Help me return to work in the healthiest way possible
September 30, 2024 12:14 AM Subscribe
A year ago, I was working a high-powered, corporate senior leadership job that took over my entire life. It pushed me beyond my limits, and I ended up suffering a terrifying mental health crisis. I left work, and I've spent the last year recuperating and figuring out what to do next. I am now better and feel ready to work again. I am starting a new full-time job soon. I'm optimistic it will be different this time around, but also worried that I will fall back into bad habits. What can i do to increase my chances of having a healthy relationship with work when I return?
Some specific areas I'd like to hear advice on (though I'm open to anything):
Working remotely: My new FT job is fully remote, and everyone on the team is also remote. In past fully remote roles, I ended up working far more hours vs when I was in office. With my work right here at home with me, I found it hard to set it aside and make any kind of clean break to unplug. Any tips on how to set clear guardrails to unplug from work while working from home?
Curbing my ongoing need for promotion or "progress": I am very goal oriented. I tend to always be looking toward the future and plotting out my next steps. Everything I do in the present is usually designed to achieve something in the future, whether it is a promotion, rotation, raise, or something else. As a result, I'm always dissatisfied. How do I get out of this mindset with my new job?
Transitioning from corporate to nonprofit: The job I will be starting is in the nonprofit sector. I do not want to have a debate about whether corporate or nonprofit is better/worse/easier/harder, so please avoid that. Just know for myself, this was the right decision to make. If anyone else has done this, I would really like to hear about things that helped you or wish you had done in retrospect to support the transition.
Thank you!
Some specific areas I'd like to hear advice on (though I'm open to anything):
Working remotely: My new FT job is fully remote, and everyone on the team is also remote. In past fully remote roles, I ended up working far more hours vs when I was in office. With my work right here at home with me, I found it hard to set it aside and make any kind of clean break to unplug. Any tips on how to set clear guardrails to unplug from work while working from home?
Curbing my ongoing need for promotion or "progress": I am very goal oriented. I tend to always be looking toward the future and plotting out my next steps. Everything I do in the present is usually designed to achieve something in the future, whether it is a promotion, rotation, raise, or something else. As a result, I'm always dissatisfied. How do I get out of this mindset with my new job?
Transitioning from corporate to nonprofit: The job I will be starting is in the nonprofit sector. I do not want to have a debate about whether corporate or nonprofit is better/worse/easier/harder, so please avoid that. Just know for myself, this was the right decision to make. If anyone else has done this, I would really like to hear about things that helped you or wish you had done in retrospect to support the transition.
Thank you!
I have been here. I have been surprised by how 'out of practice' I was at full time work. It takes months to get the habits back.
Plus, like me, it sounds like you're making a transition from being motivated by anxiety, desire for progression, dependence on work for personal satisfaction to... something else. This is time consuming and requires energy.
You will need to decide what these alternative sources of motivation are and practice them. You may need to watch for signs of reliance on undesirable sources of motivation. You are building new habits and ways of thinking, which will require scaffolding.
Aside from this, I have found myself surprisingly emotional surrounding work stressors that, while not nearing the level of where I've been before, trigger heightened feelings of various kinds, including grief over the change and fear of burning out again. It can be hard not to fixate on feeling of not being so "productive" as before (even though that previous output came at an unsustainable and damaging cost). You will need affirming sources of self-esteem outside of work. Therapy has been crucial.
Make sure to take vacations! Consider other sources of structured non-work activity.
On working from home, seconding keeping work computer and phone entirely separate. Even when I haven't had a full separate room for an office, I've used folding wooden screens to create a sense of a separate space. Going for a walk after work helps.
Collectively, this process takes a lot of time and energy, and I would give yourself grace and support as much as you can.
posted by lookoutbelow at 1:32 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
Plus, like me, it sounds like you're making a transition from being motivated by anxiety, desire for progression, dependence on work for personal satisfaction to... something else. This is time consuming and requires energy.
You will need to decide what these alternative sources of motivation are and practice them. You may need to watch for signs of reliance on undesirable sources of motivation. You are building new habits and ways of thinking, which will require scaffolding.
Aside from this, I have found myself surprisingly emotional surrounding work stressors that, while not nearing the level of where I've been before, trigger heightened feelings of various kinds, including grief over the change and fear of burning out again. It can be hard not to fixate on feeling of not being so "productive" as before (even though that previous output came at an unsustainable and damaging cost). You will need affirming sources of self-esteem outside of work. Therapy has been crucial.
