Why Saying Goodbye to Work can Support your Well-being
As a wellness educator and coach, I believe that how we transition from the workday to our personal time greatly impacts our mental and emotional health. One of the reasons why work-life balance is a problem for many people is because they don’t have a healthy practice of saying goodbye to their work at the end of the work day. In this article, we will explore some practical ways to gracefully say goodbye to the workday as a way to intentionally switch off and provide room for balance.
Close up: Instead of immediately rushing out from your workspace, consider how you wind down such as tidying your work area and straightening papers, closing tabs on your computer, turning off work related notifications, or saying aloud “My work day is done. Work, see you tomorrow.” You can also write out what your top priority is for the next work day so when you return to work, you know what you need to focus on. This also helps you to offload thoughts about work and allow you to mentally detach.
Walk it Out: Consider taking a walk around the block after work to decompress, spend quiet time by yourself and shift your energy before going home. If you work from home, this is a perfect way to reset and separate your work life from home life. The act of physically leaving an environment can allow you to mentally switch off from those activities. For remote workers, when you return from your walk, consider what you can do to make it like you’ve just arrived back from work and are now stepping into a new environment.
Rituals: What rituals or habits can you incorporate to help you transition from work mode to home/personal life mode? Some ideas include changing into comfy clothes, donning slippers, doing a workout, calling a friend, reading a book, listening to music or a podcast, having a cup of tea or refueling with a power smoothie.
Physical Boundaries: If you work from home, consider only working in a specific location of your home such as an office or a corner or a specific chair and see if you can avoid that space outside of work hours. When you leave that area, mentally close the door on work-related thoughts.
Prioritize Self-Care: Often times we go straight from work to home life and we don’t have any time for ourselves. Our relationships with loved ones are important to our well-being, but more important is our relationship with ourselves. Make sure you take a few moments to check in with yourself, assess how you’re feeling, and if you are in need of any self-care. Give yourself time to rest, restore and rejuvenate. Remember you have to fill your cup, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
I encourage you to recognize the importance of transitioning mindfully from work to personal time. By adopting these practices, you can cultivate a sense of balance, reduce stress, and pave the way for restorative evenings that enhance your overall well-being. The key is to be intentional and consistent with these rituals or habits. Over time, they can become ingrained in your routine, helping you transition more smoothly from work mode to home or personal life mode. By creating clear boundaries between work and personal time, you'll enhance your well-being and be better equipped to enjoy your downtime.
