We all have the best intentions to contain our work to the workday and create clear boundaries between our work and personal lives. But what happens when you truly must get back online to work in the evening after dinner, social or family time to keep on top of your workload? I hear it often from clients. It’s a common struggle to have more to do than fits in a workday.
Whether it’s due to an overwhelming workload, an understaffed team, or your own preference to have a sharp end to your workday to spend time with your family or at the gym, there are times when you truly need to log back into your computer in the evening to finish some critical tasks.
But you don’t have to fall into an endless work trap leaving no time to renew. When you absolutely, positively must get back on the computer at night, there are concrete ways to contain it.
The key is to orchestrate your evening realistically for both work and rest. Here’s how:
Limit the Time
Before diving back into work mode, pre-determine exactly how long you're going to spend on your computer. Avoid saying, “I'm going to work till I run out of things to do….or until I run out of energy.” That is the endless work trap. Will you work for an hour, 90 minutes, or two hours? I wouldn't recommend any more than two. A renowned Stanford study showed that working long hours doesn’t make you more productive. Our output diminishes significantly after a 50-hour work week and falls off a cliff after 55 hours. Imagine that once you surpass that 55 hours you are getting at most 10 minutes on the hour.
Simplify the Tasks
Choose specifically what category or kinds of tasks you will (and won’t) do at night. Be concrete and try for the lightest mental load activities. Perhaps doing a final sweep of your email box and sending out quick notes, prepping for your next day’s meetings, or looking ahead in your calendar to make sure everything is still a priority. Many people gravitate to late at night for their quiet concentrated work, but an exhausted end-of-day brain is not the most efficient or effective time for deep thinking. Knowing that you will be tired, try to keep to tasks that only need a light touch. Block time during your workday for the deep thinking work you are paid to produce.
Plan a Decompression Activity
When you are finished with your work, it’s essential to build in some sort of relaxation activity to transition from your very busy work brain to your rest and relaxation brain. It's simply too hard to go from work straight to bed. We all need a cushion between work and sleep. Think of activities that are truly transporting and fulfilling for you. Perhaps listening to music, reading, doing some stretches, spending a few minutes on a hobby, or watching just one tv episode. It doesn't have to be for long—even 20-30 minutes can be enough to give your body and brain the chance to refill your tank after a day of output, before being ready to let the day go and surrender to sleep.
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have to work at night after hours. But when we must, we can minimize the impact by being strategic in what, when, and how we work at night. That way, we can feel on top of our workload and still have a chance to recharge and renew.