Even if we like our job work can ultimately become stressful. We take our work home leading to more stress. Extending work hours by disconnecting from family or more opportunities for wellbeing. At what costs? At some point, each of us has brought work home. We unconsciously alienate ourselves from family and friends. But, honestly, in the end, what does that give us?

Taking our work home can lead to our burnout. Affecting negatively our performance at work.

• Make sure your to-do list is updated. Get the tasks that are floating in your mind on paper.

• Create a ritual for the time you leave work and arrive home.

• Shift into our home mode. We tend to have one way of behaving at home and another at work.

If you are not managing your time effectively it is logical that you want to do more at home. Burning the candle at both ends sounds like a great way to be indispensable at work. Hopefully leading to that big promotion.  It is, however, a self-defeating behavior. What is it about work prompting us to disconnect from our other-self?

Ask yourself if you could have done a better job of organizing your time at work so you can disconnect at home giving your complete attention to those who need it most?

You would be amazed how you can find time to go to the gym. Take a walk. Especially spend time in nature. Read a book. Watch your favorite movie. Play with your kids.

There are many leaders who expect that because they are working endlessly around the clock, even weekends, everyone else should do the same. Be a leader who respects employees’ time off as critical to their well-being.

Employees who reflect on work at home burnout. Work is stressful. So, the last thing we want to do at home is to relive those stressful moments from work at home.

In Thrive Global Shelby Lorman says this, “It’s essential that we introduce techniques such as these to break our stress cycles at home, not only so we can create clear boundaries for our bodies and minds between the workplace and our home havens, but so that we can have more productive days as well. According to research done at the University of Konstanz and Bowling Green, thinking about work at home, in addition to our lack of effective methods to recover from this stress, “aggravate emotional exhaustion and prevent the resupply of energetic resources.”

Work does affect your home life. If you receive a raise or lose your job that impacts your family life. However, there should be compartmentalized between work and our other relationships. Your well-being makes you a better leader, significant other and parent.

About Jim Woods

Jim is President of Woods Kovalova Group located in Denver, CO. Working globally on every continent, Jim and his team have advised and trained Fortune 1000 companies, U.S. Military, Government, small businesses and individuals seeking performance improvement. Jim is a former U.S. Navy Seabee and earned a master’s degree in organizational development and human resources. He has taught at Villanova, Colorado Technical University and Dickinson University. To have Jim work with your organization schedule an appointment here.