Anyone’s working day can be tough and it can be difficult to wind down when you get home. If you can’t switch off and relax in the evenings, you could be adding to your stress levels and that will, eventually, make you unwell. Work is bad enough, without bringing the stress of the day home with you and letting it keep you awake at night, so check out these ten ways that will help you relax after a long, hard day.
1. Switch off from work
No one can cope with working 24/7, so the moment you step outside of work, switch off your work phone and resist the temptation to check up on your work emails. You deserve a break in the evenings and you need to spend quality time with friends and family. If you keep on answering work related phone calls and answering work related emails, people will come to expect it, so set a precedent today and don’t work when you should be relaxing.
2. Relax with some music
Chilling out with some relaxing music will soon calm you down and take your mind off work, Music is wonderfully relaxing and it has been scientifically proven that listening to music lowers the blood pressure and slows the heartbeat. Go for something soft and gentle, and listen to it quietly on your own or on headphones. Just sit back and let the music relax you.
3. Drink a cup of herbal tea
A cup of herbal tea is a good way to unwind at the end of a hard day and you have plenty of different teas to try. Herbal teas contain potent ingredients that reduce the levels of stress hormones in the body and calm the mind. The stress busting herbal teas include chamomile, lemon, basil and green tea. Buy a selection and then you can try a different one each evening.
4. Read a good book
Reading a really good book will transport you away from the chaos around you into a whole new world. Reading has so many benefits and relaxing you is just one of them. So, settle yourself down in a quiet spot, forget all the troubles you had at work during the day, and enjoy a good book for half an hour or so.
5. Try meditation
You don’t need to join a class to do meditation, you just need to sit quietly and empty your mind of thoughts. Find somewhere quiet and comfortable to sit and focus on your breathing. It might take a bit of practice to get to the stage when you can stop thoughts crowding into your mind but, when you do crack the technique, you will find it very rewarding.
6. Take a long hot bath
The first thing you should do when you get home if you’ve had a hard day is get out of your work clothes and take a long hot bath. A hot bath will reduce the tension in your body and help you to relax. Then, when you get out of the bath, and slip into some comfortable clothes, it will feel more like you have drawn a line under your working day and you will feel like it is time to unwind.
7. Update your journal
Keeping a journal is very therapeutic and updating it at the end of hard day can help to get your thoughts together and get things off your mind. Take half an hour to write down what happened during the day, especially the things that caused you stress. It will help get work off your mind and you will feel like you have put the stresses of the day to bed for the night.
8. Spend some time with friends and family
Being alone can help you unwind after a hectic day, but don’t hide yourself away for too long, because nothing can relieve stress better than being in the company of the people you love. Once you have calmed down a bit, get out and see some friends, or settle down for an evening in with your family. If you spend too much time alone, your mind will wander back to work issues and you’ll start to feel stressed again.
9. Take a walk with nature
Another good way to relax is to get close to nature. Taking a walk in a local park, or just sitting outside in your own garden will do the trick. The sights, the sounds, and the smells of nature have an amazing calming effect on human beings. It’s a treat to be away from the smell of petrol and noise of thousands of people. Walking outside in the fresh air has such a great therapeutic effect that some doctors recommend it as a way of treating depression.
10. Work it off at the gym
You might think that physical exercise is the last thing that you need after a hard day at work, but just half an hour’s mild workout could greatly reduce your stress levels. When you take exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are the feel good hormones and that reduces stress and helps you to relax.
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