Properly switching off when working from home can be tricky.
If we are working in the office, the act of physically leaving gives us that definite break away – we close down, turn off the PC, say goodbye to people, and then actually leave and head home.
When we’re already at home it’s harder to have a proper ‘end of the workday’ and get real separation.
Countless times I’ve just moved my laptop from my desk to the sofa to get a bit more done, like the adminy stuff I can do with one eye on the TV…not the best for work-life balance, and I might be in danger of becoming morphed into the sofa in the laptop position!
The rise in remote and hybrid working is seeing a rise in the hours worked with people not having clear boundaries as to the end of the day.
Recent research shows that nearly a third (31%) of all employees find it hard to turn off, working longer hours than they did pre-pandemic. (Scalable – The Impact of Hybrid Working on Wellbeing)
SO how can we get that clean break, tell our brain and body that we are DONE for the DAY, and stop our mind and hands creeping back to the laptop!
1. Create an ‘end of the day’ positive shutdown ritual
- Close down the laptop
- Bring to your mind 1 thing that you feel you did well today – this will shift out of the headspace of your to do list and focus on what you have done.
- If you have an office – leave it
- If you don’t – tidy away anything work related to a place you cannot see
- Physically step away from that space and move somewhere else
2. Take a Breath
- Taking some moments to breathe will allow the mind to begin to slow down, and the stress to dissipate.
- Breathwork will also increase blood and oxygen flow to all the vital organs in the body, including the brain
- Doing a simple breathing practice for just 5-minutes can have a profound effect on our mind and body
4-6 Vagus Nerve Breathing Technique:
This 4-6 counting breathing practice activates the vagus nerve – which gets us straight into the rest & digest state of inner calm and this will give you a soothing close to your day
The act of counting also means that your brain is forced to focus on counting instead of what you have just been doing at work – clever!
- Sit comfortably, back supported, legs uncrossed, both feet on the ground
- Relax your shoulders, relax your jaw and soften your eyes and forehead
- As you breathe count every second in your head
- Breathe in for a count of 4 – 1, 2, 3 4
- Breathe out for a count of 6 – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Slow steady breaths
- Repeat for 3 minutes
You can listen here on Spotify too:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5JZWkmRxT758DOWyfsstsZ?si=7tagvB-NTGuajhH3dqcQWw
3. Physically Brush off the day
- Sounds weird but this really works!
- When we have a very busy mind, doing something physical can help to clear the head and help us to release some of the stress from the day
- This could be anything from going for a walk or run (although that can be SO unappealing when it’s cold and dark, and you may have to go straight into cooking dinner or picking up little ones)
- But you really don’t need long – even 2 minutes of some form of movement will give you a re-set and shift your mood
2-minute Body Tapping & Brushing
- Try this super-simple 2-minute practice that will stimulate energy flow, release tension, and give your mind and body a revitalising lift
- Watch here https://youtu.be/zfTy0fTgs0g
In a time when TIME is our most limited resource, finding quick ways to change your mental/physical or emotional state is key – and In total the above practices would take you less than 10 minutes to do, and have a powerful effect.
CLUB ZEN
If you are looking for ways to provide your team with access to useful, powerful practices and advice like this then check out my service called Club Zen which provides In-person wellbeing sessions and a unique video & audio library of carefully crafted resources all made with the busy professional in mind.
https://corporate.tulatherapies.com/club-zen/
Email me, Alex at hello@tulatherapies.com to see how we can bring simple, personal, and powerful wellbeing to your team.