Lower Stress With an End-of-Day Ritual | Dr. Cal Newport & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Dr. Cal Newport and Dr. Andrew Huberman discuss the importance of having a shutdown ritual to disconnect from work, avoid rumination and improve mental health.
Cal Newport, Ph.D. (@CalNewportMedia) is a professor of computer science at Georgetown University and bestselling author of numerous books on focus and productivity and how to access the deepest possible layers of your cognitive abilities in order to do quality work and lead a more balanced life. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab podcast.
Watch the full episode: • Dr. Cal Newport: How t...
Show notes: www.hubermanlab.com/episode/d...
Social & Website
Instagram: / hubermanlab
Threads: www.threads.net/@hubermanlab
X: / hubermanlab
Facebook: / hubermanlab
TikTok: / hubermanlab
LinkedIn: / andrew-huberman
Website: www.hubermanlab.com
Newsletter: www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3thCToZ
Spotify: spoti.fi/3PYzuFs
Timestamps
00:00 Mastering the Shutdown Ritual for Work-Life Balance
01:05 The Power of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Work Shutdown
02:31 The Impact of Work Thoughts on Sleep and Relationships
03:44 Concluding Thoughts and Invitation to Watch Full Episode
#HubermanLab #CalNewport
The Huberman Lab podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

[@magicalfrijoles6766]

I work from home. After I shutdown my laptop I leave the house. It can be to go on a walk or drive to the grocery store. Whatever it is, I make sure to leave the house since I just spent all day there.

[@zaldare]

My grandma who was born in the 30's always said "never associate your house with work. Always keep them separate". Otherwise the same walls that are supposed to be the place where you relax are now associated with your work stress. So you are not giving your brain an environment where it can fully relax because its confined within the same walls that you work.

[@Bcosmo555]

This is what Amazon workers are encouraged to do. At the end of their day they say “shutdown sequence activate” and the next shift worker wheels them off and parks them in a closet until the next morning.

[@boludokid]

XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[@mp0wa]

🤣

[@gauravjain6878]

😂😂

[@AGenerationJones]

The last thing I do is make a to-do list, in order of priority for the next day. That way, the next day I am organized and can hit the ground running.

[@gauravjain6878]

Aren't you constantly thinking about the to do list till tomorrow?

[@AGenerationJones]

No.

[@odds87]

My ritual is opening my home office door and two toddlers being thrust at me, usually screaming or arguing, while my struggling wife hobbles upstairs. sometimesin tears!

[@edgiraffr1352]

My problem is my ritual starts with a beer

[@21972012145525]

Watch his alcohol video

[@neidesofiaalmeida3726]

I am with you friend, that fresh beer its life giving 😂 i know its not healthy (no need to come at us!) we know 😂

[@toonnaobi-okoye2949]

Problem?

[@TheZippyMark]

Have you tried a little bit of LSD? That can be quite freeing

[@rotcaka]

Take the beer in the shower and it reduces 98% of the inflammatory markers blah blah, just kidding. Do what you gotta do to cope! Rome wasn't built by philosophers 💪👷🏼‍♂️ 🍻

[@keithb4077]

If I may wedge into Huberman's very good point on making the bed/bedroom a place of peace for sleep- I believe 20 mins is too brief before a reset from lying in bed. (first pro tip; don't ever look at your clock during the night; its data that can only make problems, not solve any)... 20 min breaks can happen too often and easily to warrant getting out of bed. Also, it's always so near that you may stress about how little time you have left before you have to pull that ripcord. Our solution: we have a white noise machine (you can set it for any interval). It usually eases us to sleep, while drowning out ambient noises. Finally, if I do stay awake until the interval (e.g. 45 min), that informs me that it's been long enough, and I should reset. I never had to watch a clock.

[@Mwilke3789]

Kids: Mom can I have water, I'm thirs- Me: SCHEDULE SHUTDOWN COMPLETE!

