After a busy day it can be a struggle to leave work behind. Too often we take out our job-related stress on others with micro-aggressions or impatience. Here are some ways to make sure that work troubles stay at work.
- “Depressurise” with an end of work habit. Connect with someone and share what’s on your mind, or find a way to break the day (eg with exercise). Or both.
- Be a friend. At the end of the day check in with people you care about and not just the obvious circle of family and friends, perhaps go further afield (old friends, distant relatives).
- Enjoy an absorbing activity. Crucially this has to demand your attention and stop your mind from wandering.
- Have an end-of-work habit. Signal to your brain that it’s time to shift gears with a ritual that helps you unwind.
- Exercise recurs consistently in the research, and it is not an option. Stretch your muscles, elevate your heart rate and do 30 minutes every day.
- Create a third space. Find somewhere to go physically and emotionally that is neither work nor home. It could simply mean an online lecture or losing yourself in a good book.
Crucially, take control and find out what works best for you.
