We are here to provide you with some straightforward ways to disengage from work after your business hours end. The easiest (and most obvious) way to detach from work is to set clear boundaries for yourself and your clients or customers. At Help On Deck, we like to use our calendar and emails not just to communicate when we’re online and available but when we’re offline too! Use the tools you already have to let others know that you need time away. Set your automatic replies in emails with alternative options for assistance. Block time off in your calendar for hours you are offline and inaccessible. Do you have a client or a manager that likes to send last-minute emails? Or a customer that sent a complaint at 11 PM, and you have the urge to respond? Now you have systems in place to not only handle those situations but to respond to them as well, without ever having to log in or head back to the office!

Another way to truly detach from work is to embrace your downtime fully. Downtime is your time to be fully present with yourself, your loved ones, and even your pets. Focus on your health and wellbeing. After you conclude your business for the day, create a routine that includes proper nourishment and physical fitness. Refresh and replenish yourself. Change into your favorite sweatshirt, soak in a relaxing bath, read that book that’s been on your shelf collecting dust, or schedule an appointment with a masseuse. Turn off your phone or laptop and go offline for a few hours. The French have something called “l’art de vivre,” or the art of living, which is the knowledge of how to enjoy life and its practice. Think of all the small ways you can enjoy life on a daily basis. You don’t have to be Parisian to enjoy all of the small things that bring you happiness. 

Lastly, remember that you are more than your job. Ask yourself what it is that you want out of life? You can define personal success when you have a clear answer to this question in mind. Your personal success is a value separate from the success you experience in your professional life. You can derive values from the other roles in your life as well. Reinforce the idea that your business or job is only a fraction of who you are as a person. Keeping those values in mind is a great way to detach from work. Have questions about some of the tips we’ve shared so far? Send us a text or book a call with us today and let’s discuss it! As always, we are happy to help.