Experts agree a ‘shutdown ritual’ can drastically improve your work-life balance and burnout

Tell your coworkers and your brain that you’ve clocked out.

Erik Barnes

Oct 3, 2025

By Erik Barnes

October 3, 2025

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How do you tell your brain that it's time to stop working? – Photo credit: Canva

Increasingly, Americans are feeling burned out. One of the major contributing factors is that we have a hard time “turning off” when we should. Whether you’re working from the office or at home, work can creep into your off-hours through emails, texts, Slack notifications, etc. Even if your work has guardrails in place to keep work separate from personal life, many people still struggle to transition from “work mode” to “rest of life mode.” If this sounds like you, you may want to consider adopting or creating a “shutdown ritual” that tells your brain and your body that it’s time to clock out.

“One of the trends that is a repeated refrain, if most so in work-from-home environments, is that work creeps into life,” HR professional and business consultant Charly Huang of AceBallMarkers.com tells GOOD. “Without an end-of-commute signal that it is ‘end of day,’ that laptop becomes a date to dinner, and those emails creep into family time. Gradually, that is a fast track to burnout.”

@her.messy.bun
Whats more important than getting that next task done? Shutting down. Recharging. Having a routine that triggers when work mode is done and its time to shift into life mode will help your brain destress and disconnect from work. Idk who needs to hear this, but that task can wait, go live your life, relax, have fun and figure out what easy routine you can add to the end of your workday to help you context shift from work to life. #shutdownroutine #workfromhome #productivitytips #rechargeyourself #endofworkday #simplifyyourday ♬ Stolen Dance (Instrumental) – Milky Chance

A shutdown ritual or routine may sound a little silly at first, but its purpose is to essentially reset and reboot your brain for non-work rest and activities. You know work is done, but your subconscious mind needs convincing. This isn’t just beneficial for employees, but managers and executives also benefit from workers having a good work-life balance, as it leads to happier, more productive, and more alert individuals.

@illuminate.byv
ending the work day with extra care ? #selflove #selfcare #afterworkroutine #candletok #routinelife #resetroutine ♬ original sound – carter

“As someone who often works remotely, and who leads a company that has many remote workers, shutdown rituals are something I highly recommend,” Steve Schwab, CEO of Casago, tells GOOD. “I know from firsthand experience how working remotely can lead to not really winding down all that effectively. When people can incorporate ‘hacks’ like these to help with their energy levels and work/life balance, I am all for it.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@nikkipebbles/video/7229069816231955754

So, what is your shutdown ritual? Well, that varies from person to person. Many workers have shared theirs online, and there are numerous options available, depending on your personality, mindset, and interests. Here are some of the most commonly mentioned rituals from folks online and those that reached out to GOOD :

Tidy up your workspace

When your laptop is closed and put away, the coffee mug is washed, and your work desk is decluttered, it not only creates a neater workspace but one that is “completed” without lingering reminders of work left there.

Work from home? Fake a commute

When it’s quitting time, take yourself and/or your dog out for a walk outside, or walk to a nearby cafe or bar for a beverage. Listen to a specific playlist or podcast that you’d likely listen to in the car or on the subway train if you were going to and from an office. This can help you transition smoothly.

Change your clothes

Much like the commute, this can mimic the thought of changing out of your suit and tie, dress, work uniform, or whatever “work clothes” you wear, even if you dress casually or work from home. An outfit change creates a shift in mindset.

Write or draw

Taking out a pencil and paper to write or draw whatever is currently in mind. If you’re not feeling very artistic, you could write down what you’ve accomplished today to remind yourself that you’ve done plenty of work already. You might also write a list of what you wish to accomplish tomorrow so it won’t linger in your mind during off-hours.

Get active

Going to the gym, the dojo, or outside for a run gets the body and the mind in a new place. Since your brain is focused more on lifting weights, your jogging route, mindful stretching, or vibing with a song on your workout playlist, you’ll be away from work in your brain.

Those are just the most frequently mentioned methods, but you can experiment to see what helps you transition from your work life to your real life. Ultimately, it’ll be beneficial for you mentally, physically, and professionally.

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Martin Luther King Jr. became involved not just in fights over racial equality but also economic hardship. – Photo credit: Ted S. Warren/AP

Culture, History, Justice, Money, Society

Martin Luther King Jr. was ahead of his time in pushing for universal basic income

He believed UBI could go a long way toward helping those oppressed by unjust systems.

