The importance of switching off
Have you ever thought about why some people handle work stress really well while others are throwing the toys out of the proverbial pram?
One of the most important factors is how well you’re able to switch off after work and disconnect from technology. When we can’t stop thinking about work, deadlines and our overflowing calendar your wellbeing, your relationships and paradoxically, your work suffers. Those who do take the time to ‘switch off’ report feeling greater engagement in their work, less fatigue, a higher quality of life, more restorative sleep and improved mood and mental health.
It’s never been more difficult to do one task at a time. Emails and other notifications on your phone now make it very tempting to switch between tasks before they’re finished. One result of this is that, is that important tasks can be left unfinished which means that you’re likely to be thinking about these tasks in the evening. Switching back and forth between jobs, known as a ‘cognitive cost’, is due to the mental energy that’s required for your brain to adjust to a different activity. When you feel distracted and overwhelmed, decision making can be compromised.
5 ways to “switch off” after work:
Reduce technology. Useful as smartphones and email are, leave them aside after work for the day.
Organise time for yourself. Schedule ‘me dates’ in your calendar and keep those appointments.
Single-tasking. As tempting as it is to switch between tasks, aim to stick to one job for at least 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
Clustering tasks. To increase efficiency, clump or ‘cluster’ similar tasks like emails and phone calls together.
Meditating. Meditation trains your attention to be present and focused. Apart from enhancing overall wellbeing, meditation also helps your memory and concentration, making it easier to single-task. With mindfulness you can train your mind to remain focused on the task at hand, meaning distractions are less and less likely to steal your attention away.
As more and more of us are time-poor, we should be focusing on not only the quantity but also the quality of our attention. Ideally, after work, that attention should be directed to the people that matter to us most. That will result in you bringing your best self to work, and to your friends and family.