Work Well Feel Well

Efficiency and caring at work – an awareness-raising campaign

Theme 11: Leave your workplace in peace

 

As you may have read in the Bulletin, part 11 of the Work Well Feel Well series looks at ways to disconnect at the end of a working day.

Closing the day with clarity

After a day filled with deadlines, meetings and mental multitasking, it’s not always easy to switch off. Some of us replay the day’s events, focusing on what went wrong or what’s still left unfinished. Others carry their work mindset straight into home life, approaching household tasks with the same urgency, or struggling to be present with loved ones. In both cases, the mind remains in “work mode”, and the transition to rest and recovery is hindered.

Creating a clear boundary between work and home is crucial to maintaining long-term wellbeing. Whether it’s through a short walk, a ritual like shutting down your laptop with a phrase, or simply changing clothes, these small actions can help reset your mental state. For those working remotely, where physical distance is missing, establishing such habits becomes even more important.

Setting clear limits on the working day is not about being less committed – it’s about being sustainable and looking after ourselves. When we allow ourselves to fully step away from work, we return more focused, more creative, and more ready to face the challenges ahead. 

Gain more awareness on the topic and practice creating your own "decompression chamber" with this exercise:

Here are some other resources that you may find helpful:

  • Cardiac coherence: A short breathing exercise can help to decompress. The CERN Medical service has developed a guided video, which is just one of the resources available on the mental health support webpage.

  • Bike to work: Cycling home after a busy day can be an excellent way to decompress, and more and more members of the CERN community are taking part in the yearly Bike to Work initiative. For more details and tips, check out the Bike to Work FAQ and the Bike to CERN web pages. Stay safe by completing the Road Traffic – Bike Riding online course and reviewing CERN’s road & biking safety tips.

  • the CERN training catalogue offers several relevant courses including “Balancing Performance and Pressure”.

The campaign, Efficiency and caring at work, designed by psychologist and specialist in burnout prevention, Catherine Vasey, invites you to explore the topic from different angles, deepen your knowledge, share your experiences and complete exercises made available on this website. We encourage you to take an active part in the campaign and the quest for a better quality of life at work.

Keen to learn more? Read about the Work Well Feel Well project, have a look at the useful resources and watch the micro-talk recording on burnout.