How to Leave Work at Work
Transitions can be hard. Just ask your toddler if you have one! ha ha
Switching gears throughout your day takes mental strength and focus as you go from waking up to morning routine, from home to work, from meeting to meeting, and most importantly in my opinion, from working to parenting.
Parenting coaches tell you to prepare your toddler that a transition is coming. Some parents even set a timer so your child knows that in 5 minutes it will be time to put on his shoes and go to school, for example.
Knowing what’s coming lets you prepare - physically and mentally.
But as adults, we rarely afford ourselves the same privilege that we do our kids - advance notice.
We rush from activity to activity without much preparation, without much thought, and without much intention.
One of my favorite episodes of Marie TV is an interview with Brendon Burchard where he recommends that whenever you shift gears between different activities throughout your day, you should:
“release the tension and set an intention”
It’s a quick and easy exercise that you can do from anywhere.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths making sure that with every exhale you're letting go of any stress and tension from wherever it is you’re coming. Let’s say in this scenario - Work (or more likely, your home office).
And then you set an intention for how you want to experience, feel, or focus in this next stage - Home/Parenting.
This exercise alone can work wonders in the evenings when you’re coming off of a full day of work and starting your second shift with the kids.
You can do it when you pull into the garage before walking in the door to your kids. You can do it before you turn off the car in the parking lot at daycare. Or you can do it at your desk before you walk downstairs to get dinner started. All you need is a minute.
The hardest part of this exercise is not the exercise itself, it's remembering to do it. It's giving yourself the space, the extra minute to prioritize it.
So put a post-it on your dashboard or on your laptop. Set an alarm that goes off 5 minutes before the end of your workday. Do whatever you can to help yourself remember how important these two steps are for you to be able to show up in the way you want to with your family.
You want to leave work at work and be present, have fun, and be relaxed.
The good news is, you can! You just need to prepare yourself for the transition that's coming and make the space to release any tension and set your intention.
How will you remember to prepare yourself for the next shift? Hit reply and tell me what works for you.
p.s. - Weekends are also FULL of transitions and this skill will serve you as tremendously there in setting you and your little one up for more fun, joy, and relaxation. Don't forget to register for Weekends That Work on May 24th.