Make sure to take vacations! Consider other sources of structured non-work activity.
On working from home, seconding keeping work computer and phone entirely separate. Even when I haven't had a full separate room for an office, I've used folding wooden screens to create a sense of a separate space. Going for a walk after work helps.
Collectively, this process takes a lot of time and energy, and I would give yourself grace and support as much as you can.
posted by lookoutbelow at 1:32 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
Make non-work appointments that actually limit your working time, especially anything that gets you out of the house around end of day. Fitness classes are good for it, as are crafty things, but an appointment with yourself to go journal under a tree works too, as long as you keep it. You don't have to explain the nature of these appointments to your colleagues, just the fact that you have something to do after work that is either immovable or a pain to move is enough for most people to get it.
Adjacent - new work, new you, new habits that you can present as "the way you do things". Especially if you're in a leadership / management role again, treat it as modelling healthy habits for the organisation. One of my best role models in working life was a high-powered executive who had absolutely no problem with saying "I need to leave at 5, how do we solve this problem before 5 or move the deadline to solve it?" I know that's not always possible, but doing it 95% of the time means that when an actual emergency happens, you have that margin of extra power. Same with not working flat out at your 100% capacity all the time. Listen to Scotty.
And very much yes on a separate setup for work - computer, desk, separate room or nook if possible. Ideally something you can physically shut down / put away at the end of the working day.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 3:15 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
Adjacent - new work, new you, new habits that you can present as "the way you do things". Especially if you're in a leadership / management role again, treat it as modelling healthy habits for the organisation. One of my best role models in working life was a high-powered executive who had absolutely no problem with saying "I need to leave at 5, how do we solve this problem before 5 or move the deadline to solve it?" I know that's not always possible, but doing it 95% of the time means that when an actual emergency happens, you have that margin of extra power. Same with not working flat out at your 100% capacity all the time. Listen to Scotty.
And very much yes on a separate setup for work - computer, desk, separate room or nook if possible. Ideally something you can physically shut down / put away at the end of the working day.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 3:15 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
In practical terms. Starting a new job allows you to set expectations.
So you are only available for meetings during 'core hrs'. If there are no core hrs, set some in outlook anyway. They are your core hrs. You also only send emails etc during those core hrs.
You block time in your agenda for you to do 'productive work', whatever that means. You make sure the time you protect is sufficient to do activities you are supposed to complete outside meetings, even if your job is to solve everyone else's problems, you need blocks of time to play with to stop people from inviting you to back to back meetings.
You figure out how your new found hobbies and interests will fit with your new workdays/core hrs and protect time for these activities rigorously.
The 'progress' part. You make sure your employer does not have an 'up' or 'out' model. You make sure that the culture does not rely on you doing all the things and working more than your contracted hrs regularly to keep the place afloat. I guess in non-profit that is more likely than up/out. If you find you simply can't do all the things in a reasonable time you start to look for another job. You need somewhere, where the culture values high quality, reliable contribution at the level you were hired for but also is realistic about how long things take/how many people they need.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:21 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
So you are only available for meetings during 'core hrs'. If there are no core hrs, set some in outlook anyway. They are your core hrs. You also only send emails etc during those core hrs.
You block time in your agenda for you to do 'productive work', whatever that means. You make sure the time you protect is sufficient to do activities you are supposed to complete outside meetings, even if your job is to solve everyone else's problems, you need blocks of time to play with to stop people from inviting you to back to back meetings.
You figure out how your new found hobbies and interests will fit with your new workdays/core hrs and protect time for these activities rigorously.
The 'progress' part. You make sure your employer does not have an 'up' or 'out' model. You make sure that the culture does not rely on you doing all the things and working more than your contracted hrs regularly to keep the place afloat. I guess in non-profit that is more likely than up/out. If you find you simply can't do all the things in a reasonable time you start to look for another job. You need somewhere, where the culture values high quality, reliable contribution at the level you were hired for but also is realistic about how long things take/how many people they need.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:21 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
In addition:
1-Use separate devices as much as possible or at least turn off all notifications for work apps
2-Move all work apps to the last screen of your device
3-Dare yourself not to check messages from Friday evening until Monday morning. I will let you in on a secret - you are not a pilot or a surgeon. Nobody will die/nothing objectively horrible will happen because you don't respond until Monday.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:34 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
1-Use separate devices as much as possible or at least turn off all notifications for work apps
2-Move all work apps to the last screen of your device
3-Dare yourself not to check messages from Friday evening until Monday morning. I will let you in on a secret - you are not a pilot or a surgeon. Nobody will die/nothing objectively horrible will happen because you don't respond until Monday.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:34 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
A fake commute (Washington Post gift link) really helped me transition between and home time. I think it can be any little daily ritual as long as you're consistent about not doing any work before or after - making some fancy tea, playing a relaxing video game for 15 min, doing stretches, etc.
