Why Your Weekends Aren't For Work

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BbYKpgVthllF of 1:03PM August 10, 2009

Thanks for this article. You make a great point about bring work stuff home. Whenever I get bored, I start working (weeknight or weekend). Since I like being productive, I've decided to focus my efforts on a website focus on careers. I figure that I'm still figuring out what I want to do so I may as well create a resource for people like me.
It's amazing, sometimes I come home from work, and I immediately check my work email to see what I missed on the way home from work...how sad. I'm trying to cut off thinking about situations and people at work, but it's difficult at times.
I'd love to hear how you retrained your thoughts off the clock. Please share!
Thank you.
Daphne R.
www.careercougar.com

D. Robinson of CT 12:46PM June 24, 2009

I absoluteley agree with you. It could really kill the home life or even social life if all a person talks about is work......

Janine of FL 2:15PM June 23, 2009

This was like reading about my own life. My previous job was great, but full of challenges that I was not fully equipped (or suppored by management) to handle. I was also attached to the job 24/7 via a Palm Treo which became my husbands nemisis. Many an evening was ruined when I heard the chime of an incoming email, only to find that a client was angry, or someone had dropped the ball, leaving me spinning trying to solve the problem while my husband handled the dishes and a wife on the brink of a breakdown.
Fast forward a few years to a new job, a new state, and a wisdom(? questionable at times!) that hit me after 30, and I am able to turn work off as soon as I'm out the door. This lasts all weekend. And even when I do field the periodic calls from my boss on my days off, I'm able to handle the situation and let it go as soon as I hang up the phone. I've also learned to say 'no', which is something that would have been unfathomable to me a few years ago. I enjoy my job immensely, and I know that my employers value me.
Bottom line is, once I learned to turn work off when I was out the door, life became more enjoyable than I could have imagined!

Kelley of WA 11:48PM June 22, 2009

My work could consume me if I let it! The nature of what I do (help people to figure out what they do best, then find someone to pay them for it) is all about relationships, and I always want to be helpful to those I am serving. But, when I leave the office, it is not just my client base that needs help-it is also my group of friends, family, and every person I meet that asks me what I do for a living. The first few years in my career, I took a lot home with me (figuratively, but also literally.) Eventually I started feeling burned out, and people started to annoy me (which makes for a difficult situation when your only "product" is the result of the people you help!) Therefore, I set a rule that I will always deflect a person's request for help to have them set up an appointment during my office hours, I don’t use my cell phone for work and I refuse to talk about my work for more than a few minutes (when I am not there.)Also, I unplug from emails, social media, and work-related content on the weekends. That got rid of all of my "Mondays" and led to be much more productive, helpful, and satisfied in my work. My wife and kids like me more too! There is something to be said about trying to maintain a balanced perspective through maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

http://twitter.com/daveisbell of MI 5:40PM June 22, 2009

I think this is one of those things that is an interesting source of debate, but which largely depends on what you do for a living -- and whether you work for someone else, yourself or both.
As someone with a day job who is also building a business, weekends are the ONLY time I get to think about my work. They are also the only chance I get to blog, deal with personal branding issues and attend many valuable business networking functions.
So I definitely agree that I am past the point in my life where I am willing to spend my weekend on my employers tasks (something I couldn't have said back in my 20's), the fact is that as a small business owner, my weekends are still about work. It's just mine, instead of someone else's.

Alora Chistiakoff of TX 3:37PM June 22, 2009

I agree that the only way to stop thinking about work at home is to just stop. It takes time to retrain yourself, so don't give up on it. I do find myself way less stressed about specific incidents and issues which is good for everyone. People will aks me, "So did you think about it all weekend?" and I will actually think, "think about what?"

Lesley of NY 2:58PM June 22, 2009

So true, I finally realized I was not a brain surgeon, so no one would die if I did not think or act on work matters over the weekend. I am happier and a better employee as a result. Thanks for pointing this out and hope many will take your advice.

Kathy Quigley of GA 1:39PM June 22, 2009