How to turn off work thoughts during your free time | Guy Winch 

In his autobiography, “Grinding it Out,” Ray Kroc said he would clear his mind before bed by picturing a blackboard full of writing, and imagining himself erasing all the writing off the board. He said that process really cleared his mind. He said he recognized he needed a good night’s sleep to be able to perform well the next day so he felt a responsibility to get himself the best rest with the clearest mind possible.

I tip I was told, is to offload your thoughts into a voice recorder (or app on your phone). Listen to them back as though it's your best friend telling you their worries. Then record what you would say back to them as advice. This is great for creating distance from your thoughts, perspective and re-framing concerns.

Needed to hear this so bad. Thank you for this video. Ever since I started my new job 5 months ago I realized that I have slowly developed anxiety over the months. At first it started with negative thoughts which only happened at worked but soon stopped. But now everytime I came home I wouldn't feel like my usual self. I felt tired and stressed out and I would get anxiety attacks right before sleeping. I thought I had developed a mental disorder but then I realized that it was because I wasn't doing anything to relieve my stress and it just kept building up to the point where I started feeling anxious whenever I came home. Add some sleep deprivation and you can see where this led me. This man right here pretty much confirmed what I've been feeling.

We stress about work not at work, we're too busy, we stress about it after, at home. Active thinking doesn't activate stress, but ruminations (I have too much work) do - they slip out uninvited. 1. Clear guard rails - I am done at ___pm. Be strict about it. No emails, no glancing. Turn off notifications. And if you have to check, designate a time. 2. Create a defined work zone - even if it's tiny. Wear clothes only for work. Use music and lighting to shift moods. 3. Turn ruminations into productive problem solving. "I have too much work." Where can I clear out my schedule next to handle this task?

His suggestion about changing clothes is real. I never get out of my pajamas and my mindset is about chilling 24/7.

i already turn off work thoughts while im at work

How to starts at 6:45

He also has a wonderful talk "How to practice emotional first aid " I highly recommend it .👍

I'm literally on my two days dayoff, and in that two days- I dreamt about scenario related to my work, and when awake my thoughts are about my work. this is new to me. I need to cope up.

i work in logistics in the office so i’m constantly overloading my brain with numbers emails etc and everything i do for the day effects the next day so i’m constantly thinking of what the next day is looking like

"we are really smart, our mind is really stupid" ! So human...

1. Create physical boundary by separating the work place with common places and define the work hours at work place(switch off notifications after work hours) 2. Maintain different set of Cloths for work so we can Change after work to trick our mind that work is completed 3. Convert the ruminating thoughs about work to problem solving by SCHEDULING them to later in work hours Thanks you sir its a great insights... 😍

After ages I found an answer in a TED Talk. Every Business owner or a workaholic needs to understand this. Thanks for sharing ❤️

I'm being bullied by my bosses for being an anxious mess. Unfortunately I was displaced by covid and live in a rural area where everything is so stretched out and can't drive so it's the only job nearby me that pays enough to afford rent. Now that it's cold out, the bad thoughts have returned and this paired with anxiety is causing me to spiral. Thanks for this, it's helping me let go of my work days.

One time I couldn't sleep there was just so many things I had to plan and coordinate for the next few days, so I just got up from bed and brain dumped all that on to a piece of paper, things to do, people to talk to etc. And then went back to sleep, knowing I wouldn't forget anything when I woke up.

I completely translated this video into Arabic for TED, and I wish to be useful for Arabian audience and to help Arabic speakers to address this unpleasant experience. Have a nice watching!

If using the same computer for work and for leisure, have to accounts, one for work, one for personal use. Your mindset will be associated with the setup for each.

This should be named as a Golden Life Rule... The information really helps to beat depression, anxiety and stress at the same time. Thank you for sharing this with us.

It's so surprising that this applies to other aspects of our life as well, not just work

This one has quite the soothing voice.

Yes ! This TED Talk really spoke to me. Brilliant content, a great speaker with good humour. I feel I’ve been losing the fight against workplace rumination recently, it’s like a harmful addiction. I will be watching the video a few times over the next week or so in particular, as a supportive reminder to myself. Would welcome any other tips too. Take care everyone.

Just knowing someone else struggles with what I struggle with is a more than good enough reason why I listen to these types of Ted talks. ❤️🧡💛💚💙

I already have my work and relax zones in the room divided and the lightning modes too, glad a professional confirmed that this is the way! 🤓

This helped me so much. I ruminated way too much, but this is helping me fight that. Thank you!

Closing the door to your office, doesn't mean you closed your mind to your thoughts to your work. Great point Guy! I think that being able to leave work at work is so important. Appreciate this talk.