Also, Alison at Ask a Manager recently answered a question about avoiding burnout doing something you love by doing a different kind of work vs just downtime and relaxation here (question #3), and then posted a follow-up about her advice.
posted by amarynth at 4:23 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
Also, Alison at Ask a Manager recently answered a question about avoiding burnout doing something you love by doing a different kind of work vs just downtime and relaxation here (question #3), and then posted a follow-up about her advice.
posted by amarynth at 4:23 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
Some working remotely ritual tips in this thread.
My answer in this thread on curbing the feeling of needing to work at the highest level all the time may be of some help.
posted by chiefthe at 4:28 AM on September 30
My answer in this thread on curbing the feeling of needing to work at the highest level all the time may be of some help.
posted by chiefthe at 4:28 AM on September 30
Set your work hour boundaries from day one. You work from x to y, then you are unavailable. It's your job to show people what to expect of you. You have to respect yourself first.
Don't put work apps on your personal phone. If you absolutely must have a work app on your personal phone, use your phone settings to turn those app notifications completely off outside of work hours.
Get some smart plugs and put the lights in your home office on timers. Only have the lights on in your office during your work hours. At the end of the day you'll know to close your computer and walk away because you'll be sitting in the dark. (If you use your home office for multiple purposes in your home, literally buy extra lamps so you can do this.) It's extremely effective.
I'm going to repeat this one again: respect yourself first. We teach the people around us how to treat us. If you are unavailable outside of work hours, people won't expect you to be available outside of work hours.
Get a dog. Dogs need to commute. That means you get to go on walkies before work, after work, and take breaks throughout the day to make sure they (you) are drinking water, getting enough treats, going to the bathroom, stretching, moving your body.
posted by phunniemee at 4:32 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Don't put work apps on your personal phone. If you absolutely must have a work app on your personal phone, use your phone settings to turn those app notifications completely off outside of work hours.
Get some smart plugs and put the lights in your home office on timers. Only have the lights on in your office during your work hours. At the end of the day you'll know to close your computer and walk away because you'll be sitting in the dark. (If you use your home office for multiple purposes in your home, literally buy extra lamps so you can do this.) It's extremely effective.
I'm going to repeat this one again: respect yourself first. We teach the people around us how to treat us. If you are unavailable outside of work hours, people won't expect you to be available outside of work hours.
Get a dog. Dogs need to commute. That means you get to go on walkies before work, after work, and take breaks throughout the day to make sure they (you) are drinking water, getting enough treats, going to the bathroom, stretching, moving your body.
posted by phunniemee at 4:32 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
"Any tips on how to set clear guardrails to unplug from work while working from home?"
Plug your work computer into one of those timer outlets that people use to turn lamps on and off while they're on vacation to make it appear like someone it home.
Set it to turn off an hour after you're supposed to be done with work for the day, so if you forget and keep working you'll be forcibly interrupted and have to take extra actions to get back to work.
posted by Jacqueline at 5:09 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
Plug your work computer into one of those timer outlets that people use to turn lamps on and off while they're on vacation to make it appear like someone it home.
Set it to turn off an hour after you're supposed to be done with work for the day, so if you forget and keep working you'll be forcibly interrupted and have to take extra actions to get back to work.
posted by Jacqueline at 5:09 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
I went through something similar a few years ago and I have largely learned how to make work work for me now by following much of the advice above. One thing that I do still struggle with a bit though is having colleagues who haven't had that happen, or who are yet to have it happen, and who are therefore very much on the type A path. I have become almost pathologically averse to competition of any kind, but at the same time I chafe at being 'overtaken' by ambitious peers. To counter this I've poured much of that energy into the work I do for 'fun', ie in a couple of very absorbing hobbies, where the stakes are much lower but I still feel progress and recognition for my efforts. It's about getting some semblance of balance!
posted by freya_lamb at 5:22 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
posted by freya_lamb at 5:22 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
I work fully remotely and I honestly wish I had an office to go in to at this point even though I love remote work in many other ways. If feasible- maybe even for your first month or two, consider renting an office space, even in a friend’s house.
