This blog is written by Dr Rebecca Williams. Having worked as a GP for nearly 25 years, she now runs a stress management business, supporting individuals and businesses in reducing the impact of stress.
In my work, I frequently come across the issue of clients working long hours at the expense of their down-time or ruminating over work issues when they have finished their work. I’ve designed a ‘de-brief session’ to help people ‘tidy up’ at the end of their working day and enjoy their down-time as an opportunity to rest and re-charge: -
Firstly, decide what time you want to finish your working day and add on an extra half hour.
Secondly, use this half hour to reflect on 3 things: -
- What has gone well today? Allow yourself to feel good about these things.
- What needs further thought? Allow yourself time to think about issues that have cropped up that need a bit more attention. Eg comments from a meeting, a CPD session.
- What jobs are still outstanding? Write a list of all the tasks you still need to do and allocate them appropriately. Bear in mind when your ‘power hours’ are, the time of day when you are most motivated and productive. Allocate challenging tasks to these slots. Create a list of tasks for the next day.
Once your half hour is up, your working day is complete! Close your computer and try to incorporate enjoyable activities into the remaining hours in your day! If you remember something that needs to be done, add it to your list or email it to yourself for action the next day. However, if you find yourself ruminating over work issues during your precious down time, it’s important to let them go. Use a catchphrase such as ‘not now’ or ‘let it go’ then distract yourself with something that occupies your mind. Use your down-time to nurture your mental, physical and emotional health.