In some sense, this blog is an unexpected follow up to my blog from last Monday.

Last Wednesday,  I had one of “those” days. I got into the office very early to draft papers for an emergency hearing I had scheduled for the next day. My day was consumed with my clients’ emergency issue, the papers I had to write, and my efforts to settle the issue before the hearing.

Happily, I had finished my work in time to meet longtime friends (as opposed to “old friends”) for dinner. I had made these plans weeks before as one of my friends-whom I have been close to since junior high school-lives in Rhode Island and was going to be on Long Island for two days.

At the end of the dinner one of my friends turned to me and asked, “Are you alright?  You’ve been distracted all night.” As soon as she said it I realized that, while physically I was at dinner, my mind was not there. My mind was still in my office, thinking about my strategy for the hearing the next morning. I know I also repeatedly during dinner (obviously not as covertly as I had thought) checked my cell phone for emails from my client and opposing counsel.

Clearly, I had not “turned my work self off” and, as a result, effectively missed a much anticipated reunion with my friends.   We all work hard and have those type of days. How do you turn your work self  off?