5 min read//
Even if you have a job that you genuinely enjoy, work is still, well, work. Thinking about it constantly can be draining as hell. Not to mention, it can keep you from truly experiencing the joys of your life, like dinner with friends, a well-deserved vacation, or even a quiet night in. We know all of this to be true, and still, so many of us remain completely consumed by our work. I’m no stranger to that feeling. Some days, it feels impossible to shift my brain from what’s going on at work to what’s going on in my life outside of it—and it takes a toll. Switching on “Do Not Disturb,” logging off, and leaving the office haven’t been enough to leave work at work lately. However, I’ve started to implement the STOP method, and it’s made all the difference in my ability to disconnect from work.
If you, too, feel like your body and mind stay in work mode, even when you’re off the clock, trust me when I say that you’re going to love this method. Ahead, what the STOP method is, how to implement it, and why it works.
What is the STOP method?
The STOP method, as explained by career expert Dan Bruce at Pressreacher, is a four-step daily method that helps you mentally disconnect at the end of your workday. Instead of manically shutting your laptop and running to your next responsibility or ending your day with the lingering weight of unanswered emails, implementing these four steps can help you calmly and efficiently shift your brain from work mode into life mode. The best part? It only takes a few minutes. The steps are as follows:
- Complete a shutdown ritual
- Track your wins
- Offload mentally
- Plug into the present
How to implement the STOP method
S: Complete a shutdown ritual
In the same way that a bedtime routine tells your body to get ready for sleep, implementing a shutdown ritual can help signal to your body and brain that work is done for the day. “Your mind needs closure to really switch off from the workday,” says Bruce. So, to kick off the STOP method, take a few minutes at the end of your day to complete a shutdown ritual of your choice. I personally like to close all my tabs and turn to the next page in my planner so I have a clean slate for the next day. Here are a few other ideas that can help signal to your brain that the workday is done:
- Write out your to-do list and top priorities for the next day
- Turn your Slack or Teams status to “Offline” and mute your notifications
- Tidy up your workspace
- Say something like “finished,” “I’m done for the day,” or “shut down complete” out loud
T: Track your wins
Maybe it’s my time management skills or my toxic habit of taking on more than I can handle, but it’s not often that I end my day feeling like I accomplished everything I wanted to. I have a habit of moving tasks to the next day and beating myself up over not doing “enough.” However, Bruce explains that over time, this can be incredibly draining to your confidence and motivation. Instead of ending your day with self-criticism, he recommends implementing self-appreciation by tracking your wins and thanking yourself for all you accomplished.
Whether you choose to jot down your wins in a journal or file away positive feedback in a folder on your desktop, you create a healthier relationship with your work and can end the day with confidence and clarity. “This makes it easier to relax and helps you stop feeling guilty for not continuing to work in your personal time,” Bruce explains. Whether you have a big win, like gaining positive feedback from your manager, or small victories, like finally completing a task you’d been putting off, acknowledging them can help you round out your day in a positive way.
O: Offload mentally
If leaving work at work was as easy as closing our laptops, the line between our work lives and personal lives wouldn’t be so blurry. I think we all know that the hardest part of truly disconnecting is stopping work responsibilities from living rent-free in our heads. This is why offloading mentally is a part of the STOP method. Instead of leaving work with a “cluttered mind” that’s still in problem-solving mode, worrying about deadlines, or thinking about how you should reply to that email in the morning, Bruce recommends mentally offloading by externalizing your thoughts.
This can look like doing a brain dump where you write out everything rattling around in your head (unfinished tasks, worries, or ideas), recording a voice note to yourself talking through everything on your mind, or making a list of what you need to let go of. This gives your mind permission to let go of the thoughts and worries that it wants to bring into your personal time, which can help clear your mind, reduce stress and anxiety, and signal a psychological closure of the workday.
P: Plug into the present
“The STOP method isn’t just about unplugging from work—it’s about shifting from work into living,” explains Bruce. This is why the final step is to plug into the present moment. Give yourself five to 10 minutes of transition time after work to immerse yourself in environments, activities, and interactions that require you to be present. This could look like going for a walk without headphones, meeting a friend, doing some deep breathing, engaging your senses, or even meditating.
Throughout the evening, it’s helpful to implement activities that also require you to be present so that you don’t revert to work thoughts. If you’re on your laptop all day, activities that don’t involve technology can be especially helpful in giving your mind time to reset, too. Maybe you choose to read, garden, cook, color, or work out. The point of this step is to spend your evening doing things that require your attention, so you don’t go back to your inbox. This way, you can fully enjoy your hours outside of work.
Why the STOP method works
No matter how much pressure you might feel from the return of hustle culture or the demands of the infinite workday, always being “on” isn’t sustainable. It can lead to burnout, make you resent your job (even if you love it), and take away from the joys of your life. Each step of the STOP method works to create mental and physical boundaries so you can prevent this pressure from taking over. From unloading your work thoughts to plugging into a hobby you enjoy, the STOP method “makes your energy more sustainable, giving your nervous system permission to recover, and creates space for clarity and creativity,” explains Bruce, which can benefit you at work and at home.
While it’s unrealistic to expect the STOP method to completely erase your work thoughts at the end of every day, it will act as a reminder that what lies outside of your work is just as important—and it will help you start to prioritize it just the same.
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