Less Email. More OPA! The Case for Logging Off and Living More

The glow of the screen was the last thing I saw before bed and the first thing I reached for in the morning. My thumbs knew the unlock pattern better than they knew the feeling of rest. Emails, Slack notifications, calendar reminders—I was drowning in a sea of digital demands before my feet even touched the ground.

Sound familiar?

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve felt the same. That creeping sensation that no matter how much you accomplish, there’s always another email waiting, another task unfinished, another “urgent” request pulling you away from the life you’re supposed to be living. The corporate world tells us that responsiveness equals reliability, that speed equals success. But at what cost?

The Email Autopilot Trap

Studies show that the average professional checks their email 121 times per day. That’s once every four minutes in a standard workday. The kicker? Most of us aren’t even aware we’re doing it. It’s a reflex, a habit deeply ingrained into our modern work culture—a culture that rewards busyness over presence, productivity over peace.

I know this firsthand. As a corporate attorney, I prided myself on being “on top of it all.” My clients, my colleagues, my inbox—I had a pulse on everything. But one morning, as I stood at my sink, toothbrush in one hand, phone in the other, scanning emails before I even rinsed my mouth, a thought hit me like a Greek philosopher’s wake-up call: This isn’t living. This is existing.

What Are You Really Sacrificing?

Think about the moments you’ve lost to your inbox. The family dinner you weren’t fully present for. The morning sunrise you missed while scrolling through “just one more” message. The vacation where your body was on the beach, but your mind was still in the office.

We convince ourselves that answering emails at all hours is the price of success. But the truth is, the more we respond, the more is expected. It’s a cycle that doesn’t end—unless we decide to step off the hamster wheel and reclaim our time.

The Mediterranean Secret to Work-Life Balance

In Greece, there’s a word we live by: OPA! It’s not just something we shout when we break a plate. It’s a philosophy—a reminder to celebrate, to be present, to embrace life with joy. And let me tell you, the Greeks don’t answer emails at dinner.

While we in the U.S. obsess over “inbox zero,” my Greek relatives are out walking the village streets, sipping coffee, laughing with friends. Their secret? They work hard but know when to stop. They’ve mastered what so many of us struggle with: boundaries.

How to Break Free from Email Autopilot (Without Losing Your Job)

Schedule Your Email Time (And Stick to It)
- Set two or three dedicated email blocks per day. Outside of those times? Let it wait.
Turn Off Push Notifications
- If your phone pings every time you get an email, you’re training yourself to be on-call 24/7. Shut it off and take back control.
Use an “OPA! Hour” to Reset
- Pick one hour a day to fully disconnect. No screens, no work talk—just something that lights you up. Walk, cook, dance, breathe. Reclaim that time.
Set Clear Boundaries (And Communicate Them)
- Let your team or clients know when you’re available—and when you’re not. You teach people how to treat you.
Ask Yourself: Will This Matter in a Year?
- Before you let an email ruin your evening, ask: Will this matter in a year? If not, maybe it doesn’t need to matter right now either.