Being unable to switch off is one of the most common complaints in demanding jobs. The phone is always within reach, and the mind keeps rehearsing tomorrow’s problems or replaying today’s. Without real recovery time, people start each day already tired.
Switching off is a skill. Like most skills, it gets easier with a routine.
01
What keeps you switched on?
02
Build a shutdown routine
A short, consistent routine at the end of the day tells your brain the working day is over. Choose two or three of these, and do them in the same order every day.
- Write down what you finished today, however small.
- Write tomorrow’s top three priorities, so your mind does not have to hold them.
- Park any unfinished worries on paper, with a time to come back to them.
- Close every work tab and app, and turn off notifications.
- Mark the transition: a walk, a change of clothes, a particular piece of music.
| My routine, step by step | When |
|---|---|
03
Protect your evenings
Exercise
Agreements with myself
The time after which I will not check work messages:
Where my work phone or laptop will go in the evening:
What I will do if a work thought arrives late at night:
If your role genuinely requires being available out of hours, agree with your manager what that means in practice: which hours, for what, and how quickly you need to respond.