When possible and reasonable, try to get on calls with colleagues to resolve things so you actually get to know one another rather than via email. In larger meetings, the chit chat before starting isn’t always really enough.
posted by raccoon409 at 5:34 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
When possible and reasonable, try to get on calls with colleagues to resolve things so you actually get to know one another rather than via email. In larger meetings, the chit chat before starting isn’t always really enough.
posted by raccoon409 at 5:34 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
I would take a close look at Freedom or a similar website/app blocking tool. They won't completely stop you, but the step of having to work around the restrictions provides a very good reality check when you're in "Oh, I'll just do that little thing for work" mode.
In the past I've set them with a little wiggle room. If I'm supposed to quit at 5pm my access shuts off at 6pm, that sort of thing.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:43 AM on September 30
In the past I've set them with a little wiggle room. If I'm supposed to quit at 5pm my access shuts off at 6pm, that sort of thing.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:43 AM on September 30
Keep a notepad or a notes file on your phone so that when you're outside work hours and think of a work thing that you need to do, you can make a note to do it when you're next on duty. This helps me to avoid feeling compelled to do the thing right now (or keep thinking about it) so that I don't forget.
posted by heatherlogan at 6:58 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
posted by heatherlogan at 6:58 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
I’ve been there. My struggle with my health was different, but its a struggle with health, and mental health is health. One thing my therapist said that resonated with me is that I also need to do the work to accept I’m not the high-achieving, always going above and beyond person I once felt I had to be. Physically, it’s simply not possible any more, and that IT IS OK. You have all this value to bring, and youll bring it, but “met expectations” in corporate speak is not a bad thing.
Others have touched on it, but being very purposeful of protecting not only own work-life balance, but that of your coworkers as well. You can help normalize the behavior by being open and consistent about the fact that thats what you're doing. And if you find yourself in an environment where its seems its not ok, its not the right place for you right now. And that part is ok.
Good luck!
posted by cgg at 7:25 AM on September 30
Others have touched on it, but being very purposeful of protecting not only own work-life balance, but that of your coworkers as well. You can help normalize the behavior by being open and consistent about the fact that thats what you're doing. And if you find yourself in an environment where its seems its not ok, its not the right place for you right now. And that part is ok.
Good luck!
posted by cgg at 7:25 AM on September 30
Make non-work appointments that actually limit your working time, especially anything that gets you out of the house around end of day.
I have what sounds like a similar personality to the OP, and this is really the only thing that has worked for me.
posted by AndrewInDC at 7:33 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
I have what sounds like a similar personality to the OP, and this is really the only thing that has worked for me.
posted by AndrewInDC at 7:33 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Mindset matters so much here, and I encourage you to lean hard into the idea of New Job New You, and take all that ambition and repurpose it to this task. You are off team Live to Work and have joined team Work to Live, which means that all your promotions are going to be life level-ups now. Slap some passion on that pursuit.
Do some visualization about what a healthy and sufficiently successful workday looks like. You're kind of my opposite in many ways, but my worklife lives entirely on my work calendar, and for me that's so I get all my work done but for you it should be reverse time management really, with the goal of fitting the all work you (realistically) need to do into 8a-5p and no more than that. Visualize leaving your desk every day at a hard stop and moving on to a transition task that you're going to love and embrace and eventually think of as the most important part of your day. Consider making that task something that directly ties to your ongoing mental health care, whether that's a class at the gym or meditation time or a dedicated Reading Hour or whatever.
Oh, and make all the lighting in your office smart bulbs that come on and shut off on a schedule. When your house tells you to clock out and it is slightly annoying to turn the lights back on, it helps train your brain like a toddler: clock says it's work time, now clock says it's not work time, oh well, nothing you can do but what the clock says!
You wired your brain to think of The Old Way as success, but who benefitted? When I snapped and mostly stopped killing myself for work, it was because of a Lamborghini in the parking lot. It sure wasn't mine. It's become a very useful question to ask myself: whose Lambo is this for?
