The burdens of our jobs are like a weight on our back.
That weight can go home with us where it doesn’t belong, reducing our family focus, or enjoyment of hobbies. On the back of my office door is a hook for a jacket or a hard hat. Before I go home each day, I look at that hook and symbolically place the burdens of the day in a “backpack” and hang it on that hook and walk out that door and head home. It will be there just as I left it when I return to work the next day.
If while I’m home, a work burden attempts to hijack my thoughts away from my family, I say to myself “what’s that doing here, it’s in my backpack on my office door back at work!” and quit thinking about that.
If the thoughts or worries about my job won’t go away, I replace those thoughts with a conversation with someone in my family. Doing so moves the focus from the work-related issue to where it should be anyway while home…my family. Usually, I’ll ask an engaging question such as “what was the best thing you did today?” or “What would you like to do this weekend?”
-Kevin Brownlee Agora Strategic Advisor