Tarah Williams

Andrew Bloeser

1/13/2026

Each year on the holiday that bears his name, Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for his immense contributions to the struggle for racial equality. What is less often remembered but equally important is that King saw the fight for racial equality as deeply intertwined with economic justice.

To address inequality – and out of growing concern for how automation might displace workers – King became an early advocate for universal basic income. Under universal basic income, the government provides direct cash payments to all citizens to help them afford life’s expenses.

In recent years, more than a dozen U.S. cities have run universal basic income programs, often smaller or pilot programs that have offered guaranteed basic incomes to select groups of needy residents. As political scientists, we have followed these experiments closely.

One of us recently co-authored a study which found that universal basic income is generally popular. In two out of three surveys analyzed, majorities of white Americans supported a universal basic income proposal. Support is particularly high among those with low incomes.

King’s intuition was that white people with lower incomes would support this type of policy because they could also benefit from it. In 1967, King argued, “It seems to me that the Civil Rights Movement must now begin to organize for the guaranteed annual income … which I believe will go a long, long way toward dealing with the Negro’s economic problem and the economic problem with many other poor people confronting our nation.”

But there is one notable group that does not support universal basic income: those with higher levels of racial resentment. Racial resentment is a scale that social scientists have used to describe and measure anti-Black prejudice since the 1980s.

Economic self-interest can trump resentment

At the same time, the results of the study also suggest that coalition building is possible, even among the racially resentful.

Economic status matters. Racially resentful whites with lower incomes tend to be supportive of universal basic income. In short, self-interest seems to trump racial resentment. This is consistent with King’s idea of how an economic coalition could be built and pave the way toward racial progress.

As mayor of Stockton, Calif., Michael Tubbs ran a pioneering program that provided a basic income to a limited number of residents. Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Income is not the only thing that shapes attitudes, however. Some of the strongest supporters of universal basic income are those who have higher incomes but low levels of racial resentment. This suggests an opportunity to build coalitions across economic lines, something King believed was necessary. “The rich must not ignore the poor,” he argued in his Nobel Peace Prize lecture, “because both rich and poor are tied in a single garment of destiny.” Our data shows that this is possible.

This approach to coalition building is also suggested by our earlier research. Using American National Election Studies surveys from 2004-2016, we found that for white Americans, racial resentment predicted lower support for social welfare policies. But we also found that economic position mattered, too.

Economic need can unite white Americans in support of more generous welfare policies, including among some who are racially prejudiced. At a minimum, this suggests that racial resentment does not necessarily prevent white Americans from supporting policies that would also benefit Black Americans.

Building lasting coalitions

During his career as an activist in the 1950s and 1960s, King struggled with building long-term, multiracial coalitions. He understood that many forms of racial prejudice could undermine his work. He therefore sought strategies that could forge alliances across lines of difference. He helped build coalitions of poor and working-class Americans, including those who are white. He was not so naive as to think that shared economic progress would eliminate racial prejudice, but he saw it as a place to start.

Martin Luther King Jr. believed Americans of different racial backgrounds could coalesce around shared economic interests. AP

Currently, the nation faces an affordability crisis, and artificial intelligence poses new threats to jobs. These factors have increased calls for universal basic income.

Racial prejudice continues to fuel opposition to universal basic income, as well as other forms of social welfare. But our research suggests that this is not insurmountable.

As King knew, progress toward economic equality is not inevitable. But, as his legacy reminds us, progress does remain possible through organizing around shared interests.

This article originally appeared on The Conversation. You can read it here.

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A doctor holds a roll of toilet paper – Photo credit: Canva

Civic Life, Culture, Past Events, Society

17 everyday things we do now that the future will find utterly bizarre

An online community imagined looking back from the year 2075, and their predictions about our current “primitive” habits are surprisingly convincing.

Adam Albright Hanna

GOOD Staff

12/19/2025

Hindsight is 20/20, but foresight is a little more complicated. Just as we look back at the Victorian era—with its arsenic makeup and child labor—and shudder, future generations will undoubtedly look back at 2025 and wonder, “What were they thinking?”
A recent thread on r/AskReddit posed a fascinating thought experiment: “What’s something normal to us in 2025 that by 2075 will be seen as barbaric?”
The thread exploded with over 4,500 upvotes, generating a mix of hopeful medical predictions, environmental critiques, and harsh truths about our social norms. Here are 17 of the most compelling things we do today that might horrify the history students of tomorrow.

