Most of us know there are benefits to getting away from work. We know we need time to recharge each day in order to be able to sustain our attention in the office. We know time away from complex problems allows us to find a fresh perspective.
The hard part is that while you may agree with all of these benefits of getting away from your work, you may still have trouble doing it.
Even if you do go home at a decent hour in the evening, you may find yourself reading one last report.
When you travel for a few days, you may still be attached to your email. When you wake up early in the morning, or lie awake at night, you might find your brain sorting through a long list of work tasks.
When we can’t let go off work while we are out of the office, we don’t get to enjoy the benefits of time away.
A combinations of new habits can solve this problem.
Many people fail to change their behaviour because they focus on what they are not going to do rather than on actions they will take instead.
Create a plan for your time away from work — whether it is an evening out of the office or time on vacation. You need a specific plan, or you will return to your habits and re-engage with work when you should be away from it. The plan should focus on the activities you are going to perform instead of working.
Sometimes, though, your downtime may still be interrupted by intrusive thoughts about work, there are two ways to deal with it.
One is to have a plan to occupy your mind at the ready: Read a novel, do a crossword puzzle, or phone a friend.
However, there are times when there is something about work that really is bugging you. In that case, keep a notebook handy. Set a timer for 10 minutes and write down whatever is bothering you.
It is often helpful to get the things that are bothering you outside of yourself.
Change your environment to support your new behaviour and discourage the old one.
You can also use the environment to help you if you often ruminate about work. Set up a space at home that you will never use to work. Use it as a place where you will engage in non-work activities, like reading or Yoga. The more that you associate this spot with things that do not involve work, the easier it will be to use this area to get away from work thoughts.
You can always ask your friends and family members to help you stay away from work. Give them permission to remind you to put your phone away. Find activities you can do with them that prevent you from working and distract you from work-related thoughts.
Even if you do create these plans and an environment conducive to seeing them through, you still need to be willing to disconnect from work for a period of time. That can be anxiety provoking.
This is where a lesson from cognitive behavioural therapies may help. Studies suggest that a great way to reduce anxiety is to expose yourself to the scary situation, and gradually learn that the situation is not actually threatening.
Courtesy: www.hbr.org
