The De-Mask
Five minutes to take the armour off.
A man we spoke with said it like this: "I get home and the kids run to me, and I have nothing left. I gave it all at work."
The work armour is real. It keeps you safe in rooms that were not built for you. But it should not be the thing that walks through your front door.
This is a five minute reset. Do it on the bus, on the walk from the station, or sitting in the car for five minutes before you go in. Read it, or press play below.
Read it
Breathe.
Four counts in. Six counts out. Three times. Notice your shoulders drop.
Name what you are carrying.
Pick one thing from today. The dismissive email. The colleague who took your idea. The meeting that ran over. Just name it, do not solve it.
Put it down.
Imagine the armour as a coat. Take it off. Hang it on a hook that is not in your home. It will still be there in the morning. You can put it back on.
Remember who you are without it.
You are not your job title. You are a son, a brother, a father, a friend, a man with his own mind. Say one of those out loud.
Set the intention for home.
One sentence: "When I walk in, the first thing I will do is _____." Make it small. Make it real. "Hug my kid." "Make a cup of tea." "Sit in silence for two minutes."
Listen to it
After the five minutes.
Walk in.