I used to freelance and have a flexible schedule, but I recently started a normal day job and I noticed a decrease in productivity when I hop back on my projects at home.
Do you use caffeine? Work out and then freshen up? Meditate a bit?
It can be draining and exhausting but I think the majority of its to do with will power. I know when I changed several years back to more of a labour position compared to the office desk position, my body was wrecked but my mind was still active enough to want to do something else after work.
However, that said, being a fulltime mother and being drained mentally by the time I put my daughter to bed, still manage to find the energy to come downstairs, grab a coffee and then sit building an app and debugging SQL errors like last night...
Willpower and determination, work-life balance.
I would suggest setting a few nights a week e.g mon-wed focus only and then thurs-sun relax in evenings. Once you have done this a few weeks, your body and mind will adjust to it and think its normal and then you won't feel like it's such a drain on you mentally.
Hot shower can help but I find its a 50/50, somenights makes me feel tired and other nights, also listening to a podcast on web development and keep me aawake enoughto want to do something.
Let me know how it goes ;)
I used to be able to do such things back in the days.
But recently, I work long hours at the office (11h+) and I don't even want to touch code during the week ends.
Melanie Sumner
Software Engineer
Keyword: recently. Give yourself a little bit of time to get used to your new surroundings from a brain perspective. You're still processing things at a subconscious level, and that takes energy!
Setting small goals definitely helps me when I'm adjusting to a new situation or experiencing a little bit of burnout. It helps me feel continually productive. I also do self-checks every few months, and really examine what I've been up to, and whether or not I think I could do more.
You got this!