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Design engineers: Can you shut off your brain during non-work hours?

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m k:
I must check my notes where were I and how was it.

I can also drive a car and suddenly notice that oh dear, I'm already here.
Seems that I can at least switch off of something.

tautech:
It's only natural something we are passionate about consumes us and like the skills we have learnt we also need learn how to manage it.
It's right and proper to be the best we can but at what personal cost ?

We all have our ways to manage the work and we each are very different with vastly different techniques which comes full circle to learning how to manage your time best.

I decided the most valuable part of my day was rest, proper rest and with a less strenuous day than the physical work I once did sleep didn't always come easy.
A dear uncle would say, if you can't sleep you haven't earned it !

Nowdays a double or triple nightcap is my right medicine and just before bed while watching whatever crap is on TV or a session watching some YouTube unrelated to your daily chores.

It's just another skill we need learn, good luck finding your remedy.

DiTBho:

--- Quote from: EEVblog on June 13, 2023, 05:56:08 am ---Nope. I always see the engineerng angle in everything I see and do.

--- End quote ---

yesterday I was offered a NOS Campy BioTherm water bottle for cheap, and ... instead of looking at its cool 90s design which perfectly fits my titanium 90s road bicycle frame, I immediately took my smartphone to find a "datasheet" ...

The man looked at me, without saying a word but he had the face of wondering "hey buddy, do you seriously need to look at the datasheet to buy my water bottle?" - while, in my corner, I just didn't even think that it could make him embarrassed.

Instead, in my head, I was just wondering why it was so light with the suspect that didn't use steel and glass, and when I found out it was completely plastic, I started thinking that thermal insulation with polyurethane foam is less efficient than a glass vessel with double walls where the space between the walls is a vacuum which reduces the heat loss due to conduction and convection.

As a result, the guy changed his mind about the possible discount and even asked me for more money.

Moral of the story is, reasoning like an engineer with a trader can be counterproductive  :-//

Nominal Animal:

--- Quote from: DiTBho on June 15, 2023, 12:29:49 pm ---As a result, the guy changed his mind about the possible discount and even asked me for more money.

Moral of the story is, reasoning like an engineer with a trader can be counterproductive  :-//

--- End quote ---
I disagree.  To me, the moral is that one should consider interacting with traders (and other "normies") as an engineering problem (for oneself to solve); and investigate which kind of interaction patterns yield the best mutually beneficial results.  Pulling up your cellphone instantly doomed you to failure, I'm afraid. :(

tszaboo:
I used to, especially when I was facing interesting challenges. You get the "flow", psychology term, look it up.
It's easier if you work for a bad employer, you can just say that you don't care, and the brain switches off. Most days I can turn it off 5 minutes after leaving work. Physically separating the space where you work also helps. Have a separate desk for work at home situations, don't do anything else there. It's the desk where you are at work, and nowhere else at home. If you have a laptop, keep it there, and have personal computers and laptops, not just the company one.
I only suggest doing this if you are satisfied with your job position. If you want to go ahead, spending the extra time might be very well worth it to get better results at work and to get ahead, or to get a raise. Nobody got to the top of their field by spending 8 hours a day doing something, the competition is just too much. You need to be exceptionably smart, driven and conscientiousness to do that. At 9 years you might be already there at your current employer, so it could be time to sit back, especially if the pay is good. If the pay isn't good, then ask for raise or gtfo from there asap.
And channel that energy of unpaid work into something else. Side job, hobby, family, working out.

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