Mentis- At your finish time, write tomorrow's first step, close the tabs, and close the laptop.
- Mark the end with a short walk, a shower or a change of clothes.
- Replies wait till morning, unless they really can't.
- In Mentis: "Close With Tomorrow's First Step", the keystone of chapter 2 of the Work stress plan.
How do you shut the laptop properly?
- Pick a finish time you can hold. Real, not ideal. 7:30 is better than a 6:00 you never keep.
- Ten minutes before it: stop starting new things.
- Write tomorrow's first step. One line, specific: "Reply to Amit's comments on section 3." In the app this is "Tomorrow's First Line".
- Park the worries. Anything still nagging goes on paper ("Park Tomorrow's Worries On Paper").
- Close every tab, then the laptop. Put it in a bag or a drawer, out of sight.
- Mark the end. A ten-minute walk, a shower, or a change of clothes: "The Walk That Ends The Day".
Why does a shutdown ritual help?
Recovery from work stress depends heavily on psychological detachment, actually switching off from work in your head, not just leaving your desk. Decades of research by Sabine Sonnentag and colleagues link detachment to better wellbeing and less exhaustion, and link high job stress to less of it (Sonnentag & Fritz, 2015).
The first-step line is the key piece. Unfinished tasks keep popping into your mind until you either finish them or make a specific plan for them. In experiments, writing a plan was enough to stop the intrusions (Masicampo & Baumeister, 2011). Researchers have found the same at work: people who planned where they'd pick up unfinished tasks found it easier to detach in the evening (Smit, 2016).
What does a good first-step line look like?
The line has to be specific enough that tomorrow-you can start without thinking:
- Too vague: "Work on the report." Better: "Open the Q3 sheet, fix the totals in tab 2."
- Too vague: "Client stuff." Better: "Call Mr Shah at 10, confirm delivery date."
- Too vague: "Emails." Better: "Reply to Priya's question about the API first."
If something keeps nagging after you close the laptop, add it to the list instead of reopening it. The rule in chapter 2 is "Replies Wait Till Morning". Most messages that feel urgent at 10pm are still fine at 9am.
When should you use it?
- Every workday, at your finish time.
- Especially when working from home, where work has no natural edge.
- Before holidays: write a longer "first steps" note for the day you return.
Where is it in the Mentis app?
Chapter 2 of the Work stress plan, "Where work stops", has two keystones: "Close With Tomorrow's First Step" and "Replies Wait Till Morning". Lessons include "Why Work Doesn't End On Its Own", and the audio "The First Evening" walks you through the first try. During the day, try stepping out between meetings.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop thinking about work after hours?
Give work a clear ending. Write down tomorrow's first step, so your brain doesn't need to hold it, then close the laptop and do something that marks the transition. Studies on 'psychological detachment' link switching off after work to better wellbeing and less exhaustion.
What if my manager messages at night?
The plan's keystone 'Replies Wait Till Morning' helps you decide which messages truly can't wait. For most, a reply first thing in the morning is fine. If late-night work is expected, the chapter 'Having a say' helps with that conversation.
I work from home. How do I mark the end?
Physical cues help: laptop in a bag or drawer, a different light, a change of clothes, or 'The Walk That Ends The Day', even ten minutes around the block.
- Sonnentag S, Fritz C (2015). Recovery from job stress: the stressor-detachment model as an integrative framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior 36(S1).
- Masicampo EJ, Baumeister RF (2011). Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 101(4).
- Smit BW (2016). Successfully leaving work at work: the self-regulatory underpinnings of psychological detachment. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 89(3).