Let’s…Un-plug!

Do you think about work when you get home for the day or take your work home with you every night? In today’s world, it is normal to have work hours that stray from the typical 9-5. The lines might feel blurred on whether or not you should continue some work at home or leave it in the office.  If you don’t want to bring your work home or feel bogged down by work, continue reading! Today, we’re going to talk about some ways to stop thinking about work when you are done for the day.

  1. Write it down: A great way to get your mind off work is to journal or write down how you are feeling. If you do this exercise right when you get home from work, it will help clear your mind.
  2. Distract yourself: The end of your day should be time used for yourself, not thinking about what’s going on at work. Do an activity that you genuinely enjoy. This might be cooking, watching tv, working out, playing a game, going for a walk, etc. The options can be endless. Choose something that will take your full attention so you can truly relax.
  3. Turn everything off: A great way to unplug from work is to literally turn off your devices. Log out of your work email or shut down your computer. Doing this will limit your need to feel like you have to reply if you get an email after hours or if something comes up. If you aren’t obligated to be reachable after hours, turn off your devices and log out of everything!

Escaping work can seem impossible sometimes. A lot of studies show that we need downtime from work because it helps our minds reboot and even makes us more productive. Sometimes when we don’t think about a certain problem for a while, we come back refreshed, ready, and with new ideas. Read below to find out some things you should do in the future to make sure you don’t stress about working after hours.

  1. Lists: A couple of hours before you leave the office for the day create a list. The list can include projects and tasks you have already accomplished and then tasks that still need to be completed before the end of the day. This is a useful organization tactic for your mind and what you need to get done. By creating this list, it gives you something to look at the following day to see what still needs to be accomplished.
  2. Update people: Right as you leave, you can make an out-of-office reply to your email. This way, when people email you, they know you have left for the day and their email won’t be returned until the morning. This is a great literal way to send the message that you are done working for the day.
  3. No Work Zone: When you get home for the day, establish a space in your home where you do not allow yourself to work. For example, you may only allow yourself to work in your home office, so every other space is for leisure time. This will help you establish boundaries within yourself.

Our culture is constantly on the go and very time-oriented. This can make people feel like they need to be reachable 24/7, but that isn’t the case. Use the strategies above to give yourself downtime from your workday

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