We’ve all been there … something stops working the way it’s supposed to, and no matter how many buttons we push or settings we tweak, it won’t cooperate. That was the case in our kitchen recently when Alexa — our trusty smart speaker — flat-out refused to play the music my husband asked for.
At first, it was funny. Then it got loud.
He tried repeating his request more clearly, but Alexa insisted she couldn’t find the playlist. He tried rephrasing. She misunderstood. They went back and forth — him getting more irritated, Alexa staying calmly unhelpful — until finally he yelled, “Play. The. Dang. Music!”
(I’m paraphrasing. Slightly.)
After the shouting match failed, I unplugged her. Waited 30 seconds. Plugged her back in.
And just like that? Problem solved. She chirped back to life, recognized his request, and the music started flowing like nothing had ever been wrong.
Sometimes, the simplest way to get things working again is to turn it off and turn it back on.
It works for Alexa. It works for WiFi. And it works for you and your work-from-home life, too.
You Don’t Need a Total Reboot — Just a Reset
When things feel clunky in your WFH rhythm — like your routines don’t quite fit, your calendar’s out of control, or you can’t seem to finish a single task without bouncing to something else — it’s tempting to want to burn it all down and start fresh.
But you don’t need to overhaul your entire life to feel better.
You probably just need a reset.
And not a dramatic one. Just the kind that helps you stop the spiraling or slogging and get back in alignment — where your systems support your goals, and your days feel more focused than frenzied.
The key is doing a simple reset that sticks. That’s what this article is all about.
Rituals Help You Reset Without the Drama
Think of a ritual as a built-in reset button: a small, intentional routine that helps you switch gears, re-center, and move forward with clarity.
You don’t need a five-step morning routine with green juice and journaling (unless that truly fuels you). You just need a few grounding checkpoints to pause, take stock, and make sure you’re still pointed in the right direction.
Here are three WFH-friendly reset rituals to consider — you only need one to feel a shift.
1. Morning Startup Ritual
This isn’t about waking up at 5 a.m. or cranking through a mile-long checklist before the sun comes up. It’s simply about giving your brain a clear starting line — a cue that says, “We’re working now.”
Your morning startup ritual can be as quick as 10 minutes. The point is to ease into your workday with purpose instead of panic.
Here are a few things you might consider:
- Review your daily plan or priority list while your computer starts up
- Light a candle, start your playlist, or open your work tab — something that signals focus
- Do a quick but powerful breathing/meditation exercise to prime your brain (for example, I do Tony Robbins’ Priming)
- Try the 3-page, free-write journaling practice of Morning Pages
Starting your day with a small startup ritual like these creates momentum that carries into everything else.
Bonus: If your days often start in chaos (kids, chores, etc.), build a second “re-start” ritual after those things settle. WFH gives you that flexibility!
2. End-of-Week Review
Fridays can feel like a scramble — tying up loose ends, making weekend plans, trying to beat decision fatigue to decide what’s for dinner.
That’s exactly why a short end-of-week ritual can be so powerful. It’s your unplug-replug moment — a chance to reflect on what’s working and reset for the week ahead.
Here’s a simple version:
- Review what you did get done
- Note what got delayed and decide what to do about it
- Celebrate a small win (seriously — this builds momentum!)
- Make a short list of next week’s priorities
This ritual keeps your brain from carrying a cluttered inbox of thoughts into the weekend. It lets you walk away from work and leave it where it belongs — at your desk. And it also makes Monday so much smoother.
3. Sunday Prep Session
If you tend to start Mondays feeling overwhelmed or scattered, try using Sunday to clear the decks. This doesn’t mean working on your day off — just thinking ahead so you’re not blindsided by your own schedule.
You might:
- Look at your calendar and block time for focused work
- Write a “rough draft” of your weekly to-do list
- Check for appointments, deadlines, or extra-busy days and plan accordingly
This kind of prep gives you power. Instead of dreading Monday, you walk in already knowing what matters and how to protect your time.
You Only Need One to Start
You don’t need to do all three of these reset rituals this week (or ever!). Pick one. Try it. See how it feels.
If your mornings are chaos, start there. If you need to stop carrying unfinished business into the weekend, go for the Friday review. If you just want Mondays to suck less, give Sunday prep a try.
And, remember, if nothing’s wrong but everything feels slightly off? That’s your cue.
It’s time to unplug, re-center, and plug back in — on your terms.
You Can Reset Without Reinventing Yourself
There’s no magic pill or productivity hack that works for everyone. But there are small rituals that can help you feel grounded and clear, even when life gets loud.
So before you start shouting at your systems the way my husband shouted at Alexa, take a beat. Turn it off. Unplug for a second. Step back and decide: what’s really off — and what’s ready to be realigned?
The answer is probably simpler than you think.
Your Action Step This Week
Choose one reset ritual to try this week:
- Morning Startup
- End-of-Week Review
- Sunday Prep Session
If you’re choosing the Morning Startup, give it a full week of consistent effort — even if it’s just 5 minutes — and notice how it helps you feel more in control. If you’re trying one of the weekly rituals, fully commit and give it your all.
Either way, notice how doing it makes you feel. And if it works to make you feel more grounded, more focused, and more in control … consider continuing it past this week!
Need a tool to help you figure out where to start? This month’s Mini Power Tool for my Tenacious WFH Insiders and VIPs — the WFH Systems Check Checklist — is designed to help you spot the areas most in need of realignment. Become part of the Tenacious WFH tribe and grab it here if you haven’t already.