Why you work late and how to tra

But how do you determine when you truly need to be working late and otherwise train yourself to clock out?

The key to answering this question is in determining why you are working late in the first place. Is it because you feel the need to work, you want to work or you have to work? Frequently asking and answering these three questions will help you assess what’s really going on so you can train yourself to carve out more personal time: Do you need to work late? Do you want to work late? Do you have to work late?

You may be working late simply because of an expectation you set, or upheld, that you are available at any hour. Sometimes you work late purely out of habit. It is how you expect to fill your time, especially since you haven’t cultivated the kind of evening routine that excites you. So instead, you choose productivity.

Let’s be honest, sometimes working late is inescapable. You may be working long hours because you absolutely have to. Many jobs place workload demands on their employees that are simply unachievable without working in the evenings.

The clearest sign of whether your evenings are supporting the life you want to lead is how you feel in the morning. Know that it’s time to clock out earlier when you are no longer able to wake up energized and ready to start again.