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

This. I cannot recommend this strongly enough. I stopped doing this during the German soft lockdown and it backfired totally. While I was still dressing for work, the moment I stopped working in the evening and went for a walk I was able to unwind and let my work mode brain come to rest.

I started doing this again after some days in the office when working from home and it helped tremendously.

Even in your 1BR apartment, can you make a spot is that is your "work" spot? A desk in a corner that you always work at, and don't use for anything but work?

Having a specific location for "work", that when I leave I am no longer "at work", is what has worked for me. I've been working from home since before the pandemic, and some people are like "oh that's great, you can go work at coffeeshops" -- but I didn't do that (pre-pandemic even). I have a specific place in my home that is "going to work", and when I'm there I'm working and when I'm not I'm not.

You could also begin and end the work day with certain habits/rituals. For instance, take a walk around the block (or longer) right before you sit down to work; when the work day is over, take another walk around the block (or longer). Develop this as a habit, and you will internalize it as boundaries/barriers between the work time and the not work time. (Doesn't have to be the same thing before/after. Maybe you start work right after breakfast, and end work with a walk around the block. But something that you actively do, that marks the transition).

this is actually a nice idea, I'll try that.

Same here.

I simply just turn off the laptop and if I want to work on personal stuff I switch to my personal desktop machine. This means I have to switch over the USB dongles and switch the monitor inputs.

So it's enough of a hassle to go back to working on the work laptop and so I never do it.

I live in a 2BR apartment where the second bedroom is my office. For me, I have two walls lined in desk with two completely separate stations set up. They use different equipment, different OS, different chair, etc. I also have Hue lights that I change from a brighter, whiter light while working to a more subdued, dark blue/purple after work.

The only way I can do it is to completely leave my workstation and never even look at it while doing my leisure activities. I've tried using the same setup for both before and it just messes with my mind to the point where it's never not work.

If you don't have the space for a secondary setup and are using a laptop, try moving to the dining room table for the last hour of your work day. Then shut down and do a chore before doing anything at your desk for the night.

Oh, one thing that I do recommend: shut down your work computer every single night. It takes 20 seconds to start back up in the morning. Do not leave it on. Do not sleep it. Do not let it tempt you. The second your work day is over, shut it down, unplug it, and leave it in the corner until the following work day.