Are You Still Thinking About Work?

thegrio.com

So it’s after-hours, you left work, picked up the kids, ran a quick errand, or just dashed straight home…Or maybe you went to that happy hour after all…Yet, as you’re driving home, getting in the door, or even sipping on that cocktail at the bar after work, you’re thinking about…work! About this project that you’re having a hard time finishing, the co-worker who was trying to school you earlier, or the manager still ignoring your nagging emails….

Or maybe the day went great, and you’re already anticipating showing your manager this great memo you typed up to close the loop on that challenging audit! Whatever the case is, you’re out of work, but your mind quite isn’t….just yet! After all, it’s hard to leave work at work…

As corporate sisters used to multi-tasking, multi-thinking, and multi-doing pretty much everything, compartmentalizing different areas of our lives is most times mission impossible! So we think about dinner at work, and about work as we’re over-baking the pork chops for dinner! And here we are, after looking forward to getting out of work, mentally right back at our desks rummaging through the mental pros and cons of the week…. So what do we do to disconnect the one thing that does not have a battery life, plug or expiration date, that is…our brains?

For my $0.05, mentally disconnecting from work, especially after a long, tough day at work, is the hardest thing. So I do what I usually do when I can’t willingly do something, I force myself to do something else:

• Exercise: Mind in overdrive after work? Schedule an exercise routine after work. Yes, you’ll drag your feet to go, but that’s one hour of mental silence and health boosting you’ll get. Check!
• Meditate: Really, meditating after work when all you want to do is plop yourself on the couch? Schedule some reading or meditation time to unwind after work. Sounds counter-intuitive. Just try it….
• Do something you enjoy: I enjoy writing after work, it takes up the extra space my mind would otherwise use to run back to my desk at work. And since I stopped running about 10 years ago, I need to do something else, like something that makes me a better more bearable human being….

Are you still thinking about work?