The guilt of bringing work stress home

JakeNew Dad

4d ago·1 min read

Had a brutal day at work, lost a major client and I know my boss is going to be furious tomorrow. Came home snappy with the kids over nothing, wife could tell something was wrong. I hate how a bad day at the office bleeds into my time with my family. By the time I decompress it's already bedtime. Does anyone have actual tactics for leaving work at work? I need to figure this out because my kids don't deserve to deal with my stress.

-1

3 comments207 views

Comments(3)

CChristopher M.New Dad2d ago

This is a tough spot. Lost clients happen to everyone eventually but the guilt spiral is what gets you. I try to remind myself that my kids don't care about my job performance, they just want dad to be okay. Maybe focus on what you can control tomorrow instead of catastrophizing tonight?

JJosh M.Regular3d ago

Man, that's rough. I've been there with the client losses. My advice: don't bring that anger into the house. Take a walk, call a friend, literally do anything to decompress before you see your kids. They can feel that energy and it messes with them more than you'd think. Tomorrow you'll handle it with your boss. Tonight, be present with your family.

RRob T.New Dad4d ago

The hardest part is that moment when you walk through the door and have to switch modes. I usually give myself a hard stop at 6pm, literally close the laptop and go do something with the kids for 20 minutes. Resets everything. You got this.