Since I've been working from home, I'm basically always reachable. My boss still messages me at 8 PM, and I find it hard to switch off. My girlfriend says I've become way more irritable and I'm constantly on my phone. How do I set some boundaries again?
The problem is real - the line between work and personal life blurs incredibly fast when you're working from home. Set concrete times for yourself: turn off phone notifications after 6 or 7 p.m., mute your work chat, and don't reply until the next day. Your boss will get used to it - if you're reliably responsive the next morning, he'll quickly realize that "immediately" isn't necessary. Your girlfriend is right: if you can't switch off, it gets exhausting for everyone around you.
I'd recommend actively establishing a "work's over" routine - for me, it helps if I do something completely different after my last email, like taking a walk or just closing the laptop and putting it in another corner. That kind of mental ritual helps your brain flip the switch. And I'd bring it up with your boss - clearly and calmly, that you're not available after 7 p.m. (or whenever), but you'll be back full force the next morning. Most bosses get it if you communicate it professionally 💪
Sure, just turning off notifications doesn't really work - your boss is going to message you anyway, and you'll keep checking to see if anything important came in! That just creates more stress and guilt. What's much more important is actively talking to your boss. Tell him specifically: "After 6 PM I won't be responding, only in emergencies." Most bosses respect that when you make it clear that you'll be fresher and more productive afterward. That's not laziness, that's being professional!
What helped me is: creating a physical boundary. If you have a separate workspace, leave it when work ends! Close the laptop, put your phone in another room, done. And this is really important - fill your free time with something that actually distracts you. Don't just sit around and stay mentally at work. For me it works when I go outside or do something hands-on - then my head is really off. Your girlfriend's right that you're irritable, but you can change that. Give yourself two or three weeks until the new routine sticks.
Log into answer.
