30 ways to relax after work
The definition of work is the opposite of the definition of relaxation. That means your relaxation has to take place after work and on the weekends. Try these tips for healthy ways to relax after work and start making the most of your free time!
What is the best way to relax after work
Here’s our guide to getting nicely wound down and chilled out by the time you arrive home from a long and hard day at work. These tips will help you to destress and enjoy your evenings and weekends.
Change your morning routine
Add something new to your daily routine and you will see how much everything will change! Get an alarm clock and keep your phone away from your bedside table. It will help you to avoid checking social media after you wake up. Instead, spend a few minutes meditating, do a quick morning yoga sequence, go for a jog, or just take a few minutes to make a healthy smoothie. You will have a more relaxed approach to your day if you create an intentional ritual that gets your mind and body up and running and into an optimal state.
Hydrate
Your body will be dehydrated because of stress. It works in another way too. If you are stressed out, your heart rate is also accelerated and you’re breathing heavily. As a result, your body loses water. By drinking more water, you decrease your levels of cortisol – the real ‘stress hormone’. So next time you’re stressed, drink a glass or two of water instead of coffee or tea.
Meditate
Just a few minutes of meditation can reduce the information overload we experience each day. There are a million benefits to meditation. Less negative emotions, better stress management, better sleep. Meditating also reduces anxiety and high blood pressure. Try Headspace or Calm apps to learn more about meditation. They will help you get more from your day.
Visualize
Visualizing calm or peaceful scenes is a perfect way to reduce anxiety. This will distract you from stress, which triggers a relaxation response in the muscles. Visualization lowers blood pressure and stress hormones and leaves you feeling energized and refreshed. Breathe, and Think are two visual meditation apps that can help you get started.
Laugh
Laughing produces endorphins which help reduce stress. If you have a really tough day, you definitely need to relax and laugh! Watch your favorite funny movie or call your friend. Head to happy hour and blow off some steam. Just make sure you go with friends or coworkers who make you laugh.
Listen to music
Research studies have found that listening to music can lower blood pressure, anxiety, and stress. Music triggers biomedical stress reducers and assists in treating anxiety. Fill your playlist with favorite songs and listen to it on your commute. Your playlist will serve as a buffer between work and home, allowing your mind to decompress.
Breathe deeply
Taking a deep breath lowers cortisol levels. Take a few long, steady breaths on your commute home. This begins the relaxation process and causes a temporary but immediate drop in blood pressure, which should also lower anxiety levels.
Drink tea
At least one reason to start drinking tea is its ability to reduce stress and calm you down really quickly. Plus, it is a good idea to cut caffeine which can increase stress even more. If you can’t cut it out completely, choose black tea. You’ll be energized, but you’ll also get added health and relaxation benefits.
Try aromatherapy
Scents like lavender and tea tree promote calmness and reduce stress. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, light a scented candle or turn on a diffuser with some lavender oil. Bonus points if you put your breathing exercises or meditation practice to work too.
Cut the sugar and caffeine
Caffeine and sugar actually stimulate your nervous system, raise your heartbeat, and increase blood pressure. All these contribute to feelings of stress. Cut sugar and caffeine out of your diet when you’re stressed at work. Instead, start stocking up on green tea.
Get a hobby
If your life is busy, you definitely need a hobby to bring something different into your life. Hobbies promote creativity, a healthy kind of stress and make us excited about life. Hobbies also give us time to think about things outside of work. It is especially important for people in high-stress careers like sales.
Talk to someone
Whether it’s a friend or a therapist, sometimes you just need to talk. Stressed about your new project at work? Share how you’re feeling with a friend. Unsure about the best way to get a promotion at work? Pull aside a mentor or trusted coworker to ask for advice.
Watch TV or a great movie
If you find a new movie you are in luck! Cause now you can see something new and experience emotions that will help to cope with stress.If you want, you can even start a new tv-serial. Sometimes you need just to sit in front of the TV-set and forget about everything.
Take breaks
There will always be another email to read and another tab to open on your internet browser! But it is not healthy to sit in front of your screen for seven hours. Instead, take breaks every 2 hours. Get a drink, make yourself a coffee, eat lunch or walk around the office. Research shows that people who live near green spaces have less depression and anxiety. So, if you have the opportunity to go outside for even a few minutes to “smell the roses,” do it.
Exercise
Even if you really don’t want to. Exercise not only burns calories but also burns off stress and anxiety, too. If you do not want to exercise alone, get a friend to join you who is willing to speed walk or jog after work. Even a fitness app or gadget will help you to achieve relaxation and the body of your dreams. Your body—and your reduced stress levels—will thank you for it.
