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Slippers ritual to switch off from work at home

In many cultures, taking off your shoes when you come home is a way of leaving the dust of the road outside. Today, with phones and remote work, what we find hardest to leave outside is work itself: late emails, tasks that keep going round in our heads. This ritual creates a simple, daily boundary between the working day and your personal life. Changing your shoes becomes a clear signal: your own time starts here.

By the Cardaluna editorial team · Updated

In short: In many cultures, taking off your shoes when you come home is a way of leaving the dust of the road outside. You need 4 simple items and 5 steps. When: Every day at the end of work, for three weeks, which is roughly how long a habit takes to settle.

When to do it

Every day at the end of work, for three weeks, which is roughly how long a habit takes to settle. Start on a Monday during the waxing moon if you want an extra boost.

What you need

  • House slippers or comfy socks that you only wear at home
  • A basket or box by the door (or by your desk if you work from home)
  • A small notebook and a pen
  • A glass of fresh water

Step by step

  1. Before you finish work, write in the notebook the three tasks you will start with tomorrow. That way your mind knows nothing will be forgotten.
  2. Turn off work notifications on your phone and put the notebook, your badge, laptop or whatever symbolises your work in the basket. If you work from home, close the laptop and cover it with a cloth.
  3. Take off your street or work shoes and slowly put on your slippers as you say: “My working day is over; now my own time begins.”
  4. Drink the glass of fresh water calmly, taking three deep breaths.
  5. Spend the next ten minutes on something you enjoy that has nothing to do with work: cooking, going for a walk, talking with someone at home or reading.

Safety first

These rituals are symbolic. Do not ingest herbs or oils, ventilate the room when burning incense or herbs, and never perform a ritual to harm or control anyone.

To finish

If an urgent message comes in, weigh it calmly: if it can wait until tomorrow, jot it in the notebook in the basket and carry on with your evening. Over time, simply putting on your slippers will be enough for your mind to switch modes. To organise the next working day better, pair it with the hourglass ritual.