Dr Sam Moxon
In Britain, it’s fair to say that we really care about what people think of us. It is a bit of a cultural trend among us and is likely an extension of that British politeness we are famous for. Not trying to be favourable in the eyes of others is just impolite right? Some of us care less than others but, generally speaking, we are a very self-conscious nation. This can be to our detriment, especially when it comes to trying to hold any sort of leadership position. I have worked with a lot of ‘leaders’ over the course of my career and I have noticed one trait among all of the really good ones. They are very kind and considerate BUT they are not afraid to make decisions that could make them unpopular if they believe it to be the right thing to do.
Why am I talking about this in a blog that is seemingly about train travel? It’s because the topic I want to talk about today is building up the ability to unapologetically work in public. When I was younger, I would sit on a train and see people with their laptops open and think ‘I would hate to be that guy. Unable to sit on a train without working’. Same for coffee shops, flights etc. It is often seen by society as a way of bragging. Going ‘look how busy and important I am’. I have heard it referred to as ‘London busy’, so frequent is the phenomenon on trains to the capital.
In the past, this has deterred me from spending the 2 hours on a Pendelino soaring through the British rail network doing anything productive. I hated the idea of looking London busy. After all, who do I think I am?
This is a really bad mindset to have. Trains are essentially dead time. That doesn’t mean you can’t spend it watching your favourite show or movie but, if you have work you think you could do, you should not be put off by how others will perceive that. It is not performative and it does not matter if someone else thinks it is. They are totally inconsequential to you. This is a learned stigma, it is not reality.
I think some of this comes from the myth that ‘real work’ can only occur in the office. We are culturally conditioned to think we have to be visible to a boss when we work. As a result, working on the train can feel more performative than practical. The truth is very far from this assumption. We learned during the pandemic that we are for more capable of working with flexibility than perhaps we ever imagined. In fact, changing your work space can boost your creativity and focus. Why do you think people work on the train or in a coffee shop to begin with? It is not uncommon to get more done in 2 hours at a Starbucks than a full day in the office. These spaces can act as deep work zones where there are very few distractions to take away our focus. I am writing this blog on a train from Euston to Liverpool right now and I am stopping a lot less frequently than I would in the office.
Another reason for this is that we crave down time. An opportunity to relax and enjoy a show or movie. If we know we have work to do before we can watch an episode of Stranger Things on Netflix, chances are we will do that job far more efficiently because speed gets us closer to our relaxation period. We earn the time to chill.
So the case is clear. It can be very valuable to work on the move but one question remains. How do we break out of that fear of being perceived as ‘London busy’. The tryhard in carriage J trying to look important. It’s simple in principle. We need to be better at not caring what others thing. In practicality this can be trickier.
One thing that is important to remember is our brains can default to anxiety and make a situation seem far worse than it actually is. How many times have you found yourself worrying about something only to find it was a lot more straightforward or a lot less of an issue than you first imagined? When we have no control over a situation (such as how someone perceives us) our brain can try and grasp control by preparing us for the worst possible outcome. The truth is, nobody is looking at you. At least, not nearly as much as you think. Nobody cares you are working and, on the off chance that they do, does it really matter? They aren’t going to mark you on your work.
You are working for yourself not them and it is healthy to use your time productively.
You are not showing off, you are showing up. One thing that helps me is getting my headphones on. I don’t always listen to any music but just having them on puts me into work mode. I get my laptop out and say nothing. I just open it and get to work and I notice that nobody pays any attention. Any feeling of discomfort was purely a projection of my own ego. I didn’t want to be seen as a show off and so I assumed people would think I was. Turns out, nobody cares. If anything, post-COVID this is really normal now. We live in a flexible working world because we had to when everything shut down.
So when you are next on the move and feel that lingering of self consciousness, remember that this is part of modern work life. Productivity isn’t tied to a desk or a lab bench anymore. You are taking ownership of your day by working where and when you want. Open that laptop, get your headphones on and do your thing. The only person you need to impress is yourself.
Dr Sam Moxon
Dr Sam Moxon is a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. His expertise falls on the interface between biology and engineering. His PhD focussed on regenerative medicine and he now works on trying to develop 3D bioprinting techniques with human stem cells, so that we better understand and treat degenerative diseases. Outside of the lab he hikes through the Lake District and is an expert on all things Disney.