How can you enjoy being at home when mentally you are still at work?
Living well means getting what you need without mortgaging your soul. It means being able to keep work and home separate. Living well means having time to enjoy the experiences you want to have.
Many people have a habit of letting work bleed into their home time. And if you say you don’t have that problem, think again.
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- Do you respond to email in your off-hours?
- Do you delay leaving because you want to work on one more thing?
- Do your children ask you to stop working?
Studies show that when people respond to work email, it’s a form of task switching. You’re cooking dinner, then you’re answering email.
Bringing your work home wears you down emotionally and physically because you are always on. You need time and space for your brain to prepare for the next day.
Psychologists state that one of the best ways to achieve a harmonious work-life balance is to separate the two.
It is possible. You CAN do this. Simply set triggers to let you know that you’re off the clock.
Set an End-of-the-Day alarm on your phone.
Choose an activity that signals a transition from work to home.
Remote workers
Go for a walk.
Make a cup of tea.
Office workers
Clear your desk.
Call your spouse/partner to find out if they want you to pick up dinner.
However, the best way to keep home and work separate is to plan your personal time in advance. As the old saying goes, “if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” So when you map out your time, it increases your chances of keeping home and work separate,
Finally, don’t equate your self-worth to your career. Look at it this way: you do the work, but you’re not your work. So when you’re off the clock, that means it’s time to enjoy your life.
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