Switching Off: free worksheet

Being unable to switch off is one of the most common complaints of people with demanding work, whether employed or running something of their own. The phone is always within reach, and the mind keeps rehearsing tomorrow or replaying today. Without real recovery, people start each day already tired.

Switching off is a skill, and like most skills it gets easier with a routine.

01

What keeps you switched on?

How often does this happen in a typical week?

0 = never, 1 = sometimes, 2 = often, 3 = most evenings

Statement	0	1	2	3
I check messages or email in the evening
I lie awake thinking about work
I end the day with no clear sense of what is done and what is next
I replay conversations or mistakes from the day
I keep working because I lose track of time
I feel guilty when I am not working

02

Build a shutdown routine

Choose two or three, 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 unfinished worries on paper, with a time to come back to them.
Close every work tab and turn off notifications.
Mark the change: a walk, a change of clothes, a particular piece of music.

Exercise

Agreements with myself

My routine, step by step:
The time after which I will not check work messages:
What I will do if a work thought arrives late at night:

What keeps you switched on?

Build a shutdown routine

Agreements with myself

If you would rather not do it alone.