How do you wrap up a day of working from home?

Wrapping up a working day at the office is easier than when you work from home. The physical distance between work and private life makes it clear to our brain that it is time for the transition. Now that most workplaces let you work from home a few days a week, making that transition from work to private life gets harder. Here are some tips to wrap up a day of working from home well:

Create a closing ritual

Picture yourself going home from the office: normally you would go by car, bike, bus or tram. Try to simulate this built-in habit and replace it with a new ritual. For example, go outside for a short walk, or take a shower and swap your work clothes for another outfit. Changing room or surroundings and doing something different helps you close off your working day. If you repeat your closing ritual every day, after a while your brain will understand that it is time for your private life.

Let go of work email after hours

Do you feel pressure to answer work emails after working hours? That is not a good habit. Let go of your work email in the evening and at the weekend if you can. Turning off notifications on your phone helps. Is being available outside working hours part of your job? Then only answer the emails that cannot wait, and do not check your inbox all the time, only at a few set moments. Nearly bedtime? Then leave your emails alone. That way you learn to disconnect and will feel more recharged for the next day.

Out of sight, out of mind

The best way to make the switch from work to private life smoothly is to literally put your work out of sight. Tidy your workspace at the end of your day and put your laptop, diary and notes away in a cupboard. That way you avoid being triggered outside working hours and starting to think about work.

Accept your limits

Some days you will not manage to finish the to-do list you planned. Unexpected extra tasks or other things that demand your time and attention are unavoidable. Handling them well helps prevent unnecessary stress: give priority to the most important tasks and move the others to the next day. Write the tasks down, so you can let go of the to-do list in your head during your free time.

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