Ending work without ceremony leaves your mind working. Create a simple shutdown checklist. Review what you accomplished. Write down three things for tomorrow. Close all applications. Put your work materials away. Then say to yourself, “Work is done.”
This checklist becomes a ritual. When you complete it, your brain knows work is over. It can stop thinking about work tasks. It can transition to rest. The boundary becomes clear.
The checklist does not need to be long. Three to five items is enough. The key is consistency. When you do the same things each day to end work, your brain learns the pattern and begins to relax.
Create your shutdown checklist today. Practice it this week. Then notice how much better you rest when work has a clear, ritualized ending.