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Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

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11–20 of 244 posts

Re: Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

#11
When I'm really angry, just a workout won't do the trick. I have to work out to the point of sheer exhaustion to release all that negative energy.

Having an enjoyable commute helps me a lot. A long walk or pleasant bus ride (with optional music) is time to process emotions and to create a mental break between work and home.

Meditation can also help -- not as a solution at the moment when you're angry, but as a habit that can improve your mindfulness and ability to deal with your own emotions.

My last resort is distraction - reading a book or watching a movie or TV show I know will be engrossing. An hour or two later, the frustration has usually dissipated.

That said, if you're experiencing rage that you can't control, or are on the edge of "snapping" - whether into rage or depression or whatever - I agree with the previous poster who suggested you seek mental health services.

A good therapist can help you come up with better outlets and coping mechanisms, or help you identify what in your life you need to change to avoid circumstances that trigger such frustration. It may take a few tries to find someone who works well with you, so don't get discouraged if the first person you try isn't a good fit.

Re: Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

#13
If you have a terrible job, no amount of therapy, exercising, and drinking will help you here.

You need to find a new job, plain and simple.

If it's your 10th job and you are feeling like this still, you have to figure out if it is bad luck (it does happen) or if it's something with you. Either way, it is sort of you, since you managed to keep finding and stepping into jobs you are unhappy at. Certainly, a hint or two during the interviewing stage was overlooked.

Re: Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

#14
post #8

I have known a number of people, including my ex, who needed some time to successfully make the transition without bringing baggage home. When my ex was having a bad day at work, he would come home and spend about an hour on his computer before he could talk with me without it going weird places. I have had conversations with people who talked about "Yeah, this is the real reason I stop at my favorite pub on the way…

One thing I noticed was when I had a longer commute (maybe 20-30 minutes), I felt like there was more of a disconnect between home and work (the drive, the 520 bridge specifically). Then I felt like I was wasting too much time, so I moved closer to work. I really did feel like I took more of it home just because I was closer to home.

Sometimes it does just take some time to decompress, no matter what you're spending that time doing.

Re: Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

#15
You might want to check out Stoicism, the philosophy, which has a lot to say about emotions. How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life by Massimo Pigliucci is a pretty good intro. You can also try diving right into original sources like the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, or the Enchiridion by Epictetus, or something by Seneca. There are many translations for all of these.

Re: Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

#16
I suggest doing something between work and home that you enjoy and that can fully distract you from work. Some hobbies are like this... an hour doing it and you will pretty much forget your work "self". Don't feel the need for it to be productive or purposeful.

I think much of the bad stress we get in jobs comes from our deeper understanding that the work is pretty pointless or simply unimportant to us. The idea of that (pointless) thing being who we are for most of our waking life is maddening.

Also, few of us are in high status positions at work (simply because of the typical hierarchical structure) even if the job or company is prestigious. Being in a low status role creates significant fatigue, stress, and anxiety, and is often the hardest to shake off at the end of the day when we are around true equals such as friends or loved ones.

So the best thing to do is to find work that feels more like play. But if you can't manage to do that, at least force yourself to play a bit after work to take the edge off. I recommend against making it about food or drink, since indulging provides a psychological salve that mutes the stress but does not truly evict it from your consciousness the way play does.

Re: Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

#18

If you have a terrible job, no amount of therapy, exercising, and drinking will help you here. You need to find a new job, plain and simple. If it's your 10th job and you are feeling like this still, you have to figure out if it is bad luck (it does happen) or if it's something with you. Either way, it is sort of you, since you managed to keep finding and stepping into jobs you are unhappy at. Certainly, a hint or tw…

I agree with this. If you're a reasonably balanced person (meaning, the problem isn't just you) and your job makes you feel like garbage, you should try to find something else. I know it's not that easy -- I've been in the same situation. I've finally moved on and I'm in a _great_ place. I had no idea that life could be this good.

Re: Ask HN: How to not bring emotion from work back home?

#19
post #14
post #8

I have known a number of people, including my ex, who needed some time to successfully make the transition without bringing baggage home. When my ex was having a bad day at work, he would come home and spend about an hour on his computer before he could talk with me without it going weird places. I have had conversations with people who talked about "Yeah, this is the real reason I stop at my favorite pub on the way…

One thing I noticed was when I had a longer commute (maybe 20-30 minutes), I felt like there was more of a disconnect between home and work (the drive, the 520 bridge specifically). Then I felt like I was wasting too much time, so I moved closer to work. I really did feel like I took more of it home just because I was closer to home. Sometimes it does just take some time to decompress, no matter what you're spending…

Driving mad is generally bad for your health in that angry drivers are much more likely to drive recklessly and get into accidents. Unless you can put yourself on a road somewhere where there is nobody to piss you off (and even then, some roadwork is going to happen more often than you would hope that makes you mad) it can just make anger worse.
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