A Guide To Switching Off From Work

Today’s world has become so technically advanced that we find it almost impossible to turn off our smart phones and tablets. We always want to check the latest social media news, post an update on our Facebook page or retweet something interesting on Twitter. Because we spend so much time glued to our smart phones we can’t resist checking through our emails and a percentage of those will be work related, meaning is there ever a time that we can completely switch off from our work life?

At Debbie Burbage we have come up with some useful tips to help you turn off during your spare time so that you can leave your work behind the moment you step out of the office.

1.) Have A Work Phone

Some companies will provide you with a company phone which is a great way to keep your personal life and your work life separate. Having a work phone means that you can keep your work clients and customers separate to your family and friends, meaning that once your evening or weekend has begun you can turn that phone off. Having a work phone also means that you can keep your emails on that one phone rather than them being on your personal phone.

2.) Don’t Add Your Work Emails To Your Phone

If you do just have the one phone then don’t add your work emails to your phone otherwise you will end up looking at those whilst checking your own personal emails and before you know it you are responding to emails at 10.30pm on a Saturday night. Emails can always be checked by logging into your emails separately or having them in a separate folder to your personal emails so that you are not checking them during your free time.

3.) Keep Your Work In The Workplace

If you need to finish work then stay that little bit longer in the office to finish rather than taking it home with you. This means that you can keep your work life in the office rather than working in your own home. Keeping your work life and personal life separate will help stop your work life interfering in your personal life taking over your spare time such as evenings, weekends, days off and holidays.

4.) Don’t Take Your Phone To Bed With You

So many people keep their phone right by their side throughout the day and leave it on the bedside table when it is time to go to sleep. This means that we end up checking our work emails right before we go to sleep and the moment we wake up. Looking at a phone or bright screen such as a tablet or computer before going to sleep can lead to a bad nights sleep and can leave things playing on our minds. Our advice is to leave it downstairs or in another room so that you are not tempted to look at emails or your social media accounts. You may be thinking but what about the alarm? Use the old fashioned alarm clock that is sitting on your bedside table, unused. If you do want to use your phone as an alarm clock turn it to airplane mode. The alarm will work but no emails or text messages will come through until you turn off airplane mode in the morning.

5.) Simply Switch Off Your Phone

The best advice to give is to simply switch off from work and the technical world of social media and work emails. Enjoy your evenings and your days off, spend time with your family and friends and catch up with your work when you step back into the office on Monday morning.

 

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