Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As soon as I head to the elevators to leave is when I stop thinking about work. I don't think about work until I get to my desk the next morning. It helps that it's basically discouraged for me to do both (I'm overtime eligible and my boss said don't work overtime unless it's a project with a really strict deadline).
And anyway, my job just isn't important enough to worry about when I'm not there. Nothing bad happens if I wait until the next day to respond to an email.
I'm not a doctor, a fireman, police officer, the President, etc. It's just not worth it to stress over work when you're not there.
Hello.
I think it may be releted to stress of the job, and the fact that when I punch out for the day, I still have cases assigned to me, that will be there the next morning. I have talked to other coworkers about this, and it seems to be somewhat split. Those that wake up at 3AM with a thought about a case they are working on, and those who don't think about work at all until they punch back in the next morning.
I want to be that person that doesn't think about it at all. I dream about work, and often try and "work through" my cases. Since I am now setup to work from home, I have access to my work e-mail on my personal laptop. I find myself checking my email when I wake up to see what I can expect when I punch in (I work the later shift).
Any suggestions to leave "work at work", or is this just the nature of the business?
Thanks!
Take it down a notch or you will be burned out.
There is no reason for you to be checking e-mails at 3 AM.
And I say that as someone who is obsessed with getting it done. I think about work almost near always because like you, I feel the urge to prepare and try to make my next day easier.
Get it through your head: It will always be there when you get there. There is no getting ahead because when you finish one file, there are 10 more. There is no such thing as getting ahead and your work will never be "over". Once you get through you own workload, they will reassign someone else's work to you. So you just plug through it one piece at a time and smile for job security.
I am a System/Network Admin now and have done lots of support both B2B software and general IT in the past.
When you work in support and spend sometimes hours and hours just trying to resolve an issue, troubleshooting, googleing, reading... it´s hard to turn off the thoughts when you get home. Often it is business critical systems, whether for your company or you customers company and it is on you to both find a solution and communicate and soothe the users or customers.
For myself a long run or a good workout in the gym helps a lot. On the weekends I race my sailboat, windsurf or rock climb.
I do read my mails, I have a company iPhone which I use privatly as well so it is hard not to but I won´t answer calls unless it is super important, I did once take a support call while leading a climb in the Alps, 3 or 3 meters above my last protection but at a good rest.
And anyway, my job just isn't important enough to worry about when I'm not there. Nothing bad happens if I wait until the next day to respond to an email.
I'm not a doctor, a fireman, police officer, the President, etc. It's just not worth it to stress over work when you're not there.
This is the reality of most jobs. I'm a compliance officer at a bank. There's no such thing as a "compliance emergency" that needs immediate action right that second. No one is going to die and as long as things are generally well managed and under control, we're not going to be immediately shut down all of a sudden. Work can wait until the next day. The managers I have had so far have had the same mindset. When I leave work I start thinking about other things before the elevator is even downstairs.
I used to do this. I was also extremely stressed out & depressed over my job. I am much more relaxed now that I leave my job AT my job. I come home, work out, relax in front of the tv with the hubby or with a book, and come back the next morning. I don't think about it and if something is bothering me, I try to think of a quick solution (I will call so & so first thing in the morning) and then put it aside.
You have to separate your work from your life. I find exercise really helps with stress, or even anger (like if my boss upsets me at the end of the day). I also have the capability to work from home, but I only ever log in if I have to work from home for the day (due to weather, illness, etc). I don't allow myself to log in at night or on the weekends. What's the point?
Tech support for a software company, why do you need to think about who is going to call tomorrow? If you are half way decent at your job, you are already better than the majority of knuckleheads who answer the phones at those places. That should give you some sense of self worth, and confidence.
I own my own business. The work, or at least thinking about it, is a 24/7/365 adventure. I am always "on". I also happen to really, really enjoy what I do.
There are some good suggestions here on what to do to unwind. I garden, ski, wood work and read. If you need further advice, get a book on how to relieve the daily stress in your life. There are tons of diversions which are inexpensive and helpful.
No, not inbound calls. I am a Level II, which researches issues that the inbound agents do not know the answer to, along with whatever e-mails come in from clients. We have anywhere from 3 to 90 days to provide an answer/update to the client. I will sometimes read an issue, but not work on it.
Hello.
I think it may be releted to stress of the job, and the fact that when I punch out for the day, I still have cases assigned to me, that will be there the next morning. I have talked to other coworkers about this, and it seems to be somewhat split. Those that wake up at 3AM with a thought about a case they are working on, and those who don't think about work at all until they punch back in the next morning.
I want to be that person that doesn't think about it at all. I dream about work, and often try and "work through" my cases. Since I am now setup to work from home, I have access to my work e-mail on my personal laptop. I find myself checking my email when I wake up to see what I can expect when I punch in (I work the later shift).
Any suggestions to leave "work at work", or is this just the nature of the business?
Thanks!
Hate to say this, but many workers involved in social work and such (My younger sister is one) they think of their cases DAILY and yes, will think of ways to help their cases or speed up caseload and even respond to their emails on the weekend.
Now this new job I'm working with? I leave it at the end of the day. They won't die, go to jail, or do anything, they can't as they're machines. So I don't worry about the person I'm passing off info to, they're most likely way more experienced than I am and so again, no worries....
Hello.
I think it may be releted to stress of the job, and the fact that when I punch out for the day, I still have cases assigned to me, that will be there the next morning. I have talked to other coworkers about this, and it seems to be somewhat split. Those that wake up at 3AM with a thought about a case they are working on, and those who don't think about work at all until they punch back in the next morning.
I want to be that person that doesn't think about it at all. I dream about work, and often try and "work through" my cases. Since I am now setup to work from home, I have access to my work e-mail on my personal laptop. I find myself checking my email when I wake up to see what I can expect when I punch in (I work the later shift).
Any suggestions to leave "work at work", or is this just the nature of the business?
Thanks!
I used to think about work during my off hours ALL THE TIME. I finally made a conscious decision to stop thinking about work if that "thinking" didn't accomplish anything tangible. I would find myself thinking about what I had to do the next day. Then thinking about it again. Then again. When I found myself doing that, I would ask myself, "does thinking about it get the task done?" When the answer was usually no, I started forcing myself to think about something else, anything else. Over time, I could redirect my brain more easily, and eventually stopped thinking about work after hours. Not very scientific, but it worked. I never think about work until I get in the car to drive there, then shut it off as I walk out the front door of work.
So I had to bring this topic back up. I have been in a new job for the last year, unlike the old job, I do not have cases assigned to me. When I am done, I am done. Sadly, I have a not-so-nice boss that likes to fire off angry e-mails, so I am constantly wondering when one will pop up. I work odd hours, hours that my boss isn't there, so its common not to hear from him until I am off for the day. I will often get up several hours before my shift and check my e-mail to see what sort of e-mails he sent out. I am getting better, I used to do it on my days off and then it would ruin a whole day for me. Sadly, he will e-mail an angry email out to the whole group if someone did something wrong, instead of just to that person, so I am left wondering if the e-mail is directed at me.
Hate to say this, but many workers involved in social work and such (My younger sister is one) they think of their cases DAILY and yes, will think of ways to help their cases or speed up caseload and even respond to their emails on the weekend.
Now this new job I'm working with? I leave it at the end of the day. They won't die, go to jail, or do anything, they can't as they're machines. So I don't worry about the person I'm passing off info to, they're most likely way more experienced than I am and so again, no worries....
Those were software help desk tickets, not social work cases.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
