John Lindberg ADHD Books
Practical books and guides for adult ADHD, focus, routines, work, study, and relationships.

ADHD tool

ADHD Workday Shutdown Worksheet

Close open loops, choose tomorrow’s first action, and create a clean enough end to the workday.

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Start one real task

ADHD Workday Shutdown Worksheet

Write a rough answer. One useful line is enough.

What’s the workday ending problem right now?

Choose the closest problem. A shutdown is a small handoff to tomorrow, not an attempt to finish every open loop.

Pick the closest problem to open the write-in part of the worksheet.

Blank worksheet PDF

Choose the next support only if you need it

Work priorityUse the work-priority worksheet if tomorrow has too many competing tasks.
Meeting handoffUse meeting closeout when the open loop came from a conversation or call.
A deeper work systemUse the Workplace Planner for sustainable workday routines.

Who this helps

Professionals with ADHD whose workday does not end cleanly because open loops, messages, and unfinished tasks keep pulling attention back.

Use this when

  • You stop working physically but keep mentally replaying unfinished tasks.
  • Tomorrow starts cold because the first action was never captured.
  • Open loops are spread across email, chat, notes, and memory.

Academy path

Workplace ADHD Academy

Use the workplace path to connect shutdown, status updates, meetings, and workday prioritization.

Open Academy path

Read next

I need an ADHD Workday Shutdown system that stays usable on normal days, low-energy days, and recovery days.

ADHD Workday Shutdown Systems That Are Easy to Keep Up

A lighter, easier-to-maintain system for ADHD Workday Shutdown that does not fall apart after one messy week.

I need a clear starting point for ADHD Workday Prioritization because everything feels urgent once the workday starts.

How to Handle ADHD Workday Prioritization

A practical starting point for ADHD Workday Prioritization when everything feels urgent once the workday starts.

I need a clear starting point for ADHD Manager Communication because status updates happen too late or too vaguely.

How to Handle ADHD Manager Communication

A practical starting point for ADHD Manager Communication when status updates happen too late or too vaguely.

Common questions

How long should a workday shutdown take?

Ten minutes is enough. If it takes much longer, the checklist is probably trying to process the whole backlog instead of closing today.

What is the most important shutdown step?

Choose tomorrow's first visible action. That single cue lowers the activation cost of the next work session.

Want support beyond this worksheet?

The related John Lindberg book expands this worksheet into a fuller ADHD system with examples, troubleshooting, and repeatable routines.

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