Here's how you can recharge and disconnect from work as an urban planner beyond office hours.

The idea of immersing oneself in nature to restore mental health is well-documented in environmental psychology. Green spaces are known to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost cognitive function. For urban planners, regular exposure to natural environments not only benefits personal well-being but also enhances professional creativity. By experiencing nature firsthand, planners can gain valuable insights into the design of urban spaces that promote mental health. This holistic approach to professional and personal life aligns with the concept of biophilic design, which integrates natural elements into built environments to improve human well-being.

Urban Planning projects can sometimes be over whelming and stressful. A detox time after work hours can be very useful for an energetic "next day". Socializing smartly can be very helpful to take our mind off the stressful project management and keep us calm. While nature walks are great, go beyond the usual by exploring innovative social disconnection techniques like volunteering for a cause completely different from urban planning, joining a local improv class to flex creative muscles in a new way, or even organizing a board game night with friends - these activities promote social connection but detach you from work-related thinking patterns, allowing you to recharge and bring fresh perspectives back to your planning projects.

I’ve been most effective about disconnecting from work when I reinforce the separation. This means turning off phone notifications outside of work hours; communicating work hours in my email signature and thanking people, in advance, for respecting those hours; and, as a work-from-home planner, maintaining a physical separation from work (whether that’s a separate office of just a dedicated corner in the home where my work can be “stowed away” in the evenings) helps me log-on and log-off, enabling me to step away from work when the workday ends.