Disengaging when you get home

Switch Off My Dad always had trouble switching off when he left the office when he was younger. Being a corporate lawyer defined him to the core of his being, and it was hard to leave behind the challenges and conundrums his work threw at him. He revels in the intellectual challenge.

Me – much as I love both my job and the challenges it present, I generally have no problem turning off the work vibe when I get home. My wonderful family and my myriad hobbies have a way of occupying the time, emotional and cerebral space.

Every now and then, though, when things are particularly busy, it creeps through. Last night’s dreams saw me travelling around London with a former colleague trying to solve some indeterminate and ludicrously complex client challenge.

The worst thing about work-related dreams, even the vague ones, is that when you wake up – you feel like you’ve already done a few hours worth of work. I need to find a cure – the usual process of vegging out with TV / reading a book / hanging out with the family is generally super-effective but when things are extra busy, well… some extra tonic may be needed.