Friday on two different frequencies

I log out. Or at least I try. The home office makes work close, accessible, but also harder to leave. When I close the laptop, it’s not like leaving an office. It’s more like leaving a room where the work keeps echoing.

My wife wants to talk about the week. The kids want to hang out, chat, play on the computer, and pull me into their world. I want to be there with them. But my head is still caught up in emails, risk lists, and half-finished thoughts. Two different frequencies that don’t really sync.

Before, there was the commute. SL was often terrible, but that hour still gave me something. A transition. Work slowly drained away, and home got a slightly more present version of me.

Now everything happens at once. I shut the computer and suddenly I’m in the kitchen. From a Teams meeting to Friday dinner in a single second. And I notice how I push myself harder. When the commute disappeared, I filled that time with more work. I eat lunch in front of the computer, work alone, get more done. But because I get more done, I also raise the bar for what I think I should manage.

It’s efficient. But on Friday evenings, it shows. My body is home, but my mind is still stuck in the week. And the kids, they notice when I’m not really there.

I know I need to find my own pauses. A short walk. A few minutes of stillness. Some kind of homemade commute. Otherwise, work will always hum on one frequency too high.