How Do I Switch Off My Brain After Work?

You close the laptop… but your mind doesn’t switch off.

Instead of relaxing, you’re mentally replaying the conversation that didnt go so well. You wonder if your tone in that email came across how you wanted it to. Running through tomorrow’s to-do list like a background app you can’t shut down.

You’ve technically “finished work” but your nervous system doesn’t know that.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I switch off my brain after work?”.

You are in the right place and this is something that a lot of people ask me.

See your switched on, your busy, your a perfectionist and you always give your all. Whilst this has so many advantages in your life, the downside is - your always primed to be on and active and your brain has gotten so used to this it has forgotten how to power down or more accurately for many it doesn't feel safe to power down because WHAT IF .. what if you miss something important? What if taking your foot off the gas costs you later?

This is the loop high-functioning, high-achieving women get caught in, not because you’re doing something wrong, but because your nervous system has adapted to a constant state of hypervigilance.

You don’t choose to stay switched on. Your system has simply decided it’s safer that way.

But here’s what I want you to know: Your ability to rest isn’t a luxury. It’s absolutely necessary and equals better performance all around. In your role at work, in your parenting, etc 

And when your nervous system learns that it’s safe to slow down, your brain will finally stop running the show on autopilot.

This isn’t about forcing stillness or chasing another “wind-down” routine. It’s about creating the conditions where your system no longer feels the need to stay alert.

Let’s explore what that can look like for you

1. Create a Clear Transition Ritual

If you go from delivering high-stakes decisions, supporting your team, and navigating back-to-back meetings… straight into replying to WhatsApps, managing your children’s emotions, or figuring out what to do for dinner without even pausing to breathe, your system stays locked in performance mode.

You might have shut your laptop, but your body is still in go-mode.

Solving. Holding. Anticipating.

This is where burnout quietly builds not in the doing, but in the absence of true decompression.

Instead, introduce a 5–10 minute intentional buffer between “work you” and “evening you.” Not as a luxury, but as a line in the sand.

Try stepping outside. Shaking out your body. Washing your face. Putting on different clothes. Lighting a candle. Sitting in stillness and asking:“What do I need right now, before I give to anyone else?”

This isn’t indulgent. It’s strategic nervous system regulation and it’s needed, because you carry a lot.

You lead. You support. You hold it all together at work, at home, and in your relationships. And yes, you are impacted by all of it. But here’s the truth most women in your position overlook:

They’re impacted by you too.

The more resourced and regulated you are, the more sustainable your leadership becomes. Pour into yourself first and everyone around you benefits.

2. Close Mental Loops, Not Just Your Laptop

Your brain doesn’t stay switched on because you’re disorganised, it stays on because it’s trying to protect you.

Unfinished thoughts. Loose ends. Conversations you’re still replaying. Your mind holds them all because it’s scanning for potential problems and trying to plan fix and find solutions ahead of time.

This is the mental load that high-functioning women carry often invisibly.

So, instead of pushing it down or trying to “think positive,” give your brain what it really wants: reassurance that nothing will be forgotten. So, it can actually let go of the million thoughts and tabs open in your mind. Here are some of my favourite ways to do this and the ones that work best for my clients:

Before you end your workday, take 5 minutes to sit and ask yourself:

• What still feels unresolved from today?

• What thoughts keep circling in the background?

• What decision, task, or conversation is taking up space in my head?

Then bring some structure and softness to what comes up:

• Can I plan this in for tomorrow or next week?

• Is this actually urgent? or just loud?

• What can I let go of right now, knowing it’s safe to come back to it later?

• What can I say to the part of me that feels like this is urgent / life threatening?

Try:"Thank you for trying to keep me on track—I hear you. And I’ve got it covered. Nothing is going to fall apart while I enjoy my evening."

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about giving your system a moment to breathe. A moment of acknowledgement that says: “I’ve heard you. I’ve got this and gives reassurance thats its ok to let that go for now.”

You’re not ignoring your responsibilities. You are creating space to meet them with clarity instead of chaos.

3. Stop Trying to Earn Your Rest

This one runs deep.

So many women subconsciously believe they must deserve rest. That stillness is only allowed once everything is handled, cleared, solved, and settled.

But that moment? It rarely comes.

There’s always more to do. Another message to respond to. A child who needs you. A project that lingers.

Which is why your relationship with rest must change at the identity level.

True freedom begins when you allow yourself to rest, not because you’ve ticked every box, but because you are human, not a machine. Because you are enough, right now, as you are.

Rest is not a reward. It’s a requirement for sustainable success, emotional mastery, and long-term happiness, balance and health.

And the irony? The more you rest, the more effective, creative, and grounded you become.

Calm is actually your power. But the truth is hear that currently your system sees it as the threat! Quite the opposite to what it is so it is important that you start to shift your relationship with rest and start to change the narrative that you are tell yourself and start to edge out of the patterns that are keeping you stuck.

You Don’t Need to Do Less. You Need to Feel Safe to Pause.

When your system learns safety. Your brain stops spinning. Your evenings feel restorative. And your energy returns in a deeply resourced, grounded way.

This is success without self-sacrifice. And yes - it’s available to you.

If your brain won’t switch off even when your body is exhausted, this is your invitation.

You don’t need more willpower.You need real insight into why your system won’t slow down, and what to do about it.

Take the Work-Life Harmony Quiz, it’s free, quick, and designed specifically for women like you who want clarity, calm, and sustainable success.

Discover where your internal load is coming from and I'll guide you through the first steps to shift it for good. 

Take the Work-Life Harmony Quiz now —this is where everything starts to change. And if you know you want to dive straight into working together more deeply, personally and privately with me in my 1-1 support, then apply for a connection call here 

With so much love,

Speak soon, Emma.