Protecting your evenings and weekends

In leadership, there’s always something else you could be doing. Another email to send, document to review, policy to tweak. The job rarely fits neatly inside the boundaries of a working day – and yet those boundaries matter more than we often acknowledge.

One of the most impactful things leaders can do for their own wellbeing – and the wellbeing of their teams – is to protect evenings and weekends as time for rest, recovery, and reconnection.

It’s not about switching off completely or pretending the job doesn’t weigh heavily. It’s about drawing a line where you can, as often as you can, so the work doesn’t slowly consume the space where life should be lived.

The hidden impact of always being ‘on’

Even when we’re technically at home, work can seep in:

• Glancing at emails during family time

• Taking marking into the living room

• Letting your mind run through next week’s challenges late into Sunday evening

Over time, this blurs the line between work and rest – and your nervous system doesn’t know the difference. The result? You’re never fully working or fully resting. You live in a permanent state of partial attention, which exhausts you faster than either one alone.

Practical ways to reclaim your time

Here are some intentional strategies leaders can use to begin protecting their evenings and weekends:

1. Set a clear end-of-day ritual

This might be closing the laptop, writing tomorrow’s priority list, or even a short walk or drive to mentally ‘leave’ the school day behind. The ritual signals to your brain: the day is done.

2. Be intentional with communication boundaries

Avoid sending or responding to emails in the evening or at weekends. Use scheduled send features if you work flexibly, and reassure your team that replies aren’t expected outside core hours.

3. Plan something personal into your weekends

A walk, a coffee with a friend, an hour with a book – having something to look forward to helps shift your mind into non-work mode and anchors the weekend as a different kind of time.

4. Reframe your self-talk

If you feel guilty not working, ask yourself: Would I want this for my team? Chances are, you’d encourage others to rest. Extend the same care to yourself.

5. Share your boundaries openly

When leaders say, “I won’t be online this weekend,” or “I’m logging off for the evening now,” it normalises balance. It gives permission. And it models healthy habits for others to follow.

It’s not just about time – it’s about presence

You deserve to be present for your life – not just available for your role. Evenings and weekends are part of that. They’re when connection, creativity, and recovery happen. They’re not ‘nice to have’ – they’re non-negotiable for long-term leadership sustainability.

A closing thought

Protecting your time doesn’t mean you care less. It means you care wisely – for yourself, your team, and the community you lead. Because the most effective leaders don’t just manage others. They steward their own energy with purpose and grace.