umab86•15d ago

Client emails at 2 AM are wrecking my sleep

I have a regular who sends project updates in the middle of the night. It started to make me anxious and tired because I felt I had to answer fast. How do you tell clients to stick to business hours without sounding rude?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethc2615d ago

Honestly you just gotta set clear hours and stick to them. I turn off my work app notifications after 6 pm so I don't even see the email until morning. You could set an auto reply that says you got their message and will review it during business hours. It feels scary at first but most clients actually respect it. They're just working when it suits them, they don't expect an instant reply.

kevin_sullivan2d ago

Remember when we thought being available all the time was just part of the job? I used to check my phone constantly, worried I'd miss something. What changed for me was seeing how much better my focus became during the day once I truly disconnected at night. Now my phone stays in another room after dinner, and it's made a real difference.

stella_lee15d ago

But does turning off notifications really stop you from checking? Auto-replies help, but I still felt anxious knowing emails were sitting there. For example, I'd see the preview on my lock screen and end up replying at 2 AM. What worked for me was changing my email settings to not show new messages after hours. I also told my client I review updates in the morning. It took a few times, but they got the hint.