The Friday Close Method: A 7-Minute Weekly Ritual to Switch Off From Work

A 7-minute weekly ritual to quiet your mind, protect your weekend, and start Monday in flow

Most high achievers and entrepreneurs don’t struggle to get started. They struggle with finishing.

If you’re good at momentum, you probably know this pattern. You get a lot done, you carry a lot, and you keep moving. Then Friday arrives and instead of feeling complete, you feel… open.

Laptop still on. Tabs still open “so you don’t forget”. Notes everywhere. A desk that feels like a to-do list. And underneath it all, that low-level sense that you should do one more thing.

I used to struggle to switch off.

The truth is, I didn’t have a clear process to close the week.

And without that process, work doesn’t stop. It leaks. It follows you into the weekend. It sits in the background while you’re trying to relax, connect, or rest. Even if you don’t touch your laptop, part of you stays in Work Mode.

Over time, I realised something simple. My nervous system needed a clear signal that work was finished. Not a pep talk or more willpower, but a clear procedure.

That’s why I created my Friday Close Method.

What is an “open loop”?

An open loop is anything unfinished, unorganised, or undecided. A task you started but didn’t complete, a decision you haven’t made or maybe a message you still need to reply to. That note you don’t want to lose.

Your brain is brilliant at keeping these loops running in the background so you don’t forget them. The problem is, those background tabs create noise. That noise makes it harder to rest, be present, and start Monday with clarity.

Closing loops doesn’t mean you finish everything. It means you stop carrying everything.

What it costs when you don’t close the week

You might recognise some of this.

• Work creeps into the weekend, even if you promised yourself it wouldn’t

• You reopen the same mental tabs again and again

• Monday feels heavier because you begin behind

• You carry that low-level feeling of “I should be doing something”

What you gain when you do

This is what I see happen when women start closing their week.

• Your mind quietens because fewer tabs are running

• The weekend feels like yours again

• Monday starts faster, with less fog and more direction

• You build self-trust because you finish and file things away

The Friday Close Method, 7 minutes

Set a timer for 7 minutes. Speed helps. One-line answers are perfect.

If you miss Friday, do it on Sunday evening so you start the week with more clarity.

Step 1, Celebrate (1 minute)

Write three wins from the week. Tiny counts.

Examples:
“I drank enough water.”
“I sent the email I was avoiding.”
“I went for a walk.”
“I followed through on something I said I’d do.”

Step 2, Learn and tweak (1 minute)

What did you learn about yourself this week?
What’s one tiny tweak you will make next week?

Step 3, Brain dump open loops (1 minute)

Write down what still feels open. Tasks, decisions, conversations, reminders. Anything that’s still nagging at you.

Step 4, Run it through the 4Ps (2 minutes)

Look at your list and mark each item.

Purge
It doesn’t need doing. Delete it.

Pass on
Someone else can do it. Delegate or ask.

Park
Not for now. Put it on a “Later” list or give it a date.

Prioritise
Choose the 1 to 3 priorities for next week.

Step 5, Monday’s first move (1 minute)

Choose the first tiny action for Monday. Make it specific.

Good: “Open the spreadsheet.”
Not helpful: “Do the accounts.”

Step 6, The closing line (1 minute)

Say it out loud. Pick one.

“This week is closed.”
“Work is paused, I return on Monday.”
“I’m off duty now.”

Add-on, The 90-second desk shutdown

This is a set of tiny physical cues that tells your brain: we’re done.

Set a timer for 90 seconds. Move fast. Done is better than tidy.

1. Capture (two lines)
   “Next time I sit down, I will…”
   “The one thing I want to have moved forward by next Friday is…”

2. Close the docs
   Save and file.

3. Close the tabs
   Close every browser window.

4. Clear the surface
   Stack the top three items into a “Monday pile”.

5. Close the laptop
   Log off and close it. Let that be the full stop.

6. One body cue
   Stand up, stretch or shake it out, one deep breath, walk away.

If your brain wants to keep working, that’s not a problem. It’s a pattern. Follow the steps anyway. This ritual teaches your nervous system a new rule: rest is safe, and Monday has a plan.

Choose a cut-off time (this is the part most people miss)

If you want this to change your life, choose a weekly cut-off time.

My Friday close time is: _______

When that time arrives, you run the 7-minute close and shut the laptop. Anything unfinished becomes a planned open loop for next week.

No guilt. No drama. Just a boundary.

Want help making this your new normal?

If you’re someone who carries a lot, it’s not that you need more discipline. You need a rhythm your nervous system trusts.

In my 1-2-1 coaching, we don’t just talk about boundaries. We build them. We create simple processes that reduce noise, protect your energy, and help you lead your life with more calm authority.

You don’t have to figure it out alone.

If you’d like to explore how 1-2-1 coaching or group coaching could support you, book a Clarity Call and we’ll map out your next best step.