A factory farm with rows of crops Canva

The “Primitive” Hygiene & Diet
1. Wiping with dry paper The concept of chopping down forests to dry-wipe our bodies baffled many users.
“They cut down trees just to wipe themselves?!” one user imagined a future citizen asking. Another, u/Dramatic-Avocado4687, was blunt: “Wiping our asses with toilet paper.” The Future: High-tech bidets becoming the global standard.
2. Factory farming This was a top answer. The industrial scale of animal agriculture was predicted to be looked upon with deep shame.
“The worst hell on earth that humans have ever created,” wrote u/w0ke_brrr_4444.
The Future: Lab-grown meat that is indistinguishable from the real thing, without the suffering.
3. Eating animals entirely Some users went a step further, suggesting that 2075 society might be entirely vegetarian.
“We don’t care because we don’t see it,” u/Zetsubou51 noted about our current disconnect from food sources. “Factory farms are awful for the animals and the people that work in them.”

An empty hospital room Canva

The “Dark Ages” of Medicine
4. Chemotherapy While it saves lives today, “poisoning the whole body to kill a tumor” will likely look crude to future doctors.
“We still poison the whole body with chemo and hope the cancer dies first,” noted u/Vocalscpunk.
The Future: Targeted genetic therapies that delete cancer without making the patient sick.
5. Drilling into teeth Dentistry involving drills and metal rods might be viewed the way we view Civil War amputations.
u/nomiis19 offered a hopeful alternative: “Pull the tooth, get injection, grow a new tooth.”
6. Ignoring women’s pain The medical industry’s historical dismissal of women’s pain was a major point of contention.
“Not giving anesthesia with placing IUDs,” wrote u/tt_DVM2011. u/ThatRoryNearThePark shared a personal horror story: “Worst pain of my life… couldn’t sit upright for at least 48 hours.”
7. Medical bankruptcy The idea that getting sick could make you homeless is a concept many hope will be extinct.
“Medical bankruptcies and for-profit healthcare leaving people to die if uninsured,” wrote u/SarlacFace.
8. Orthopedic hardware
“Orthopedic surgery with drills, rods, and screws?” asked u/Orthocorey.
Future surgeons might view our titanium pins and screws as barbaric carpentry rather than medicine.

Trash floating on the surface of the ocean Canva

The Environmental & Social Reckoning
9. Single-use plastics We wrap fruit in plastic, drink from plastic, and wear plastic.
“Plastic everywhere, all the time,” wrote u/letthisbeanewstart. u/MarkNutt25 added that “plastic textiles” and microfibers will likely be viewed as an environmental disaster we willingly wore.
10. Burning fossil fuels Burning liquefied dinosaurs to move cars will likely seem inefficient and dirty.
u/loftier_fish offered a grim reality check: “If the answer isn’t ‘using fossil fuels,’ there will be a lot fewer humans to deem anything barbaric in 2075.”
11. Humans driving cars We let imperfect, distracted, tired apes pilot two-ton metal death machines at 70 mph.
“Driving yourself will seem barbaric,” predicted u/CranberryCheese1997. The Future: Fully autonomous transport networks that eliminate traffic accidents.
12. Fast fashion The cycle of buying cheap clothes to wear once and throw away was called out by u/rabbity_devotee for filling landfills and exploiting labor.
13. Animal entertainment
“Drugged dolphins in resorts and whales at SeaWorld. Barbaric,” wrote u/w0ke_brrr_4444. Future generations may view zoos and marine parks the way we view old-timey circuses.
The “What Were We Thinking?” Lifestyle
14. Child influencers Putting children on the internet for profit before they can consent was a major ethical concern.
“Hopefully, monetizing your children for social media will seem barbaric,” wrote u/TheWorstWitch.
15. The 40-hour workweek
“Working a 9-5 just to survive? Barbaric,” said u/DeathofSmallTalk1. Though u/EvaMayShadee cynically noted, “We’ll probably be working 60-hour weeks by then.”
16. Doomscrolling Spending our one wild and precious life staring at a glowing rectangle.
“Spending multiple hours, every day, scrolling mindlessly on social media,” predicted u/cornylilbugger.
17. The optimistic twist Finally, one user suggested that we might be the civilized ones compared to what is coming.
“By 2075, we’re gonna be way more barbaric… we’ll fight over everything once food gets scarce,” u/NapoleonDonutHeart warned.
Let’s hope the optimists win this round.

