🌙 The Shutdown Ritual
Close the workday with a clear stop.
Updated 2026-07-14
Coined by Cal Newport, the shutdown ritual gives your workday a hard stop so it doesn't bleed into your evening. You capture every open loop, confirm each project has a next step, sketch tomorrow, then say a closing phrase that tells your brain it's safe to let go. Without a clear end, ADHD brains keep half-working all night. This is the off-switch. Run the steps below to close out.
The list
- Capture any loose to-dos from your head into your task list
- Note what you actually finished today
- Scan your calendar two weeks out for deadlines and prep
- Confirm each open project has a next step or is parked
- Rough out your plan for tomorrow
- Tomorrow's first task: name it now
- Close your tabs and apps
- Say 'Shutdown complete' and step away
Loads straight into a free focus timer + task list. Edit anything to make it yours.