When was the last time you got away from work?
Most of us know there are benefits to getting away from work, that we need time to recharge each day in order to be able to sustain our attention in the office. The hard part is doing it. Even if you do go home at a decent hour, you may find yourself reading one last report or attached to your email. You might that even when you’re not working, you’re always thinking of work. How, then, can you really get away from it? First, focus on what you’ll do instead of working. Rather than making a negative goal (“I shall not work”), find a positive one: new activities and commitments that will occupy your time and mental energy instead. Second, change your environment to support these new behaviors. And lastly, observe what happens when you actually dial back: it’s very likely it won’t be anything bad.