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Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#61

Post by alexpetralia »

s1t5 wrote: post #4

Simply switching devices helps. If it's after 5pm and I don't have any meetings or tasks that I can complete by 6pm, I turn off the work laptop and put it away until the next morning.

Yep, this helps for me too. I sign off my work laptop between 5-6pm and don't get any notifications on my other devices.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#62

Post by apabepa »

If stress levels are normal usually a short walk will do. If something is really stuck in my head i complement with stashing away the work computer and having a drink on my balcony. I am not recommending it, but you asked how I switch off :)

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#63

Post by mvanbaak »

arvinsim wrote: post #48
kharak wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

For a lot of people I know (all located in europe, maybe that makes the difference) the only 'desktop/laptop' they have, is work issued. So it's the other way around.

Just create 2 logins on it, one for work, one for private.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#64

Post by HelloFellowDevs »

I have my usual backpack that I use for work, so when I get ready for work I unpack my bag, plug my laptop in my dock and prep to go. Then when I'm done I pack up my bag put it away and play a podcast/music before I 'start' the rest of my day.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#65

Post by mvanbaak »

speedRS wrote: post #39
darrenf wrote: post #12

I 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?

beat saber is very very good for that. And it's also a work-out!

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#66

Post by geocrasher »

You need a commute. It can't be a physical "get in a car and drive to work" type of commute for obvious reasons, and so you need another way to signal to your brain "Hey, you're now getting away from the working process."

It can be as simple as walking away from the computer for at least 30 minutes. Turn off your phone, tablet, monitors, and what not. Don't sit down and watch TV. Give your brain time to make the transition.

I've been WFH since 2011- and at first it was a disaster for similar reasons. Once I set a routine that meant walking away from the computer for a while, I could come back and my brain had shifted gears a bit, and I could go on with my day.

For me it's as simple as getting off work and making a meal, then sitting down and watching TV after I made the meal, and in a different room than my computer.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#68

Post by atorodius »

air7 wrote: post #20

I 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.

Did this for a while. For anyone trying this, make sure the path is decently long (15min is nice in my experience), and that you build it into your morning routine - for me, I was not allowed to take my coffee before going for the walk.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#69

Post by heelix »

The 30" monitor switches from my work Mac to my personal Linux box. I can hear the work laptop ping with jabber/email/etc, but once I swap the monitor over, the work day is done. Company is persnickety about using external computers and this way code, searches, and network activity stays on their gadgets and mine stays on mine. Helps keep me from being distracted by personal stuff when getting work done.

I found if I could see it, I'd always get sucked in.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#70

Post by auslegung »

I add an activity after work that I look forward to, for example playing a video game. Plus as soon as I’m supposed to be done with work for the day I quit Slack, which is our main communication tool. So that’s enough for me 1) schedule a fun task for after work and 2) immediately quit our main communication app.
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