How to Disconnect From Work and Enjoy Family Time

If the title of this article spoke out to you, it is probably because you want to get your work-life balance back on track. To do so, it is important that we find a way to disconnect from work after office hours, so that we can enjoy time with our families. But, sometimes it can feel almost impossible to truly disconnect from work. Especially now that everything is connected through our mobile phones… it can feel hard to escape it all. Therefore, if you want to separate yourself from your work, but don’t know how to do it, here are some tips that should help. 

Plan Ahead

It is important to try and plan ahead. So, on Mondays, sit down and try to sort out your schedule for the work week to come, however, at the same time, we want you to block off time that is for you and your family. Some jobs are going to be more important than others, and we get that, so prioritize them against your other jobs. But you cannot under any circumstances remove your free time blocks, work around them. 

Have an After Work Ritual 

One-way to help you disconnect from work the minute you get home is to have an after work ritual. This should be an activity that will help you relax, distress and most importantly detach from the day. Some after work ritual options include putting your stuff away as soon as you walk in the door, get comfortable, have a non-work conversation, have a bubble bath, go for a run or make a healthy snack. 

Set Boundaries

This is a very important one because honestly, you need to be strict when it comes to your health and wellbeing. Boundaries are going to vary from person to person, therefore, figure out what boundaries are important to you and let those at work and home know about them. This might mean informing your work colleagues that after 6pm you are not contactable until the following day when you walk into the office. 

Value Your Health and Wellbeing 

When you leave the office, you should put the effort in to do things that truly make you happy. We need to remember that we don’t live to work; we work to really live! You want to have some you time so that you can properly rewind, recharge and reduce burnout. Technology as fueled our obsession with productivity and competition, making it a lot more difficult to put our health and well-being first… its time to stop living like that. 

Hide Your Work to Avoid Seeing it at Home

I don’t know about you, but if I catch a glimpse of my laptop when I am at home, I remember all of the tasks I didn’t quite finish that day and most of the time get stuck back into it. One of the best ways to stop doing this is by simply hiding things that will make you think of work. There is some truth to the whole ‘out of sight, out of mind’ theory. Give it a try. 

Don’t Overcommit Yourself 

While saying yes to extra work can be a good career move and saying yes to extra social plans feels like the right thing to do because you don’t want to disappoint those you love… taking on more than you can chew can be harmful to not only your work-life balance but your wellbeing. Linking to our first tip, plan ahead. Know when your free blocks are and don’t overfill them. Prioritize your work tasks and allocate a realistic time for them. Unfortunately, you cannot be in multiple places at once. 

So there are just a few tips and tricks to get you started on disconnecting from work and enjoying time with the family. We need to remember that we only have a limited time on this earth, we cannot go back in time, and we cannot get any extra. Keep what is truly important into perspective.

Want more health and mindfulness tips and tricks? Check out the The Best Apps To Help You Sleep Better At Night and How To Add 10 Minutes Of Exercise To Your Day.