[@Seabeams]

Children: *screaming* *crying* *throwing up everywhere* Me: zzz Child Protection Services: … 😂🤣

[@JessicaSmith-ie7cm]

🤣🤣this is hilarious… so funnyyyyy

[@Seabeams]

What about “revenge bedtime procrastination”? I don’t think about work but I crave fun and distraction to decompress and end up browsing online till I feel de-stressed enough to sleep

[@barhamitzvah]

I hella struggle with this, as well. That's why I dislike doing anything "productive" around the house on work nights. I NEED my own personal fun time.

[@add-mt5xc]

it might be because you are associating browsing with relaxing, which it is not, at least not the best form of relaxing that's good for your body; it is only a dopamine rush for your brain

[@sabrinav5609]

I also need the answer to this question.

[@tonyantmann5635]

I use a standing desk. In the afternoon it eventually finds it’s way down (sitting position). My last actions every day, work phone off, standing desk raised, chair tucked underneath. Visual and physical process. And ready to start the next morning with positive energy.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

I work in a really hard job working in addictions helping people recover from drug and alcohol issues and my day can be filled with people in trauma and some really difficult challenging situations. the first thing I do is I always park my car about 500 m from work so this involves a walk that short walk which is only five minutes. Maybe it basically clears my head. Just motion of walking feeling 1 foot in front of the other engages, a different part of the brain. I do something interesting when I get to my car. I take my shoes off and put a different pair of shoes on. This is the starting point to getting out of work mode those feet carried the energy. After that I make a choice of what my body and mine feels like and I have a variety of strategies none of them include alcohol. I either go into nature and take photos? I'm also a professional photographer now... I might go to the gym. I might go and see my partner. I might combine all three of those in one thing but I try and do something different to keep it interesting. Don't resort to the same coping strategy..

[@NoyPi6step]

Perfect timing on this

[@elainec5773]

Helpful, thank you for yet another practical one, Dr. H!

[@Grumpisaurus]

I usually end my work day by poking the voodoo doll made to look like the head engineer, then i offer the body of a chicken to a pagan god... But i guess this works too

[@ericamartin74]

Love this! Think I'm going to start doing this at the end of my work day.

[@57auxmoines]

Thank you 🙏 so helpful

[@davideylerYT]

Really helpful - thanks guys!

[@teodorgeorgiev6725]

Fantastic! I’ll try this.

[@aliciamazz]

Thanks!

[@pratikkkothari3198]

I just browse through such videos after work

[@claremiller9979]

My shutdown ritual just moves me from one job (which pays me) to another (which costs me money). Yes I am a parent 😄 Actual shutdown from work doesn't happen until 9pm...

[@codycurnutte9778]

I started doing this naturally once my son was born. I didn’t have a choice but to be present when my son was a baby. So I’d go over what I had to get done first thing the next day and make sure I knew what the first move was. Then I’d log out and move on with the family part of the day. I removed all work messaging apps from my phone and drew a clear line between work and private life and my stress went down 10 fold. I hit the career and post secondary education grind 8 years now it’s time for balance and family focus.

[@wannabedal-adx458]

The problem with not asking, "How was your day at work?" is that you don't connect with that person on what is important or happening in their life. Yes our work should not define us but it is a large part of our lives. Maybe not talking about the tasks or technical parts of work (including schedule), but the other person may want to vent about or share praise about work relationships. That has been an uplift to me throughout my life (and a source of stress when it is not present). Good video and good information. Should expand upon this for people working from home.

[@AdamKMarsh]

I feel for ya man. Sounds like this was a gathering of your thoughts mostly pointing to a common theme - too much. Sounds like its time to simplify, maybe a little less DIY and pay some people to do some things for you so you can have actual downtime. I appreciate the openness an honesty. Keep at it man.

[@FutureofGD]

Wish this worked for my type of work. I have to be available via phone and text even after my scheduled hours. Work often seeps into my life even as early as 4 am. I think there's nothing I can do except change jobs.

[@azzzydzz]

Write down everything!

[@swapnasreenivasanswapnasre5518]

Wow ! Great

[@EcomCarl]

Cal Newport's shutdown ritual is a game-changer for maintaining work-life balance! 🌟 Implementing a simple yet effective routine like this can help us transition from work mode to relaxation mode, boosting both mental health and productivity.

