You Still Need an After-Work Routine When Working From Home
4 steps for separating work from play
I used to believe there was no such thing as work-life balance. Workdays would often become work nights, and I’d be okay with that. I’d muscle through creative projects, figuring dinner, chores, and texts from friends could wait.
And then I got married and started a family.
My kids don’t care about my job. My wife does care, but I bet not nearly as much as I think. When my workday is over, they want me to be present. They deserve that, and so do I. And so I’ve been teaching myself how to walk away.
Throughout the pandemic, many newly remote workers have found that it was much easier to disconnect from work when their office wasn’t their kitchen table. Whatever they used to do before coming home — listen to a podcast in the car, work out at the gym, or run errands — helped them transition into their personal time. Here’s something I’ve learned in the two years I’ve spent working from home as a writer and career coach: You still need an after-work routine even if you have nowhere to go. It turns out that priming ourselves to play is just as important as preparing ourselves to work.
I’ve created a four-step process that helps me de-stress and get ready for the second part of my day…
