How do you not let work stress destroy your time at home?

2w ago1 min read

Real question. I manage a team of 8 people, work is actually interesting and I like what I do, but there's always something on fire. Bad quarterly results, someone's underperforming, leadership is pushing for more with less. I come home and my kids want to show me something and I'm physically there but mentally I'm still in the office. I snap at my wife over nothing, I'm scrolling my work emails while we're supposed to be having family dinner. I don't want to be that guy but I don't know how to turn it off. Taking a vacation week next month and I'm hoping that helps but something has to change because this isn't sustainable and it's not fair to them.

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Comments(5)

AAlexRegular2w ago

Have you tried setting a hard stop time? Like literally tell your team "I'm out at 5:30" and then you're actually out. Your brain won't decompress if you're checking emails at the dinner table. Easier said than done when you actually care about your work though.

DDerek P.Regular2w ago

Man, I feel this in my bones. With three kids and constant carpool chaos, I've learned to literally leave my phone in another room for the first hour home. Those fires can wait 60 minutes, I promise they can.

DDusty M.New Dad2w ago

The key for me is having one thing that's just mine with my kids, no work brain allowed. For us it's Sunday morning pancakes where I'm fully present. Find your thing and guard it like your life depends on it.

SSam T.Regular2w ago

This is tough. I work nights at the hospital so by the time I'm home in the mornings I'm exhausted, but my kids are wide awake and ready to go. No magic solution for me, just accepting that some days are going to feel split between two worlds. The coffee helps though.

DDannyRegular2w ago

Man, I feel this in my soul. I manage a team too and some days I walk in the house still thinking about whatever fire we put out at 3pm. What's helped me is literally closing the laptop and going straight to the grill. 20 minutes of prepping meat and I'm a different person. The kids know that's dad time and they respect it.