Next video: *How to turn off free time thoughts during work*

I keep a memo /notepad for work in my phone and if a thought comes up I write it down so I can take it out of my mind. If I don’t write it down to remind me later I’ll be worried I’ll forget what I was supposed to remember. This has helped me tons. Also I have a no emails rules everyday after I leave work. I don’t care what happens I just don’t even open my app. Because doing it only makes me fall in the trap. At work during lunch I eat and then go for a walk. Works miracles if I stay inside people will come in amd steal my precious time w work related issues even tho they see I’m eating

will power + self awareness = full self control and well being

So helpful for those who are working from home! Needed to hear this today.

you're right: "We are really smart, our mind is stupid". For me, after trying several other options, what works really well to eliminate ruminations is to listen to documentaries, podcasts, or even comedy radio in a language that is not my native one. I double-trick my brain to switch to another language and at the same time with a subject that is completely outside the work environment. Don't bother if I do not understand all of it, it is part of the trick, your brain will happily fall for it. Next day, when arriving at the office, I grab a clean paper and write down my to-do list for the day/week and try to focus on it. The list remains in the office, I only get to it when I'm there. And my brain falls for this trick too!

♡ naps ♡ A kind way to start the next chapter of the day (even if it's 10-15 min).

Am at my first job out of college and it has been 6 months but recently the ruminations have been taking over because of more work responsibilities. Really needed this advice because I felt like I couldn't even do my job right anymore 😵

I ruminate so much that I can't even focused on this video

Employment is co-dependent relationship. The control the employer has with monetary exchange and candidate compensation is akin to abusive co-dependent relationships. Are you in a relationship because you want to, or because you must. And are you in a relationship with the employer of YOUR choice, or the other way around. This is my impression based on current hiring managers and the atmosphere around work place employment. It is indentured servitude and the master is not debt free and possibly incompetent!.!

One of the simplest and most productive talk. 👍

Just became my all-time favorite TED talk.

It feels so close to me. Half a year ago I moved to another country to study at university. While being there, I was texting to my former classmates and I chatted a lot with a really nice girl. A few months later, and I realized I loved her and she loves me too. In my holidays I got the chance to come back to the country when I was studying before to meet her. When I came to her, we talked a lot, but we were talking about some simple things. And I was constantly thinking: "What are we talking about? This doesn't make any sense! We don't have that much time!" So I was ruminating for almost all the time and was worrying and that led me after the meeting to the worst panic attack of my life, and I've never felt so bad. Now I realize that I was ruminating for about the whole conversation and actually calmly spoke for about half an hour. Now I feel that it made no sense and I had to talk more than to think about what we were talking because, in the end, it turned out that I was so worried about the time, that I was losing that time I could spend on actually talking. When I meet her again, I won't repeat this mistake and will go with the flow.

Yes I’m glad I found your video. I just started my phone interpreter job. I ruminate a lot of things, words I could used, words I omitted, will the person be mad at me, etc. After watched this video I feel much better.

The message Dr. Winch conveys is meaningful and super helpful for those that ruminate and think about work stress away from the workplace. Constructively, however, the title of the video simply says how to turn work thoughts off during your free time, and rather the video title should reflect that it is more specific to stopping rumination or thinking about work stressors during your free time. As Dr. Winch, says mid talk that some people may think about work projects or ideas that excite them, some people might just be looking for how to stop thinking about work outside of the workplace altogether. The concept of stopping work related rumination during your "FREE TIME" is something most people could practice a lot more.

This is my first comment on RU-vid ever. It’s currently 5 am in AU I’m up struggling with separating my work life and personal life, I stumbled upon your videos and WOW thank you is all I can say. THANK YOU THANK YOU. I have subscribed and will listen religiously.

This particular Ted talk was so fantastically enlightening, even for being so short. Endless props to Guy Winch

I'm not lazy....but I fucking hate work. As in, being on the treadmill so I can afford to go to work again next month. I never had any passion for any job I've done and that ultimately gets me down and makes me resent the work I do. I've not got a bad life, I just want to feel like I've won.

Fabulous video. I'm terrible at ruminating about work when I'm with my kids and family and could totally relate to this. Great advice, thank you so much.

This video was helpful for being aware of stress & burnout. I really appreciate the tips for putting up "guardrails" and sticking to them, and turning ruminations into productive thoughts. Very helpful for the profession I'm going into!

i replayed portions of this video god knows how many times because i was ruminating about work :)

Can you instead teach me how to turn off free time thought during work

I love all of Guy Winch’s videos. He’s such a fabulous communicator!

Thanks Guy. Thanks TED. I am ruminating a lot and it is stressing me out. I will learn to stop ruminating and change how I think.

This video reminded me that I had to answer an e-mail and I found myself starting to work while the video went on and on... god!

I wish I could work from home. During this whole Covid thing I barely missed a day going to work.

There is something about his voice and tone, I can keep listening and listening to him.

