Summary.
When work is stressful, it can be difficult to disengage at the end of the day. But research shows that certain routines can help: finish one small task before you leave the office, write a to-do list for the next day, tidy your desk, create a ritual to mark the end of professional time, and start your personal time in the evening on a positive note with the right sort of friend or family engagement. Used together, these five steps can greatly improve work-life balance.Chris, a senior manager at a New York design studio can’t sleep. His mind is churning, thinking about the mountain of tasks facing him back at the office. Katrina, the production manager at a well-known publishing house is distracted by a work email at the dinner table. Her partner complains that she “never seems able to turn off.”