What to do to avoid thinking about work at home?

What can you do to stop thinking about work at home?

Many people think about work outside of work, which can sometimes lead to new ideas. However, thinking too much about work can lead to stress, which can lead to insomnia at night or anxiety in the hours before your alarm goes off.

According to a 2018 study by Korn Ferry, stress caused insomnia in 66 percent of American workers. Insomnia can also negatively affect cognitive functions such as critical thinking, problem-solving, planning, and organization, which can further increase stress.

Try these strategies to stop thinking about work in the middle of the night:

**Make a to-do list**

There’s always something to do. Studies from Baylor and Emory universities have shown that making a to-do list for the next day before bed can help you fall asleep faster. This technique can help you wake up less often at night because writing down unfinished tasks reduces cognitive arousal, thinking, and anxiety. If you wake up in the middle of the night and remember an important task, make it a habit to keep a pen and paper on your desk to jot it down. Write it down, push it out of your mind, and try to get back to sleep.

**Keep a journal or notebook**

Writing your thoughts and feelings in a notebook can help you process them rather than let them fester in your brain, reducing stress and anxiety. Also, writing down positive events and things you’re grateful for can help you sleep longer and more deeply.

In a study of college students who suffered from anxiety before bed, the group of students who wrote in a journal every night for a week experienced a reduction in stress and anxiety at bedtime, in addition to improving the duration and quality of their sleep.

**Be Kind to Yourself**

In her book, Self-Care: The Proven Way to Take Care of Yourself, Kristen Neff describes self-care as the act of treating yourself with kindness and care, like a good friend. Learning to be kind to yourself, recognizing that we are all imperfect, can help break the cycle of self-criticism that accompanies negative thoughts and self-talk that can lead to insomnia.

**Get some exercise**

Studies show that a single bout of intense exercise can reduce the amount of time you spend awake at night. In general, there is evidence that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise can help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep. For some, exercising before bed can disrupt your sleep. If you are one of these people, it is recommended that you exercise at least an hour or two before bed.

**Practice meditation**

There are many studies showing the positive effects of meditation on anxiety and stress. In addition, researchers in the Netherlands found that even a small amount of mindfulness meditation (10 minutes before and after work for two weeks) can help calm the mind and improve sleep quality and duration.

Stressful situations at work are inevitable, but it doesn’t have to interfere with a good night’s sleep. By using the strategies above, you can increase your ability to wake up refreshed, ready to tackle the workday.