Work/Life Balance for Remote Workers: How to Actually Transition to “Home” When You’re Done With Work
- Kristina Proctor
- Oct 2, 2025
- 4 min read
For ADHD brains, logging off isn’t as easy as closing your laptop.
When You Work From Home, You Live at Work
You’ve shut your laptop, but your brain is still refreshing Slack. You’re technically “done” for the day, but you keep hovering around your inbox, mentally replying to emails while reheating leftovers.
Remote work has its upsides — no commute, flexibility, better focus (sometimes). But for adults with ADHD, it can also blur the line between work and life to the point where both start to suffer.
You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just missing some structure — especially around transitions.
Let’s talk about why transitioning out of work mode is so hard for ADHD brains — and five practical ways to make it easier.
October 2025, Kristina Proctor, ADHD Coach @ Agave Health
Why Is It So Hard to “Clock Out” When You Work from Home?
Transitions are an executive functioning task — and if you have ADHD, executive dysfunction is a core challenge.
Switching from “work mode” to “home mode” involves:
Closing mental loops
Shifting attention
Physically and mentally disengaging from tasks
Allowing rest without guilt or urgency
Without a commute or natural environmental shift, the brain doesn’t always get the memo that it’s time to stop working.
Want to understand more about executive functioning and ADHD? 👉 Unpacking Executive Functioning
5 ADHD-Friendly Strategies to End Your Workday (and Actually Feel Off the Clock)
1. Create a “Work Is Over” Ritual
ADHD brains love closure. But if you don’t give your brain a clear cue that work is done, it’ll keep running in the background like an open tab.
Try:
Saying out loud: “Work is done for today.”
Playing a specific “sign-off” song
Physically putting away your laptop, even if you have to pull it out again tomorrow
Turning off notifications or enabling Focus/Work Mode on your phone
The more consistent your ritual, the faster your brain will learn to respond.
2. Move Your Body to Shift Gears
Without a commute, your brain loses that “mode switch” signal. Movement can replace it.
Try:
A walk around the block
A short stretch or dance break
A voice note to yourself about tomorrow’s to-dos, while pacing
Movement anchors your nervous system in the now, helping you mentally leave work without spiraling into your next task.
3. Use a “Third Space” Between Work and Life
Many ADHDers struggle when they try to go straight from work into errands, dinner, parenting, or social plans. Your brain needs a buffer.
Try:
A 5–15 minute “nothing time” (not scrolling — real rest)
Listening to a playlist or podcast
Changing your clothes or brewing tea
Doing a mini creative hobby (doodle, knit, sketch, play a song)
This doesn’t have to be long; it just needs to feel like a shift.
4. Close the Loop: Use a Simple Shutdown System
Unfinished tasks can feel like mental clutter. ADHD brains struggle to let go unless they have a place to put the open loops.
End your workday with a:
Quick scan of your inbox (but don’t reply, just note what’s there)
Brain dump of tasks into tomorrow’s to-do list
A sticky note with just one or two top priorities for the next day
This gives your brain permission to rest — because everything has a home.
5. Redesign Your Space (or Signal a Shift)
If you don’t have a separate office, try creating visual or symbolic cues that your workday is over.
Ideas:
Change your lighting (cool white for work, warm yellow for rest)
Cover your desk with a blanket or fold up your laptop
Light a candle or change into comfy clothes
Even tiny environmental changes can signal a big shift to your brain.
What If You Slide Back Into Work Mode?
Let’s be real: it happens.
Maybe you remembered something urgent. Maybe your brain craves the dopamine hit of checking Slack one more time. Maybe you just… wandered back into your inbox out of habit.
When that happens:
Pause. Don’t shame yourself. Just notice.
Ask: “What am I hoping to get from doing this?”
Write it down for tomorrow, and repeat your “shutdown” cue if needed.
This is a skill, not a switch. And you’re allowed to practice.
Transitioning Is a Skill — Especially With ADHD
Challenge | ADHD-Friendly Support |
No physical transition | Create a ritual or movement cue |
Open mental loops | Use a shutdown system |
Feeling guilty resting | Protect buffer time |
Shared work/living space | Use environmental cues or symbolic changes |
You’re not lazy or disorganized. Your brain just doesn’t get the same signals that other people’s do. But you can give it those signals on purpose.
More Support from Agave
Looking for more ways to support your ADHD in daily life?
“If you’ve ever felt like you live at work because you work from home, you’re not alone. You just need better transitions, not more discipline,” said Coach Kristina.
Your brain wasn’t designed for back-to-back things.
Give it room to reset.
Give yourself grace when it’s messy.
And keep practicing — until your workday and life feel like two different things again.
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