When I had a train commute in the before-times, the one thing I really leaned into was the train ride home. It was about 30 minutes. I used that time in a variety of ways - reading, podcasts, napping, meditating, drinking-a-beer. I let my mood dictate, I intentionally didn't over plan it. Just no work. This naturally let me slide into the non-work/dad/husband version of myself. More often than not, this recharged me, and I'd be in a good place when I walked into my home.

I admit to struggling with this with the pandemic and full WFH. I'd find myself working early and late, answering emails after hours that I really didn't need to, etc.

My solution? I bought a super cheap treadmill for my office, with a stand for my laptop. I don't really run on it. I get on it in the morning and walk for 30 to get my day started, 30 at the end to close it down. I think I still do a little too much work during this time, but it's generally prep for the day, pruning my todo list, checking out tomorrow's calendar, and so on. It's not the same as the train, but it's a lot better than having no boundaries.