Conversely, with your eyes always on the prize, did you do the best right work in the role you were actually supposed to be doing? Shift that mindset to focus on doing your own job well (and only appropriately well, meeting the stated goals of the org), not somebody else's job. ESPECIALLY in not-for-profit: Nobody there wants you to take their job, unless you're being prepared to do so on their retirement, and this isn't the corporate world where you can just make new headcount for fun. You're not going to impress anybody by stomping on their boundaries and intruding on their jurisdiction, so you have really good reasons to make a point of staying in your lane. When you are as an organization generally hemmed in by budget and the year's work often decided several years previously by the board, your marching orders are pretty clear.
You do, in that environment, run the risk of having to pick up someone else's slack, and you should have a plan in advance to identify slack (true slack, organizationally, not "if that was MY job I'd do it X way") and not leap to consume it. This sounds like a good reason to talk boundaries with whoever there early on, both to avoid accidentally making enemies and to know what the expectations and culture is around stuff that needs to get done. You probably have zero skillset in generating a Not My Problem forcefield, so that's something to practice.
Look, coming from where you have, and depending on whether your new role is directly engaged in fundraising, and assuming you're not coming in to mop up a shitshow, this job may realistically only be like 25 hours a week of actual work (plus two weeks of brutal reporting prep before the annual board meetings). As a recovering workaholic, that may legitimately give you anxiety, especially if your brain is trying to make that stretch into 12-hour workdays. Have a plan for what you'll do if that turns out to be the case, to keep that anxiety from becoming a monster.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:11 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
Do some visualization about what a healthy and sufficiently successful workday looks like. You're kind of my opposite in many ways, but my worklife lives entirely on my work calendar, and for me that's so I get all my work done but for you it should be reverse time management really, with the goal of fitting the all work you (realistically) need to do into 8a-5p and no more than that. Visualize leaving your desk every day at a hard stop and moving on to a transition task that you're going to love and embrace and eventually think of as the most important part of your day. Consider making that task something that directly ties to your ongoing mental health care, whether that's a class at the gym or meditation time or a dedicated Reading Hour or whatever.
Oh, and make all the lighting in your office smart bulbs that come on and shut off on a schedule. When your house tells you to clock out and it is slightly annoying to turn the lights back on, it helps train your brain like a toddler: clock says it's work time, now clock says it's not work time, oh well, nothing you can do but what the clock says!
You wired your brain to think of The Old Way as success, but who benefitted? When I snapped and mostly stopped killing myself for work, it was because of a Lamborghini in the parking lot. It sure wasn't mine. It's become a very useful question to ask myself: whose Lambo is this for?
Conversely, with your eyes always on the prize, did you do the best right work in the role you were actually supposed to be doing? Shift that mindset to focus on doing your own job well (and only appropriately well, meeting the stated goals of the org), not somebody else's job. ESPECIALLY in not-for-profit: Nobody there wants you to take their job, unless you're being prepared to do so on their retirement, and this isn't the corporate world where you can just make new headcount for fun. You're not going to impress anybody by stomping on their boundaries and intruding on their jurisdiction, so you have really good reasons to make a point of staying in your lane. When you are as an organization generally hemmed in by budget and the year's work often decided several years previously by the board, your marching orders are pretty clear.
You do, in that environment, run the risk of having to pick up someone else's slack, and you should have a plan in advance to identify slack (true slack, organizationally, not "if that was MY job I'd do it X way") and not leap to consume it. This sounds like a good reason to talk boundaries with whoever there early on, both to avoid accidentally making enemies and to know what the expectations and culture is around stuff that needs to get done. You probably have zero skillset in generating a Not My Problem forcefield, so that's something to practice.
Look, coming from where you have, and depending on whether your new role is directly engaged in fundraising, and assuming you're not coming in to mop up a shitshow, this job may realistically only be like 25 hours a week of actual work (plus two weeks of brutal reporting prep before the annual board meetings). As a recovering workaholic, that may legitimately give you anxiety, especially if your brain is trying to make that stretch into 12-hour workdays. Have a plan for what you'll do if that turns out to be the case, to keep that anxiety from becoming a monster.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:11 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
You're getting some really great advice here. Picking 2-3 of these tips (don't burn out on burnout advice) and actioning them should go a long way to solving the problem.
