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What you do at the end of the day has major effects on your happiness and stress levels. And the happiness and stress that you take with you outside of the office has impact on your health, your marriage, family life, your ability to sleep and your overall level of happiness. Remember, what you do at the start and end of each day counts.
Ending your day properly keeps work separate from home and sets you up for success the following day.
Here are what you can do:
- Take time to reflect:
At the end of every workday, ask yourself if you accomplished everything you set out to do for that day. If not, what should you do differently the next day? Make mental notes or write them down. Either way, when you take time to reflect on your day, you set yourself up for more success the following day.
- Touch base with your co-workers and employees:
Connect with key people on your team to discuss the day’s positives and negatives. You can discuss also how you can do more of the good (and less of the bad) in the future. It is good to ensure that everyone on your team is aligned to what needs to be done — and what should be discarded — moving forward.
- Make a to-do list for the next day:
One of the most powerful things you can do is also one of the simplest: make a to-do list at the end of each workday. Write down three to five things that absolutely must be tackled the next day. If you don’t complete each item on the list, put them on the top of your list at the end of the day for the next work-day.
- Set Limits for yourself:
To be at your best on the job and in your personal life, do everything possible to avoid overworking yourself. Overworking causes stress and exhaustion, and it lowers your performance. Instead, you can focus on getting your most important tasks done early so you can head home at a reasonable time.
- Get organized:
Clean up your workspace, go through your email inbox and stage your desk for the next day. By getting organized at the end of the day, you’ll be able to hit the ground running when you arrive at work the next morning.
- Make plans to unwind after work:
Work can have quite an impact — often negative — on your physical and mental health, so it’s important to unwind and decompress after work. If that means meeting up with friends or family, heading to the gym or taking a walk, make plans before you leave the office — and then follow through on them.
- Don’t bring your work home:
As much as you can, avoid the habit of bringing your work home with you. Not only will you feel like you never get a break from your job, you’ll become disengaged from your family and friends as you constantly interact with your smartphone. Sure, everyone sometimes has to work overtime or bring some work home but that should be an exception, not a rule.