I do exactly that. I do not look at work emails. I do no check slack. No one from work has my personal line except HR. I start/finish at the time I’m contracted.
Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
41–50 of 318 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#42What: Reading, music (I dabble with synths), TV Series.
How: What I usually do is work until a fixed time, and then have a hard stop. Do some laundry, check out a YouTube video on the couch, etc. If there is anything really urgent, I can pick up again, but the physicality of getting away from the computer and doing something else helps A LOT.
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#43During first lockdown I couldn't not switch off after work. I spent 300 hours gaming. I never play games. They don't hold my attention for more than 3 days.
During this second lockdown I can't switch out of work mode and into doing other things.
My brain just does what it wants and I'm only a passenger along for the ride.
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#44Talking to folks. And https://reddit.com/r/ContagiousLaughter.
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#45I met a guy that was in your situation. He would wake up with an alarm clock, shower, get dressed "properly", eat etc. Then leave the house and walk in a predetermined path around the block to arrive back at his house for "work". When work was over (at a set time) he would get up, leave the house again, walk the path in reverse, and arrive "home". ymmv.
I love this.
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#46I don't so much switch off , as switch modes , by forcing some kind of "commute". Sometimes this involves going for a run, or even a walk around the block; other times it's half an hour in a VR headset (I have an Oculus Quest, which helped hugely during shielding and lockdown). But whatever it is, I just make it long enough and different enough from work that when I return to reality/the flat, I've got my not-work he…
Out of curiosity, what do you do in VR that helps break things up for you?
Specifically for "commute" mode, I tend to play a few solo games of Premium Bowling[0], or I hit "random" in Wander[1] until an interesting location to virtually explore pops up.
[0] https://www.premiumbowling.com/ [1] https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2078376005587859/
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#47I met a guy that was in your situation. He would wake up with an alarm clock, shower, get dressed "properly", eat etc. Then leave the house and walk in a predetermined path around the block to arrive back at his house for "work". When work was over (at a set time) he would get up, leave the house again, walk the path in reverse, and arrive "home". ymmv.
I was going to suggest to take a walk, but this is even better.
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Furthermore, I would add to the first point, separate computers for working and entertainment.
Good point. That's exactly what I'm doing. Almost regard it as given, but of course, some don't have a separat device for work.
Some people are not so lucky to have a good work machine for their needs.
If the company allows working from home computer, it can be tempting to use that if it is more powerful.
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#49What: Reading, music (I dabble with synths), TV Series. How: What I usually do is work until a fixed time, and then have a hard stop. Do some laundry, check out a YouTube video on the couch, etc. If there is anything really urgent, I can pick up again, but the physicality of getting away from the computer and doing something else helps A LOT.
> music (I dabble with synths),
When you say dabble, do you mean doing sound design or doing song compositions?
Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?
#50I'm pretty much in the same situation (I actually have a studio, so there's only one room in my apartment).
As others have said, boundaries and having some sort of routine helps a lot.
Issues you may encounter, like me, are that most of my "non-work activities" involve computers and are fairly similar to my work activity.
At first, during lockdown, I drifted away from my regular routine and everything went downhill, including sleeping and exercise patterns, which usually create a vicious circle for me.
What I usually do is this:
* Routines: I try to wake up at roughly the same time every morning, do some exercise, eat a quick breakfast. Start work at the same time every day. Have lunch around the same time every day. Stop working at the same time every day.
* Boundaries: The best way I found is using my work laptop. It comes out when I start working, goes away when I stop. No work-related stuff on my personal computer won't have me "check something real quick".
As the work laptop has a terrible coil whine and my room is very silent, I don't use that often anymore. So the boundaries become: when it's time to clock out, turn off work-related programs (teams, outlook, etc) and turn off phone notifications. Physically do something else, like walk around the yard if I happen to be at my parents' house or look out the window for five minutes / read a book / do some chores around the apartment. When I get back in front of the computer, nothing work-related is directly visible, so it's easier to not be pulled back in.