How to stop all the time thinking about work

You dealt with all the work. You turn off the computer and remove the documents lying on the table. Everything is enough for today. Or not?

To get rid of thoughts about the work is not so simple. You will think about the planned tasks for tomorrow while walking the dog. Check your email from a smartphone while standing in line at the store. Brainstorm, washing in the shower.

Your body can leave the office on schedule, but the brain - no. This is such a body, which prefers to always work. We understand why it happens and how to fight it.

Why can not we get rid of thoughts about work

If you hard worker, you are not alone. PollMajority of U.S. Workers Think Traditional 9-to-5 is a Thing of the Past, Finds New CareerBuilder SurveyConducted by CareerBuilder resource, it found that 45% of all office employees continue to work in their spare time, while 49% respond to emails when they did not come.

And this statistic may not display the number of those people who do not work in odd hours, but whose thoughts still revolve around their professional duties.

Perhaps this is why so prevalent cases of burnout at work. StudyEmployee Burnout, Part 1: The 5 Main Causes, In which about 7500 people were studied, showed that at least 23% of respondents feel "burnt out" continuously. Yet 44% admitted that they, too, feel this state, but only from time to time.

Professional burnout can lead to dire consequences from falling productivity levelsThe Productivity of Working Hours to severe depressionOvertime Work as a Predictor of Major Depressive Episode: A 5-Year Follow-Up of the Whitehall II Study. And even worse than that. Another studyLong working hours and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished data for 603,838 individuals It indicates that people who are overworked, often die at a young age due to coronary heart diseases and stroke.

Someone might say that working overtime and just think about work - it's not the same, and the latter relatively harmless. But this is not the case.

In a studyStaying well and engaged when demands are high: The role of psychological detachmentPublished in the Journal of Applied Psychology, studied the effect of psychological detachment from affairs office after hours on health. As it turned out, not to think about the professional tasks in their free hours - an important factor for psychological and physical comfort.

In addition, another group of scientists foundExtended work availability and its relation with start-of-day mood and cortisolThat the level of cortisol, a "stress hormone", is increased in people who are obliged to be constantly in touch with the employer, compared with those who can be unavailable outside the office. Such employees harder restored after a hard day and can not fully relax. So, as you can see, nothing but the thought of the work can increase stress levels.

How to stop thinking about work

1. Direct your energy on something else

Anyone who has ever tried meditateHe knows how hard about anything not to think. The problem of "Do not think of a monkey" is doomed to failure. Instead, try to redirect his thoughts in another direction.

For example, do some yoga. Paint with. Play a board game with friends or children. Choose what you want.

The idea is to direct your attention to some problem, which requires you to mental effort, but it has nothing to do with work. This is effective for two reasons.

First, it distracts your brain from thinking about work. Psychologist Art Markman in article for the Harvard Business Review wrote:

Trying to get used to "not think about work in their spare time" Impossible, because your brain can not help but think. You can get into the habit only when you perform some specific action - you can not get used to avoid actions. Instead, create a plan for yourself, what do you do instead of working. Engage in personal development, start drawing, learning languages ​​or playing some instrument.

Art Markman

Secondly, our brain is not very good at working in a mode multitasking. researchMotivated Multitasking: How the Brain Keeps Tabs on Two Tasks at Once They show that, in principle, at the same time think of the two unrelated things still can. Yet, if in your free time you load the yourself some passion or hobby, you will be more likely that the mind will forget about the problems of the workers.

2. Create a plan and stick to it

As always ends your work day? You close the accumulated dozens of tabs in the browser, look in the list, noting to himself the unfinished items and feeling frustrated about it. And then go away, continuing to reflect on what needs to be done tomorrow.

But there is a way to finish the day better, so you do not bathe for undone. It's simple: before you leave, make a plan for tomorrow.

This may seem counter-intuitive: you and so a bunch of outstanding tasks, and then you offer them more and on a separate sheet of paper to write. But science proves that the plan actually unloads the head.

In a studySuccessfully leaving work at work: Theself-regulatory underpinnings of psychologicaldetachment Ball State University in Indiana of the subjects obliged to make a plan in which they indicate when and how they will complete their unfinished task. The second half of the participants did not. As a result, those who wrote the plan, less suffering from obsessive thoughts about the upcoming events.

Try it and you make their task from the head onto the paper. Or write to any task manager.

3. less time to spend with their gadgets

Thanks to modern technology, we are constantly in touch with our employers, and this fact does not help to forget about the affairs of the output. Thus, the average employeeAmericans Do not Want to Unplug from Phones While on Vacation, Despite Latest Digital Detox Trend check your phone every 12 minutes, even on vacation!

Therefore, limit the time spent on viewing mail and check messages. This will help you special apps for iOS and Android. A computer on the weekend can be disable notifications or activate the mode "Do Not Disturb".

4. Stop complaining

Many of us start to a busy day looks the same. We chat with colleagues about our disappointments, irritating moments of injustice, excessively strict superiors and other troubles.

You are stuck with their complex project, and the boss does not help you. You feel the only team who have at least something to do. And the worst thing: Jack from the marketing department can not understand that it is not necessary to press the button "Reply to All" in every email, and your mailbox is filled up her correspondence.

But the complaints did not help: they only increase stress and make you remember about working at the most inopportune moment.

Many studiesThe Relationships between Co-Rumination, Social Support, Stress, and Burnout among Working Adults; Co-ruminating increases stress hormone levels in women confirm that your verbalization wrath and frustration only increases it. Furthermore, among the colleagues you can pass forever disgruntled whiner.

So restrain their displeasure. You can try to "expressive writing": lock disturbing thoughts on a piece of paper and throw it. Experts from Harvard University and Ohio confirmWriting about emotions may ease stress and trauma; Bothered by negative, unwanted thoughts? Just throw them awayThat the ritual of the truth helps to discard negative thoughts and desist from them in future. The paper is cheaper than a psychologist, but the therapeutic effect is obvious!

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Use these four tactics, and your brain finally stop working overtime.