Finishing a workday at the office is easier than when you work from home. The physical distance between work and private life makes it clear to our brains that it is time for the transition. Now that most workplaces offer the possibility to work from home for a number of days, it is becoming more difficult to make that transition from work to private life. Here are some tips to properly complete a day of working from home:
Create a closing ritual
Imagine you are going from your office to home - normally you go by car, bicycle, bus or tram. Try to simulate and replace this built-in habit with a new ritual. For example, go outside for a short walk or take a shower and exchange your work clothes for another outfit. Changing the space or environment and taking a different action helps to end your working day well. By repeating your closing ritual every day, your brain will eventually understand that it is time for your private life.
Leave those work emails alone after hours
Feeling pressured to answer work emails after hours? That's not a good habit. If you can, leave your work email alone in the evenings and on weekends. Turning off notifications on your phone can help. Is being available outside of working hours part of your job? Then only answer the emails that can't wait, and don't check your mailbox constantly, but at a few fixed times. Almost bedtime? Then leave your emails alone for a while. This way you learn to disconnect and you will feel more recharged for the next day.
Out of sight, out of mind
The best way to make the transition from work to private life smooth is to literally get your work out of sight. Clean up your workspace at the end of your day and store your laptop, diary and notes in a cupboard. This way you avoid being triggered outside of working hours and starting to think about your work.
Accept your limits
On some days you won't be able to finish your planned to-do list. Unexpected extra tasks or other things that require your time and attention are unavoidable. Dealing with it well helps to avoid unnecessary stress: prioritize the most important tasks and move the others to the next day. Write down the tasks so you can let go of your internal to-do list in your free time.
Do you need more guidance?
BloomUp's e-learning topics can help you become mentally stronger.
- Check out our e-learning module on self-care here.
- Don't have a Mindlab by Bloomup account yet? Schedule a free consultation here
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