If you're looking for more, the podcast Fried also deals extensively with returning to work in particular.
posted by rpfields at 11:05 AM on September 30
If you're looking for more, the podcast Fried also deals extensively with returning to work in particular.
posted by rpfields at 11:05 AM on September 30
Get a smart dog who will stay giving you shit if you don't walk them at the time they expect to be walked. Walk them as your morning and evening commute, and turn off your machine before you leave for the evening commute.
posted by potrzebie at 7:30 PM on September 30
posted by potrzebie at 7:30 PM on September 30
Lots of good advice in this thread. Some of my tricks for WFH transition from work day to personal time are:
I do most of my heavy lifting at work (meetings, big projects, complicated tasks, deadlines) in the mornings and midday. I try not to schedule meetings or get into projects at the end of the day. In the last hour or two of the day (as determined by pre set end consistent end time) I wind down projects I’m working on, get things prepped for the next day (pull reports and checklists, jot down notes or an outline on what I’m going to do as I start or continue a project tomorrow), answer emails, handle easy tasks that are one and done. This all allows me to easily get started the next day, be productive most of the day, wind down and shift gears, repeat this cycle all week. YMMV…with occasional exceptions, I’m able to schedule myself this way and get things done as I need to.
The next part is what I do after work. I have a set appointment for get on the treadmill (located in my home) so I eat a snack late in the day at a set time to give me energy for this. I feel motivated to stick with my plan and wind down work and get on the treadmill before the energy “wears off”. I look forward to watching my favorite YouTube channels on non work related topics while on the treadmill, then afterward transition to making and eating dinner, cleaning the kitchen, and all the other personal activities.
For the evenings, I keep a notebook and pen handy. If I have thoughts about work I jot them down for the next day, then get back to whatever personal things I was doing.
Personal time is time to rest, recharge and nourish yourself physically and mentally so that you have the balance and energy to enjoy life and do all the things. Best wishes for you on your new job and a fresh start on new routines.
posted by veneer at 8:04 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
I do most of my heavy lifting at work (meetings, big projects, complicated tasks, deadlines) in the mornings and midday. I try not to schedule meetings or get into projects at the end of the day. In the last hour or two of the day (as determined by pre set end consistent end time) I wind down projects I’m working on, get things prepped for the next day (pull reports and checklists, jot down notes or an outline on what I’m going to do as I start or continue a project tomorrow), answer emails, handle easy tasks that are one and done. This all allows me to easily get started the next day, be productive most of the day, wind down and shift gears, repeat this cycle all week. YMMV…with occasional exceptions, I’m able to schedule myself this way and get things done as I need to.
The next part is what I do after work. I have a set appointment for get on the treadmill (located in my home) so I eat a snack late in the day at a set time to give me energy for this. I feel motivated to stick with my plan and wind down work and get on the treadmill before the energy “wears off”. I look forward to watching my favorite YouTube channels on non work related topics while on the treadmill, then afterward transition to making and eating dinner, cleaning the kitchen, and all the other personal activities.
For the evenings, I keep a notebook and pen handy. If I have thoughts about work I jot them down for the next day, then get back to whatever personal things I was doing.
Personal time is time to rest, recharge and nourish yourself physically and mentally so that you have the balance and energy to enjoy life and do all the things. Best wishes for you on your new job and a fresh start on new routines.
posted by veneer at 8:04 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
Just to emphasize for the nth time.
The appointments you make with yourself are in your diary/calendar/app, the same as any other meeting, and you simply aren't available.
posted by lalochezia at 12:43 PM on October 1
The appointments you make with yourself are in your diary/calendar/app, the same as any other meeting, and you simply aren't available.
posted by lalochezia at 12:43 PM on October 1
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Any tips on how to set clear guardrails to unplug from work while working from home?
It might not be possible depending on circumstances, but I recommend not using the same computer (and ideally, not even the same desk!) for your job as for anything non-job related. When you're done, step away and go somewhere else. Don't give yourself the opportunity to alt-tab back to work.
Curbing my ongoing need for promotion or "progress": I am very goal oriented. I tend to always be looking toward the future and plotting out my next steps. Everything I do in the present is usually designed to achieve something in the future, whether it is a promotion, rotation, raise, or something else. As a result, I'm always dissatisfied. How do I get out of this mindset with my new job?
It's maybe a bit pithy, but maybe start with something like this.
posted by etealuear_crushue at 12:58 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]