[@thewrastler]

If I have a post-work work rumination, I Schedule a text message from my home phone to my work phone for 9am the following work day

[@essentialdeparture9999]

Great stuff. I’m sure it wasn’t the wording you’d intended, but if trying to sleep is “effort” you need to make a change in that aspect of sleep.

[@teodorgeorgiev6725]

Very good point. The effort bit was decisive for me when I was dealing with sleep problems. You shouldn’t be making an effort. That said I also think he was just expressing himself loosely.

[@username00009]

He did specifically mention a study of people with insomnia in that same thought 😀

[@user-dv4pz7qj6x]

I haven’t had a steady job in 3 years.

[@jz5005]

The work day is supposed to end at some point?

[@utsavmangla8552]

Humans trying to be computers, computers (ai) trying to be human 😅

[@dienand_gaming]

Nothing more frustrating than hearing, “How was work” right after you just managed to shut down from it 😢

[@dienand_gaming]

My ritual is to take a good long walk. It’s the only way for me to say okay work is done, time for other things.

[@GenericUserName443]

Go to the gym and put in a good workout like running or weights, then finish with a long shower and get fresh with new clothes. That’s how you lose the stress from work. Only thing missing is a massage when getting home

[@divinecomedian2]

That's great if you don't have other responsibilities after work

[@Mvrderface]

24/5.

[@julierahn6932]

good advice for home-based work because clear boundaries allow one to function and not ruminate about the past day, week, month, year, etc Be wholly present in non-work life activities.

[@chad-ck]

That’s great, but now you might become a robot and you get to the end of your short time in the earthly plane and realise you forgot to live a little and enjoy the dance 🕺🏼💃🏻

[@alexknaus4511]

Cardio, walk, hot yoga in evening

[@gauravjain6878]

Schedule shutdown complete

[@lukenewton2721]

Rudy not making all nba teams says all it needs to say.

[@brottongoodfellow5932]

Shower beer.

[@rotcaka]

This is the blue collar version 💪😂

[@zachdarr7605]

Hahaha in a world where it’s hard to get anyone to engage in work we are talking about shutting it down

[@datavincianalytics]

I think the next video series is going to be on hair. Am I the only one noticing that

[@heidikamrath1951]

I would be disappointed if it weren’t

[@gray_mara]

I kept hoping he'd get to the point, but no. Literally the answer to the clickbait title is do your routine (you're on your own coming up with one), say "schedule shutdown complete." Don't know why people worship this guy.

[@Bacciagalupe]

: )

[@Shroomunati]

Don’t start it

[@panthersprung5161]

am i allowed to do anything on my own anymore? eating, breathing, blinking, relaxing, jesus christ

[@dnbrg74]

Invented it. 🙄

[@rendorHaevyn]

Indeed. CBT, no less.

[@rider65]

Obviously he's a very smart individual but really I'm listening to word diarrhea... Listen buddy keep it simple we don't want to have to listen to a dissertation. K.I.S.S. 🙄

[@BigVlad357]

true

[@jacobi-vision3249]

This is part of a conversation.

[@essentialdeparture9999]

What, rumination? Everyone should know this these days because of the problem it has become.

[@danieloconnor6292]

psychopathic behaviour.

[@1Mrsweetness]

He literaly said nothing!

[@emiliolarafdez17]

Thats not the correct way to use the word literally 😅

[@ashleyliddiard]

That’s not true. He said 1. complete critical tasks and write what you need as TDL for later 2. Have a phrase or a marker to end your day “completed the shut down” 3. Make sure you keep in a specific environment and not bring it to the dinner table or in family places. 4. Don’t ask about work ask something else like “hey what was exciting about your day”

[@SemibSul]

You didn’t get it then.

[@hajjcomb]

I have a hard time taking Huberman seriously anymore.

[@wildprodigy]

Why is that? Did he say something that science disproved that I'm not aware of?

[@Johndoe-gd4tb]

@@wildprodigythis comment shows why you all are so annoying

[@wildprodigy]

@@Johndoe-gd4tb I'm confused now. I asked a question. All he talks about is science and health

[@nanzsch]

Ok bot