Letting go of the day and starting the evening mindfully

Letting go of the day and starting the evening mindfully

1. Clear away the day’s detritus. If you’re working from home – perhaps at the kitchen or dining table or at a desk in your living space – it can be hard to switch off when you down tools for the day. However tempting it is to leave the laptop and files out ready to start work again tomorrow, resist. Taking the time to tidy away papers and power down the computer tells your brain to close the door and go into leisure mode. If you have an actual home office, great. You can walk out and literally close the door.

2. Make tomorrow’s to-do list today. Making a list of what needs to get done tomorrow, rolling over today’s unfinished tasks and adding new ones is the only way to end the work day for me. Without this little ritual, everything stays in my mind, and I know I’ll spend at least part of the evening thinking, “ah yes, remember that for tomorrow”. If I’ve already made my plan and written it down, I can relax in the knowledge that I won’t forget anything and tomorrow is, to some extent, already taken care of.

3. Change your clothes. Or take a shower, go for a walk, do some yoga, maybe jog. Do something that creates a clear cut-off point for the day. This is especially true when working from home since we no longer have a place to leave or a commute, during which we can mentally close files and wind down. Even simply taking five minutes to drink a glass of water in the garden or at an open window can be enough to help you step out of work mode and into your evening mindfully, with intention and ease.