Change your eating habits
Try creating a few healthy habits. Drink water or herbal tea instead of a cup of coffee. Try to stop eating sugary processed foods when you’re stressed. Try substituting healthy foods like blueberries, almonds, and seaweed. The nutrients in whole foods will help to maintain a balanced diet and may not cure your anxiety, but they very well may help your mental well-being.
Get everything done immediately
Just because you’re off work doesn’t mean your responsibilities are done for the day. The home routine also needs to be done. This may include unloading the dishwasher, making dinner, getting the coffee pot ready for the morning, bathing the kids or anything in between. By getting these things done earlier in the day, you’ll be able to relax for the rest of the evening without thinking about what has to be done before bedtime.
Try yoga
It is so easy! Yoga is the best medicine for those who are stressed out and need some rest. Yoga will help you to be more flexible and strong. We’re not talking about star jumps and skipping on a packed train here. Simply clenching and then relaxing your muscles should have the desired effect. Yoga will help you to calm down and increase your flexibility.
Forget about your smartphone
If you extend your workday into your commute home, you’ll arrive tenser than when you left the office. Instead, make a conscious choice to sign out of your work email account, or to switch your phone off on the commute. That way you can spend some time winding down, rather than extending the workday into your home life.
Go for a walk
You’ve probably been sitting in an office all day, so some fresh air and a little exercise are going to lift your mood dramatically. Leave your phone at home, and let yourself zone out away from Netflix and social media notifications. Plus, you’ll become stronger and keep your body in shape. 🙂
Turn off email alerts
Forget about work at home! Don’t check your work email. Do not set up work email on your phone because it will only cause unnecessary stress if you are getting email alerts after leaving the office. It’s really important to set boundaries with your time because otherwise, your work life will just blend into your personal life.
Schedule fun into your weekdays
Most of us schedule fun activities on the weekends. But you can have some fun even on the five other days of the week! Schedule in a few mini-adventures during the week and make them a priority. Play tennis after work, organize a cinema night with your friends, or a cheese-party with cool snacks. Plan whatever you like and enjoy. It is your life!
Cook something tasty
It is not only a great way to calm down and relax after work. Cooking is a great de-stressor because it serves as a creative outlet. If you’re cooking for people you care about, you get nurtured by their appreciation. Cooking is like giving birth because you are mixing things to create something new and wonderful.
Take a bath
We often hear the benefits of a long, hot bath. You get alone time and you can clear your head. But, the hot water with Epsom salts also relaxes tired, tense muscles which improve circulation eases pain and prepares your body to relax. A study showed that hot baths have the potential to lower your blood pressure.
Relax with a heating pad
Sitting at a desk all day working can cause tension in your shoulders, neck, back. This may be a cause of your stress. After a long working day, you need to ease muscle tension and take some time to lay down and soothe your body with a heating pad. Nature’s original pain reliever, heat therapy, is a great alternative to other recovery practices. It’s cost-effective, simple to use and provides relief quickly.
Facial massage
Your face is full of nerves and muscles that you’ve been training all day. Therefore, you need to ease this tension and take a few minutes to close your eyes and give yourself a slow facial massage. Take time to relax those muscles and nerves and bring yourself some comfort. Try to work specific reflexology pressure points for the best effects.
Change your clothes
When you get dressed in the morning, you’re putting your mind into work mode. Your mood depends on the clothes you wear for work. Therefore, to calm your stressed mood just change your clothes. It doesn’t mean you need to throw your favorite stuff away! Make a new outfit, buy new clothes and boost your mood.
Drink your favorite beverage
One of the best ways to transition from work to home is to grab your favorite relaxing beverage and just sit still for a few minutes. Some prefer coffee, another great relaxation beverage is a hot cup of chai tea or cacao. Of course, you can make an extra stop and buy a cup of coffee on the way to work and enjoy your drink.
Planning a vacation
The process of planning a vacation can be enjoyable. You start to visualize the perfect vacation, where you can do what you enjoy and love most. You can find websites all over the internet that can help you score deals on hotels, amusement park tickets, airline travel and so on. Make sure you look for bargains after you set the budget.
Do something new
Start something new and challenging! Some options are learning to play the piano, tennis, photography, salsa dancing, calligraphy, start a jogging plan, or cook new recipes. This will not only boost your mood but also makes you proud! It’s important to work towards something you can take pride in. Think of what you loved to do as a kid (dancing, playing tennis, painting), and see if you can get back into it again!
The best 30 tips to wind down after work
Stress can be both motivating and debilitating. Stay on top of it, and always ask for help when you need it most. Once you learn to manage stress, you’ll be able to excel in your career. You will not only be more productive, but it could save your life.