Has WFH killed end-of-workday concept? Man says people can't completely 'switch off', shares solution to set a boundary

The shift to working from home was supposed to make life easier. No commute, more flexibility, and a better balance. But for many people, it has quietly done the opposite. A recent post on Reddit is now getting attention for pointing out something a lot of remote workers have been feeling but not really saying out loud, the workday doesn’t seem to end anymore.

In the post, a user explains how the boundary between work and rest has slowly faded. He wrote, “Before online work existed, the line between work and rest used to be clear, but as more people started working remotely(Or both offline and online), the difference is gone.”

The user goes on to say that people now keep thinking about work even after hours. “People think about work even after the work-time is over; they just can't properly ‘Switch off’ from work, and can't completely relax at rest-time.”


What stands out is not just the workload, but the absence of a clear stopping point. Earlier, leaving the office or even the daily commute acted like a signal that work was done. Now, that signal is missing. As the post puts it, “the issue is that there is no end-of-work sign… the travelling time acted like a buffer-period, but it's gone now and nobody replaced that.”

A simple idea to rebuild that boundary

Trying to address this, the same user shared a possible solution. It’s not very complicated, more like a small daily habit.

He suggested creating a kind of end-of-work ritual. According to the post, this could involve “writing one achievement of the day, just closing the unfinished the loops by assigning them to the next work block or next day and a motivating checkdown list (Like getting off the screen, closing work tabs etc...).”

The idea is to recreate that mental signal that the day is over, even if physically nothing changes. The user believes this short routine could help people actually relax after work instead of carrying it into the evening.

Internet reacts: “Just switch off”

The responses, however, were mixed and at times blunt. One user said, “There is already a solution to this issue, to switch off your laptop and your work phone.”

But even they admitted it’s not that easy, adding, “Simple, but requires some will.”

When asked whether that really helps people stop thinking about work, the same commenter responded, “No, not everyone has that will.” Another comment dismissed the idea entirely, saying, “You are overthinking it, and it sounds like you aren’t actually in the work force.”

The real issue may be deeper

Some users pointed out a more practical reason behind the problem. One comment noted, “people working from home sometimes don't have a separate space for work that isn't also a space they use for leisure.”

That overlap, they explained, makes it harder to feel like you’ve actually left work, even if you log off.

There were also concerns about how companies might interpret such discussions. One user joked, “This sounds like something Companies would use to remove WFH lmao.”

The conversation doesn’t really settle on one solution. For some, it’s about discipline — shutting devices and stepping away. For others, it’s about creating small rituals or even redesigning living spaces.

But the core issue remains the same. Remote work has blurred lines that were once very clear, and not everyone has figured out how to draw them again.