Once you’ve finished a hard day on the tools, it can be difficult to switch out of work mode. Your downtime is super valuable and helps you to be your best self at work, so it’s important that you make the most of it. If you’re struggling to switch off after work, we’ve put together a few things you can try!

Turn off work notifications on your phone

If you’re at home or out with your friends and family, the last thing you want is to have your phone pinging with work emails every 5 minutes. There are a few different settings you can change on your phone to mute certain notifications, or turn them all off completely. You need to be using your downtime to recharge, and worrying about things you can’t fix right now is only going to put your stress levels through the roof.

Hit the gym or go for a run after work

If you’re just driving straight home every day, it can be hard to make the transition from work-brain to home-brain. Adding something in between like a gym session or a run/walk outside can be a really good way to train your mind to know that work is done. That way, once you’re finished, you’ll go home feeling less stressed and ready to relax.

Get stuck into something you love

If exercising every day isn’t really your thing, you can get stuck into something else instead. Do you have a particular hobby you love doing? Maybe it’s reading, or maybe it’s working on your car. Whatever it is, anything that requires your attention and creative thinking is a great way to take your mind off work when you’re at home.

Create a to-do list for tomorrow

This one might not seem like it would help because you’re still thinking about work, but it’s a good way to stop you stressing about everything you still need to do. By writing it all down, it’ll help to get it out of your head, and it might just make it seem that much more achievable. Then once you’ve got a game plan for tomorrow, you’ll be able to relax!

Leave the work talk behind

It can be pretty helpful to chat through work problems with your friends and family because they can offer a different perspective. But if it’s getting to the point where you’re always talking and complaining about work at home, it’s not going to be good for your mental health and your family might resent you for it. Try to limit how much you’re talking about work to help you switch off.

It’s all about being present wherever you are – when you’re at work, you’re all about focusing and getting the job done, so when you’re at home, you should focus on spending quality time with your family and friends.