The perception of rumination is quite exact but how to switch off from work mode is really tough

At work I ruminate over personal, financial, and family problems. At home I’m ruminating over work stuff and things of the past. When I finally clear my head something bad usually happens like an argument with a family member or bad news in the mail. I rarely have time to myself.

I am going to tell this to my boss next time he calls me up during off hours

This was a beautiful speech... beatifully given by a very clever and well versed person.. thank you..

I wish i could stop thinking so much when im trying to sleep.

Struck a chord. One of the best ted talks IMO

Brilliant! Great idea on Rumination journal that can help quantify the wasted downtime that can be used to relax and do activities that matter most. Thank you!!

Needed this today. Thank you very much!

I relate to every word he says.

While I don’t do this everyday.. when I do change into home life clothes it really does trick your mind, setting the mood especially helps

This is good for ruminating about work, but what about ruminating about non-work problems? Ones that can't be solved with simple problem solving?

My first job was working on classified DoD projects. Couldn't talk about it away from work, so it was easy to shut it off. I still don't talk or think about work away from the office out of habit 35÷ years later....and people think I'm weird because I don't talk about work.

Three Tips for Turning Off Your Work Thoughts at Your Free Time 1.Switch off (get off work at a fixed time and stick to it) 2.Building psychological boundaries between life and work (working space and clothes only for work) 3.Cultivate productive way of thinking (problem-solving versions of “I have so much work to do ”

What a great speaker.

Wow! I needed this. I have to do better with managing workplace stress. Hard to do when they keep moving the goal post. I have a lot of work to do.

A useful video with practical tips - always great to see these and to share. Thank you.

I would like to thank my God for knowing such a good person as dr guy winch.he appeared in my life when it was dark to tell me that sadness is not exaggeration but real and needs treatment .i said yes he is talking about me .so i would like really to thank him

It's the people at work that is stressful!

as a student i can relate my psycological counselor said ( at this point i even thought about very very dark thoughts which i never mentioned to my parents or counselor) just fck off ur stuy days at 19 pm if u start at 9 am this advice changed my stress lvl to a large degree, even tghough it was real work to not open ur notices after 19 pm in the evening, especially during exam times

Im a student and i needed this so badly.

🦋For me when I worked for the man I’d leave whatever office stuff at the office. You get one life better to make it a good one

I started ruminated thoughts while watching this video.

Great video and thanks from an admitted workaholic.

Changing ones work environment, along with clothing does have an impact on defining when one is working. Yet, when one wants to enjoy life, without focusing on work, how much does purchasing power affect his/her ability to question work. Am I being paid enough for the time I’m contributing to this employer? In my case, no, not being paid enough.

Thanks for this video. This will help me. I will implement this.

@ 0:14 Opening Statement @ 6:46 #1 - Clear Guard Rails @ 7:20 #2 - Trojan Horse @ 8:00 #3 - Switch Off @ 8:52 #4 - Physical Space @ 9:32 #5 - Our mind @ 10:00 #6 - Sally @ 12:00 Closing Statement

This video just came in time I needed it! ☺️

He is SPOT on..

This is something that needs be addressed/trained at a young age....Example: Picture this... little Johnny sitting in class at his desk, with his book open, but his elbows are on his desk, with his hands under his chin...busy day dreaming of how fantastic this coming Saturday is going to be fishing. Remembering the last big catch, and how much fun it will be....Then Saturday arrives and he's holding on to his fishing pole...but instead of having the fun he was anticipating...he's busy thinking about his homework that he is behind on...

"Ignorance of one's misfortunes is clear gain." Euripides

This aged reeaaally well.

I love his ted talks 👏 ❤️

Working while listening to him. 🙂

Watch Alan Watts video on Let it go. This will help with rumination.

Excellent talk, very practical and nice tone

This was brilliant. He’s also such a funny speaker

I still listion this video every day to improve my skill 😢😢 thanks so much

Work thoughts should stop after work is over and not invade your mind prior to work starting. I just try to say to myself work is over and imagine erasing items from an imaginary blackboard. Problem solved.

I'm enlivened by this content. A book with like insights enlivened my approach to change. "A Life Unplugged: Reclaiming Reality in a Digital Age" by Theodore Blaze

This Guy (no pun intended) is genius.

Thank you.

People separate work from life. What if life mission become work. When they become same. Then instead of having “balance” (giving one side is taking from other), I believe in life-work “integration”. Living a life of purpose and excitement, growth and passion. Different rules apply immediately.

I needed to hear this today!

I was exactly lookin for this, loved it ❤

As usual with this sort of contest, easier said than done.

Straight up FACTS

what about when you have one bad moment at work and can't stop thinking about that one bad moment.

Absolutely brilliant information

Great video, with humour too! This is a topic I often speak about as well, so this resonated with me.