How do you guys handle stress when work follows you home?

Jun 23·1 min read

I work in tech and my manager expects me to respond to Slack messages until like 9pm. When I'm home I'm supposed to be present with the kids but my brain is still at work. I've tried turning off notifications but then I get anxiety that something important happened. My wife says I'm not really "here" even when I'm physically sitting on the couch. Started going for runs at 6am before the kids wake up just to clear my head. Is anyone else doing something like this?

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Comments(3)

LLuke M.RegularJun 24

This is exactly why I set my Slack to offline at 5:30pm. During family time I'm fully present or not at all. Work will still be there tomorrow and honestly your kids growing up won't wait.

BBradRegularJun 24

That's when you gotta put the phone in another room. I started leaving mine in my office during dinner and bath time. The stress of constantly checking messages was bleeding into my home life. Best decision I made.

JJosh M.RegularJun 24

Tech industry is brutal about that stuff. I finally had to tell my manager that I don't check Slack after work hours unless it's marked urgent. If something truly needs me they can call. The boundary setting is hard but necessary for your family time.