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Overall, getting out in nature has been shown to have a positive effect on your mood. Additionally, Therabody has a range of smart muscle compression wearables that aim to accelerate muscle recovery and bring quick relief from pain. Take a quick warm shower, then turn the water cold for five seconds. You can survive anything for that time, apart from listening to the Kardashians. A simple cold shower can kick off the biological processes that help you let go of stress.
How do I calm down after a stressful work day?
- Take deep, controlled breaths.
- Exercise regularly.
- Journal.
- Practice meditation.
- Try progressive muscle relaxation (PMR).
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoon.
- Create a regular sleep routine.
- Opt for sleep-friendly foods .
Watch a comedian on YouTube, call a funny friend, visualise some memories that made you laugh. Try the breathing tool in the Mentemia app to practice your breathing. Whether you’re a frontline worker or working from during a Covid-19 lockdown, you might find it difficult to switch off and relax after work – but it’s so important to try.
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These may help you enter a calming state of mind and unwind after a tiring day at work. Escape from the tension of a long day at work by opening up a book of your choice. It will get your mind off any work-related tension and recharge you for the next day. Make sure that you are nourishing your body and your mind with healthy foods that provide both physical and mental benefits.
- The heat helps to increase blood flow, loosen up tight muscles, and reduce tension in the body.
- There are many reasons why this is an important way to destress at the end of the week.
- After a full day’s work, coming home should be relaxing and give you time to recoup before the next day.
- Learning something new challenges you in a new way and stimulates your brain, making it more active.
- Beyond letting the water run over you, give yourself a little more comfort by using a moisturizing body wash.
Using night lamps or playing white noise can also help you develop stronger sleep habits. You can integrate the functionality of these devices with your Alexa sleep routines for better implementation. Soothing music helps trigger the body’s psychological responses to relaxation, which can further improve your sleep quality. Thus, listening to soothing tracks after work or before sleep can effectively combat everyday stress.
Hone your time management skills
If all that sounds bleak enough you never want to face another day of work in your life, don’t fret. Research has found that employees who take time to relax after work reduced their stress levels and were better able to break out of a cycle of negative thoughts. This not only reduced their risk for insomnia, but it also reduced fatigue, blood pressure, and risk for other cardiovascular diseases.
It’s not the healthiest way to deal with stress, but some days, you just want to watch the world burn. When I suffered from tense neck muscles, I used a short ritual with soothing music, lighting Palo Santo wood, and stretching. After 30 seconds of fighting the urge to jump out, I immersed myself in the present moment.
Our Top Relaxation Tips
Clearly, the less time we can spend complaining about work, the more time we’ll have focused on things that make us happy. This week, try to notice how much time you spend complaining about work and see if this is the right https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/5-ways-to-destress-after-work/ amount of time for you. Do your best to use commute time as a “transition time,” during which you reset and refocus. Think of it as having some “me-time” to prepare for what you are going to walk into when you get home.
A 2002 study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine has shown that journaling about stressful events can relieve stress over time. Many people who are unable to leave work at work have sleep difficulties because they are replaying everything in their mind and their mind is not able to shut off enough to go to sleep. If worry about work is interfering with your relaxation or sleep time, considering doing a “brain dump,” or writing a to-do list or worry log as part of your bedtime or relaxation routine. There are many reasons we do this, but there are more important reasons why we can and should learn to stop.
It’s not a secret that exercising regularly will improve your health. When you come home from work, try slipping on your workout clothes and hitting the pavement. According to science, running keeps your brain young, fights off anxiety, and boosts your mood. If you aren’t a runner like me, taking a brisk walk will do the job just fine (and it gives you a chance to finish the end of that true crime podcast). Listening to music is also a known strategy for stress relief, and a simple one to do while sitting in an enclosed space.
We have listed 15 simple ways to help your mind and body unwind and relax after a productive day at work. If you feel like your house is a mess, it will only contribute to your sense of stress when you get home from a busy day. Consider spending some time getting rid of things you no longer need and organizing what you’re keeping into systems. Having an organized system can greatly reduce stress on a day-to-day basis.