For many people, it is difficult to completely get away from work. And this has nothing to do with our electronic attachments to our jobs through our phones and email. It is our inability to mentally detach from our job.

When we leave the office, or wherever our work site happens to be, our minds are still there. We are still thinking about how thing went, whether it was good or bad, and the things we still need to do. And because of this, we may be physically present with our loved ones at home, but mentally we are not all there. We are distracted.

Research has shown that the main reason we are unable to detach from work is our focus on what we still need to do. We are looking into the future at what we still need finish, whether it is something on our to do list, a project we are working on, or a phone call we need to make. We don’t focus on what we have achieved, but on what we haven’t. So, even if we turn off our cell phone and leave our briefcases at work, it still comes with us.

How to Detach

But recent studies have shown that there is a way to help us detach from work, to really leave our work at the office. It is a two-step approach.

The first thing to do is make list. On the list you should write all of the important tasks that you were not able to finish during the day.

Then, you need to write down a plan for exactly how, where, and when you will finish each of these tasks. Your instructions should be specific and detailed. For example, the instructions might be something like, before reading email in the morning or checking voicemail, you will send out an email to your project manager explaining the new budget item.

The study showed that people who made these plans were more relaxed and not as focused on the things they had not yet finished. Making these very detailed plans enabled them to take their minds off of their work.

If you are looking for work in the New York City area, Winston Resources is the place to go. Winston has the experience and expertise to find the right job for you. We know the New York job market, and we know what employers are looking for. Give Winston a call today.