7 Strategies to Disconnect – Even If Your Job Requires You to Be Online

If your job requires you to be online, “just log off” is not helpful advice.

For many of us, being reachable is part of the role - whether that’s answering Slack messages, keeping one eye on emails, or being “on standby” in case something crops up. And yet, constantly being available doesn’t mean you have to be constantly mentally present.

Disconnecting isn’t about disappearing. It’s about creating breathing room, even while staying technically online.

Here are seven genuinely workable strategies to help you switch off (a bit), without risking your job or your sanity.

1. Create a “low-stakes online” mode

Not all online time needs the same level of attention - but our brains often treat it that way.

Try deliberately creating a low-stakes mode for certain periods of the day:

• You’re available, but not hyper-alert
• You check messages at intervals rather than constantly
• You respond thoughtfully, not instantly

This might look like:

• Checking emails every hour rather than live-refreshing
• Reading messages without feeling the need to reply immediately
• Drafting your thoughts in Notes and sending them as proper emails later
• Responses that acknowledge, without engaging fully

You’re still online - you’re just not in emergency mode. Think of it as switching from “full work mode” to “acknowledgement mode”. You’re still there, but you’re no longer carrying the emotional or cognitive load.

2. Separate “visibility” from “urgency”

One of the most exhausting parts of online work is feeling watched. Many people assume being available means: “I must respond immediately, perfectly, and with full energy.”

 A helpful mental reframe: visibility does not equal urgency.

Just because someone can see you’re online or a message arrives instantly, doesn’t mean it requires an immediate emotional response.

Try consciously pausing before reacting: “Is this urgent, or just visible?”

That single question can take your nervous system down a notch. Sometimes, replying with a simple line like: “I’ve seen this - I’ll come back to it properly in the morning” can dramatically reduce mental load while still maintaining professionalism.

3. Use transitional rituals - even if you don’t leave the house

When work happens on the same device you scroll, shop and socialise on, your brain never gets a clear “work has ended” signal.

Instead of relying on logging off, build micro-transitions:

• Change clothes after work, even if you’re staying in
• Shut the laptop and physically move it out of reach
• Make a specific “end of work” drink (tea absolutely counts)

These small rituals tell your brain: We’re still online… but we’re no longer “working”.

5. Create a “mental sign-off”, not just a digital one

If your job requires you to stay online very often, your mind often keeps replaying work even when nothing’s happening.

Try a mental sign-off at the end of the day:

• Write down everything unfinished
• Note what tomorrow’s priority is
• Physically close the list

This tells your brain: “I don’t need to keep thinking about this - it’s stored.” You’re less likely to mentally re-open work at 10pm if it already has a place to live.

6. Build one “offline anchor” into every evening

Instead of aiming for a whole offline evening (unrealistic for many), choose one guaranteed offline anchor – whether it’s a bath, cooking a proper meal, reading a physical book or a long phone call with someone who isn’t work-adjacent.

Even 30 minutes of true offline time can reset your nervous system more than hours of half-scrolling while answering emails.

7. Stop treating rest as a reward for productivity

This one’s uncomfortable, but important. If rest only happens after everything is done, it never happens at all. Online work is infinite; there will always be something else to check.

Try allowing rest without earning it. Rest because you’re human. Rest because your brain needs it. Rest because being constantly “on” isn’t sustainable.

Rest isn’t something you fit in once work allows it. It’s something that makes work possible in the first place.