3 Steps To Define A Healthy And Productive Shutdown Routine

While hybrid work schedules are the preferred work arrangement for most workers, many are struggling with maintaining the work-life balance more than when working strictly in the office. So if the idea of working from home tries to bring more balance to the person, what is going all wrong? They need a shutdown routine.

Employees are struggling with breaks, and especially with finishing their work day at a regular time. For some, it seems like they never leave the “office”, and the boundaries get all mixed up.  They feel like they need to respond to any message or attend to any call no matter the time.   

Ultimately, these feelings are causing a stress epidemic in the modern workforce. A Gallup report shows that 44% of employees have a high amount of daily stress and up to 61% feel like they’re on the edge of (or have already reached) burnout.

Calm explains that burnout happens because of an extended period of chronic stress at work, including working long hours, having too much on your plate and feeling out of control. Contrary to what you would expect, psychological detachment, or switching “off” from work can drive better engagement and performance than working more. How can you make it easier to have a healthy shutdown routine?

1)  Re-define your boundaries

Set clear boundaries regarding what is acceptable for you and what is not. This can include work start time, finish time, lunchtime, focus time in the morning or afternoon or preferences about how you want others to reach out to you, to name a few. Be very specific about what you need. Ending on time, beginning early, or respecting personal time may not mean the same to others.

2) Communicate your needs

Communicate these boundaries to your coworkers. You can have a specific conversation or agreement with your closest colleagues, turn off the notifications, or use the “Do Not Disturb” modes on your computer, your phone or specific apps like Slack or Outlook. If you work on a team that shares daily updates, you can post to Slack at the end of the day what you accomplished as a great async alternative to standup meetings, and also o let them know that you will be off until the next day.

 3) Stick to a routine

 Let’s face it, it will be challenging to keep these boundaries, especially when working with people in other time zones or with colleges that have not set their own boundaries yet. Take your time and breath. Trust that this change is part of your decision to care for yourself and prevent burnout. Use tools that help you accomplish your objective, like timeboxing a shutdown routine or setting a reminder on your calendar. The Sunsama app, for instance, allows you to plan for a shutdown time right at the beginning of the day, and shows you a “Done for day” screen as a nudge to actually stop working and step away. 

Ending work on time gives you the space to make life more than just work, and feel free and comfortable doing other things you enjoy, like having dinner with your spouse or doing your meditation routine, without checking the phone. Planning a shutdown time also helps you be realistic about how much time you have to accomplish your daily goals, hence being more positive at the end of the day about what you could accomplish.

You can even help your team members by proposing a #FinishBefore5 challenge. Define your boundaries, communicate them and stick to a healthy routine to ensure you work on what you can control.