5 End of Workday Rituals and Why You Need Them

Have you ever thought of having a consistent routine to end your workday? While it might sound crazy, it can prevent you from exhaustion and burnout. The ability to unplug and go about your merry way as you exit the building is a beautiful feeling, and I want to share how you can achieve this bliss. Here are five end-of-workday rituals and why you need them.

1. Review your task list from the day: Look at every task you wanted to accomplish throughout the day. If you're unhappy with the amount of work done, add any unfinished tasks to your list for tomorrow or attempt to finish them before leaving. Only try to complete minor items on the list, as the goal is to go for the day, not stay longer.

2. Check the schedule for your next workday: If there were any items left over from that day's task list, this would be the time to fit them on your calendar to accomplish that. After adding those items, it's an excellent time to check and see what meetings/calls you have the next day. Mentally, you will know what you need to accomplish going into the next workday.

3. Check and respond to emails: Ending your day by checking emails is a way to tie up loose ends. It's also going to prevent you from feeling like you forgot to do something before leaving work. Responding to emails isn't a task you should spend a lot of time on; you are simply wrapping things up.

4. Make the next day's task list: Writing down how you want to manage your time the following day will provide a significant sense of relief as you walk out of the office. You can make a preliminary list based on what wasn't done that day and add what you need.

5. Let it go: Take a deep breath, sis. You did it. The day is over, and you need to LET. IT. GO. When you decide to walk out of your office, whether a building or home, you must commit to doing it and allow yourself to unplug.

You can do many rituals to set yourself up for success on the following workday. However, these five have been the most successful in keeping me productive daily and unplugging at days end. I genuinely believe that this list can help you too!

How to Batch Process Emails

There’s nothing worse than returning from the weekend (or vacation!) and seeing the number of emails in your inbox. Unfortunately, sometimes the number is so high that it can become overwhelming, which causes you to avoid handling it altogether. The one process that has worked for me regarding email management is ‘The Five D’s.’

1. Do – The first “D” is for emails you can immediately address. If the email needs a response and you can write it in two minutes or less, just get it done. But, of course, two minutes doesn’t allow you to craft a thoughtful reply, so only take this approach for concise responses.

2. Delete – This should be the default option. Most email is pointless, and keeping those emails is a waste of time and space. Get rid of spam and stop letting it clog up your inbox. Ask yourself if you will ever need to see this email again. If not, drop it in the trash and move on.

3. Deflect – If you’re not the ideal person to handle this email, pass it over. Delegation is not just for managers. Delegating can be challenging, but if someone else can do a task 80% or more than you, give it to them. A helpful phrase is “there’s no need to CC me going forward,” which helps reduce the traffic in your inbox.

4. Deposit – If the email contains valuable information, file it. Create folders for essential projects and topics. Then, stuff it in the Misc folder we made earlier (or archive it in Gmail).

5. Defer – If you need to do some thinking (or some actual work) before replying, or if the email takes more than 3-5 minutes to respond, create a TODO list item. Then, file the email so that you can refer to it later. If an email requires deferral, move it out of your inbox and into a “parking lot” folder.

Everyone wants an empty inbox. Using this method, you can achieve that. You have to live outside your inbox and make deliberate decisions with your time.

It doesn’t matter how many emails you have; you can use the Five D’s to batch your inbox in 30 minutes or less. I highly suggest giving this a try whenever you leave the office for an extended time.

5 Tips for Maximum Productivity While Working From Home

While I’ve been working from home for the last seven years, I’ve found that a lot more people were thrust into this world since last March, and they’re lost. Working from home SOUNDS excellent, but in reality, there is a lot of adjustment that has to take place for one to be productive. So here are five tips for maximum productivity while working from home.

1. Schedule Regular Breaks - This step is imperative when working from home. I suggest taking 15-minute breaks at least 2-3 times during your workday. Make sure you’re not just sitting at your desk all day, as that’s not healthy for your mind or body. In addition, you should attempt to stand up at least once an hour to get your blood circulating. Try setting an alarm to go off every hour so that you can stand up and stretch.

2. Have a Set Schedule - Please don’t go through your day aimlessly and without a schedule. There’s just no way you can be productive this way. There are so many planners out there where you can map out your day by the hour. Even better than that, you can use your Google Calendar or Sheets to create a set schedule as well. The bottom line is, know what you’re doing and when you’re going to do it.

3. Keep a Dedicated Workspace - Most people weren’t prepared to work from home when the pandemic started, so they didn’t necessarily have a workspace at home. I’m here to tell you that you need a dedicated workspace if you’re working from home regularly. This will help your work-life balance big time. It helps to separate the two and gives you breathing room. I’d also advise you to keep the office space out of your bedroom. Trust me when I say that it will affect your sleep even if you don’t think so.

4. Set Boundaries - Make sure that the people in your life know that you’re working and the time frame you’re doing so. Some seem to think that working from home means that you’re not working, which can affect your productivity if you don’t know how to say “no.” Set your work hours and stick to them.

5. Don’t Be Hard on Yourself - Let’s be honest here; working from home isn’t easy. The adjustment from being in the office can disrupt your productivity. However, you must be good to yourself and stay positive despite the adversity. If there’s a moment when you’re struggling, step away from work and take deep breaths. I promise there’s no such thing as perfect, and you’re going to figure it all out in time. Just stick to the tasks at hand and keep trying.

What are some things that you’ve implemented since you began working from home? Let me know in the comments!