifting only works if you choose the blocks, not if your boss dictates them.
Radical Focus on Outcomes: We must stop measuring hours. If I can do my job in four intense, microshifted blocks of 90 minutes, that should be enough. As I often say: “No one asks a freelancer how long it took; they ask if the problem is solved”.
Intentional Rest: You cannot just “shift” work; you must also schedule rest. As I have said before, elite performance requires elite recovery. If you microshift, you must block out “do not disturb” time just as rigorously as you block out work.
Practical Takeaways
How can we apply this? Here is how different groups can use these insights.
For Leaders: Focus on Output, Not Presence If your team wants to microshift, let them. But you must change how you lead.
Stop clock-watching: Do not worry if someone is offline at 2 pm. Worry if they haven’t delivered their project by the deadline.
Set clear guardrails: Be explicit about communication. If a team member is working a “late shift” block, ensure they know they don’t need to reply to your emails instantly.
Model the behaviour: If you microshift, tell your team. Say, “I am offline from 4 pm to 7 pm for family time, and I will be back on for an hour later”. This permission gives them the psychological safety to do the same.
For Coaches: helping Clients Design Boundaries Your clients are likely already microshifting, perhaps without realising it, and feeling guilty about it.
Validate their rhythm: Help them understand that their energy cycles are unique. Coaching them to work with their energy, not against it, is a key part of Enhanced Leadership.
Challenge the guilt: Many leaders feel guilty when they are not “visible”. Work with them to reframe their value around impact rather than availability.
Design the “off” switch: Help them create rituals that signal the end of a work block. Without a commute, the brain needs a new signal to transition from “work mode” to “home mode”, even if that transition happens three times a day.
Conclusion
Microshifting is here, and it is likely the future of knowledge work. It holds the promise of a happier, more balanced life, as The Guardian suggests. But that promise is fragile. Without the solid foundation of ownership and outcome-based thinking, it can easily crumble into the exhausted, always-on nightmare of the Infinity Workday.
The choice is ours. We can let work happen to us, filling every crack in our day, or we can lead with intention, designing a life where work fits us, not the other way around.
If this topic resonates with you, I highly recommend you check out The Infinity Workday. I dive deeper into the strategies for reclaiming your time and leading with sanity in an always-on world.
Follow on LinkedIn - Spotify - YouTube - Apple
Level Up Leadership is a passion project in my spare time. I enjoy doing it, and I intend to keep these articles and podcasts free. However, the software and equipment I use isn’t free! So, if you are enjoying this content and would like to make a donation, you can do so by clicking this button. Thank you.