TOP TIPS FOR SWITCHING OFF AFTER WORK
People usually associate ‘switching off from work’ with a big holiday or a Friday night with friends. And of course, a trip to the Maldives or a friend’s birthday party is certainly a great way to take your mind off of work for a while – but it doesn’t always have to be that extravagant.
Switching off from work is a regular practice that’ll encourage:
Self-care that will contribute to mental health
A good sleep schedule
Healthy relationships with friends and family
All of which positively contribute to your:
Productivity in work
Satisfaction at work
Ability to handle stress at work
Being full of ambition for a career can make switching off from work not just hard, but also feel unnecessary. Checking emails after work hours, setting up calls over the weekend, and doing a bit of work on your days off may be how you’ve succeeded the way you have, so giving that up can seem counterproductive.
Or maybe you’re someone that has been feeling the stress of overworking and overthinking about work and you know you need to switch off but you’re worried about your performance.
(I’ve also written blogs about stress and mental health if you want to have a read.)
Don’t get me wrong though, if you have the drive to create a truly successful career, sometimes you will work overtime and you will answer that phone call. But to maintain the motivation and energy to keep progressing, time away from business mode is non-negotiable.
But how do you find this balance? How do you make sure you’re trying your best at work whilst making sure you take time for yourself and your loved ones?
Keep reading for my top tips for switching off from work:
MAKE USE OF YOUR COMMUTE
Just because the clock has hit 5:00 pm and you’re catching your train home, doesn’t mean you’re out of work mode.
Maybe you spend that time scrolling on LinkedIn or catching up on Teams messages. Maybe you drive and call a colleague to discuss a project. But how about using this time to start unwinding every so often?
Listen to music/ a podcast
Read a book
Call a friend about non-work-related things
Catch up on your Netflix and YouTube favourites
FIND A HOBBY
We’ve all had interests in learning new things or spending more time doing something we love, but we usually use the excuse, “I don’t have enough time”.
Truth is – we all have enough time, it just depends on whether we think our hobby is a good use of our time. Hobbies are the perfect thing for switching off from work because it gives you something outside of work to focus on. Work gives people a sense of purpose because they can use their skills and ambitions to work towards something rewarding. News flash – hobbies do the same thing.
Studies show that people with hobbies are less likely to suffer from stress, low mood, and depression (Head to Health)
This isn’t to say you’ll be spending more time knitting jumpers than attending business meetings, but it’s a great distraction that still requires you to learn and be committed.
Here are 10 ideas to inspire you:
Drawing
Gardening
Learning an instrument
Fishing
Baking
Playing a sport/ running
Photography
Learning a new topic (history, science, or literature)
Knitting/ crocheting
Martial arts
SPEND TIME WITH LOVED ONES
This is a simple yet truly effective way of unwinding after a long day at work.
Make plans to see friends or family members. Whether it’s a nice meal, a movie or games night, or just a coffee and a chat.
Countless studies have shown that face-to-face time with loved ones (even your pets) is one of the most effective ways to cope with stress (Head to Health).
Busy work schedules can make this hard, but even scheduling something once a week, or just calling a friend can give you that much-needed detachment from office life.
DO SOME EXERCISE
Unless you’re already into fitness, this point probably wasn’t the most attractive one.
Keeping active is key, and this doesn’t mean 2 hours of exercise a day, it means living an active lifestyle. I wrote an article called ‘Keeping Active At Your Office Job’ which explains this more but here are some tips on incorporating an active lifestyle into your busy schedule:
Cycle or walk to work
Take the stairs
Take regular moving breaks
Take an active lunch break
Stretch at your desk every 30 minutes
Walk around when on the phone
SEPARATE YOUR WORKSPACE
In a post-pandemic world, hybrid and remote working has been a huge benefit that has helped people have a healthier work-life balance, decrease stress, and spend more time with family.
Lockdown made the statement “home is where the heart is” truer than ever. We exercised there, our kids did school there, we did work there, and although it’s been great, there’s been countless people saying “actually, this has made it harder than ever to switch off.”
Physically leaving the office for some can mentally help them leave work mode. But what about when your office is your kitchen table?
My tip: turn your laptop off and put it away.
Sounds simple, but leaving it out and accessible can make it tempting to check your messages or continue with work.
Some other things you can try include:
Work in a delegated working space
It sounds nice bringing your laptop to your sofa (or even your bed) to do some work, but this can be more detrimental than you think.
When you work in bed, you essentially trick your brain into thinking your bed is for active, brain-stimulating activities. Meaning, when you try to sleep (or relax on your sofa) – it can become harder (Healthline).
TIDY YOUR WORKSPACE EVERY EVENING
Having piles of paper, folders, and stationery can be an easy reminder of work and can easily distract you from using your kitchen table for eating, chatting, or relaxing.
MAKE A PLAN FOR THE NEXT DAY
When you work from home and there’s no office closing time, working through the evening is easier than switching off sometimes.
Spend the last few minutes of each day planning your top priorities so you don’t spend your evening worrying about what work you might have forgotten about.
- Written by Tim Macmillan
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