There’s all this talk about ‘Morning Routines’ and the things that you ‘should’ do before you start work each day. You know the things: wake early, meditate, go for a ten mile run… All in order to Have a Good Start and Win the Day…
Whether or not that is your cup of tea, what often gets forgotten is how important it is to have an End of Day routine.
Having this routine, makes sure you end the day well and are better prepared the next day. Plus, it will help you switch off better knowing that your work is sorted (either finished or planned for) and you know where you are at with things. Then, you can actually enjoy your evening or spend more focused time with the family.
Here are Five Things I suggest that you do every day before you close down the laptop:
1. Review Your Day
Celebrate what has gone well. What small (and big) wins have you had? Think about creating a way to record your achievements.
Also, identify what could have gone better. Did you get distracted, baffled by tech, or side-tracked by notifications?
Adjust tomorrow’s task list accordingly. If you need to carry something forward that you didn’t finish today, now is the time to do it while it’s all fresh in your mind.
2. Check Tomorrow’s Calendar
What does tomorrow hold? It’s important to look ahead so you can avoid surprise appointments and tasks when switching on your laptop in the morning!
Is tomorrow looking realistic? Adjust if not. This could be moving some tasks to the following day or breaking down bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks which you can spread through the day or the rest of the week..
3. Plan Tomorrow’s Social Media
Have a post handy (e.g. in Trello or Google Drive) so you can easily copy and paste it into your platforms. The last thing you want in the morning is to log onto your platforms and go down the Scroll Rabbit Hole!
Alternatively, put the post in your scheduler now so it will go out automatically tomorrow.
Add time to your calendar for engaging on your chosen Social Media platforms (rather than posting and ghosting!).
4. Check Emails and Social Media
Have One Last Check of your emails and social media before Switch Off time!
Give yourself no more than 5 minutes for this task. You shouldn’t be doing any extra work unless something urgent, such as a new lead you want to contact immediately or an issue with a post gone awry, has cropped up that cannot be done tomorrow.
Use a timer if you tend to go down the Scroll Rabbit Hole! An egg timer is good, or use your phone timer or your Alexa!
5. Have a Coffee and Relax for 5 Minutes
Have a ‘nice’ activity to signal Work Ending and Evening Beginning.
Mentally prepare for the changeover from ‘work’ to ‘home’ either in location or metaphorically! If you’re going straight from Work Mode to Parent Mode, it’s great to give yourself a bit of adjustment time!
Perhaps you could have a cup of tea and a quiet 5 minutes, a yoga stretch, or just have a quick boogie to your favourite tune!
Why not create a bespoke checklist for your Shut Down Routine?
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