4 Things To Avoid After Working More Than 40 Hours A Week
Certain things can be put off until tomorrow.
Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels If you work 40 hours or more per week, you know how exhausting it can be. The worst part about spending those exhausting hours in the workplace is that when you get home, you still have more stuff to do.
Well, you might be pleased to hear that it's recommended that you take a break after a long day of work before engaging in other tasks.
Researchers have found that attempting to exercise self-restraint exhausts the parts of your brain that deal with decision-making and impulse control which means you become less capable of managing your behavior. Essentially, you practice self-restraint all day at work, and when you come home, you're exhausted due to ego depletion — the theory that our willpower is a limited resource.
Here are 4 things to avoid after working more than 40 hours a week:
Instead of pushing through and possibly sabotaging yourself or those around you, the researchers said you should give yourself time to decompress after a long day at work.
Avoiding these four specific activities is a good start.
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1. Serious discussions with your loved ones
Imagine this: you and your partner were both running around in the morning and promised when you got home, you'd talk about what to do about the cooktop not working. But then, after a long day of work, you're tired and irritated, and when you sit down to talk about the situation, it ends in tears and yelling.
This is a prime example of no longer being able to practice self-restraint. You used it all up at work — making calls, writing emails, attending meetings — and you no longer have the bandwidth to interact with anyone, let alone your partner. It's best to put off important conversations such as these until the weekend.
2. Cooking time-consuming meals
Obviously, everyone needs to eat; it's how we survive. However, elaborate meals require a lot of effort as you may need to remain standing for longer periods of time, be near a hot stove, and move quickly around the kitchen to get things done.
A better alternative would be to learn quick and easy recipes that are tasty but simple to prepare or, as a last resort, order food.
Although not everyone can afford to order takeout frequently, another solution would be to meal prep over the weekend. This way, when you come home after a long day of work, it'll take just 20 minutes or less to have your meal ready.
3. Completing any work-related assignments
You know what's not a good idea after a long day at work? Doing more work!
You have already spent over eight hours as a cog in the machine; what makes you think doing more work is going to be a productive endeavor?
You need time to wind down — watch your favorite show, take a long shower, or maybe even take a small nap. Don't jump immediately from working at your job to working at home. If you try to, it may not be your best work.
4. Strenuous workouts
I'm not saying never exercise after work; for some people, that's the only time they have. However, after a draining day, it might be hard to properly concentrate on workouts that demand lots of focus, such as weightlifting.
Instead, try something less intensive such as walking around your neighborhood or following along to a relaxing yoga routine.
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Don't underestimate the fatigue of a full day at work, even if it involves sitting at a desk.
While the concept of ego depletion is still in its infancy and requires more research, there's no denying that the fatigue of a long workday or week can impact your ability to do basic tasks once you get home.
Research has shown that neglecting workplace boundaries, specifically work-life boundaries, can make the exhaustion at the end of a long day much worse. Remember that being a productive employee is not the same as overworking to exhaustion. Living with burnout will eventually catch up to you and damage not just your professional success but your personal life, as well.
Sahlah Syeda is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.