This article originally appeared earlier this year.

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It might be time to update your resume if your boss says this. – Photo credit: Canva

Society, Work, Work & Money

Career strategist says if your boss says any of these 3 things, you should quit your job

If your boss says any of these things, update your resume.

Erik Barnes

12/17/2025

Working is hard enough on its own. Deadlines, quotas, group projects, assignments, making that delivery on time, cooking a meal to perfection, and so much more can be on your shoulders depending on what you do for a living. No one needs a boss who makes your job more difficult or, worse, toxic. Many great workers are taken advantage of due to mistaking the need to improve their work ethic with being in a toxic work environment. Luckily, a career strategist knows what a toxic boss is (and isn’t), and what they say that should clue you in on whether or not you should tough it out or move on.
Jennifer Brick, a former corporate climber turned career coach, shared the three sentences that only a toxic boss says.

“It’s just the way that they are.”
If you go to your boss about a difficult or problematic coworker and they respond by saying, “It’s just the way that they are,” instead of trying to find a solution for all parties involved, that’s a red flag. Instead of reassuring you and connecting with the difficult teammate, they are showing they aren’t capable of properly leading their team or don’t care to. This response makes it clear they’re relying on you to suck it up and tolerate the problem or fix it yourself, which are both bad options for a number of reasons.
“I thought you were a team player.”
You might have heard this one when you were asked to perform a duty outside of your job description, told to cancel your vacation to cover a shift, or asked to work extra hours. There may be the rare moment or two when you don’t mind sacrificing your time for the team due to an emergency or a big push, but the “team player” comment is most often said by a toxic boss trying to manipulate or guilt-trip you into work beyond your legal or contractual obligations.

@rod
Its interesting how we find workplace comedies so absurd when we are in fact living them #corporate #employee #9to5 #job
♬ original sound – Rod

“We are a family.”
Nope. Run if you hear this from your boss. Unless it is referring to your actual blood relatives or friends that you choose to call your kin, the word “family” doesn’t apply to anything else. There are two kinds of people who call non-relatives “family”: toxic bosses and cult leaders. Neither one of them has your best interests in mind. Actual families don’t have the ability to lay you off, either.
If you find yourself working for a toxic boss who says any or all of those sentences, do your best to detach yourself from your work during off-hours. You can find ways to power through by exercising, meditating, or having a refreshment to “detox” after each work day while you plan, update your resume, and develop additional skills for your next job search.
What does a good boss sound like?
But how do you know when you’ve found a good boss who is worth sticking around for when the job gets tough? When might it be worth powering through? Business consultant Robert H. Johnson Jr. reached out to GOOD to provide three green flag sentences bosses say:
“It’s my responsibility as your leader to highlight your strengths, and to coach and develop your gaps.”
Johnson has a point there. Many effective leaders choose to coach their employees rather than command them. It makes it clear what your objectives are and creates a relationship in which both you and your boss know what tasks you should be allowed to thrive in and which ones might need extra attention.

@tashaa400
♬ original sound – ???????

“What feedback do you have for me?”
Johnson says that this is “a simple question that many leaders can ask to create a culture of psychological safety.” In a job you care about, you’d like to know what’s working and fix what doesn’t, right? A good boss wants the same. If they are asking this question, you know that you share what’s working for you and can collaborate on a plan for things that aren’t. Having consistent feedback can only help the working relationship.
“Let’s collaborate on a plan to improve your performance, build your confidence, and ensure your success.”
Collaboration on a performance plan with your boss clearly lays out all the stakes and expectations for both you and your employer. There are no tricks, boundaries are made, and goal posts are firmly set in place. Hearing your boss say this indicates not just transparent expectations, but reassures you that your success is your boss’ success, too.
“True leaders seek to understand the people they lead,” concluded Johnson. “They’re curious about their hopes, ambitions and aspirations.”

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Career strategist says if your boss says any of these 3 things, you should quit your job

Erik Barnes

Work