Whether sober house you have a high-pressure job or not, it’s essential to carve out time for yourself after work. This can help reduce overall stress and create balance between your professional and personal life. Try these nine ways to relax after work and reduce your stress levels. Practice mindfulness, such as deep breathing, meditation, or journaling. Connect with nature, go for a walk or a hike, and spend time with friends and family.
Why work causes stress & why we need to unwind after work
This rule may have been mentioned to you by your eye doctor if you spend most of your day staring at screens. Look away from something 20 feet away every 20 minutes for 20 seconds. Work stress that goes unresolved may lead to emotional and mental challenges and decreased productivity. A work-free staycation or trip a few hours out of town can help you reset. While perfectionism has some positive benefits, it can also be highly stressful and lead to burnout. If you need to get that presentation just right or find yourself working extra hours perfecting a report you finished days ago, it may be time to take a step back and reflect.
Personally, cooking something delectable is my favorite way to unwind—I find it completely therapeutic. So, next time you’re feeling crummy (ha, ha) after work, pull out your mixing bowl and whip up something delicious. Reading is the perfect way to allow yourself to escape reality after work and dive into an entirely different world. Not only is it great for entertainment, reading can help improve your memory, increase your attention span, and reduce stress levels.
Ways to calm stress in 10 minutes
- Complaining about work to a loved one is a common pastime of people with stressful jobs.
- Treichler encouraged aligning your behavior with your values.
- It’s not the healthiest way to deal with stress, but some days, you just want to watch the world burn.
- It’s an effective way to release any tension in your neck, upper back, or shoulders.
While often used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy, you can still use this to keep stress or anxiety at bay. Journaling is thought to reduce stress, specifically by escaping negative feelings and thoughts. Specifically, many studies have shown that job stress is by far the most common source of stress for American adults and that the problem has escalated steadily over the past few decades. You may start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on being present and enjoying a simple activity — a short walk around the park or appreciating a meal at your desk. Long-term exposure to unmanaged stress can take a toll on your body and mental health, and recent research suggests a potential link between work-related burnout and depression and anxiety.
CUT DOWN ON SCREEN TIME
Take a few minutes after work for some slow, deep breathing to decrease your tension. Focus on your stress while inhaling for four seconds, then let it all go while exhaling for 6 seconds. So, consider investing in a daily planner to make this process even simpler–and as you’re time-blocking your week, set at least an hour aside each day for yourself.
Get a good night’s sleep
So if you’ll excuse me now, my dog is demanding that I take him on a walk and pay attention to him instead. Think about those little treats in life that put a smile on your face, and get more of them into your day. These little happiness-boosters, known as „pleasures“ by psychologists, can lift your mood in a measurable way and reduce stress in the process. The ride home from work can be stressful if you keep replaying the stresses of the day, or letting traffic stress you out even more.
- If you are in a life threatening situation – don’t use this site.
- A scientific journal suggests warm baths boost blood circulation and relax muscle stiffness.
- This will give you the mental clarity you need to relax by getting all those work-based thoughts down on paper in a structured plan.
- Knowing how to unwind after work makes disconnecting from work stress and engaging in your personal development that much simpler.
- In fact, studies have linked Yoga Nidra (guided meditation) to building up our coping ability and helping to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
At times, you may go through an existential crisis and have thoughts like, „Why am I working in this job?“ or „Is this the life I want to live?“. For example, if the smell of peppermint reminds you of holidays at home, use peppermint. If you have gum on hand, particularly scented https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ gum, chew it for at least three minutes.
Music slows your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and reduces your stress hormones. However, any music you love, not just classical, will help you feel happier and less stressed. I understand how freaking hard it can be to have a peaceful night if you’ve been grinding all day. As I near the end of this article—and, therefore, the end of my workday—I know I’m going to mull over the edits I want to make for the next hour or so. But, thanks to my chats with Dallas and Dr. Smith, I also know that for the sake of my evening (and well-being), I need to log off and forget about writing—until tomorrow at least.
This post is all about teaching you how to unwind after work.
Focus instead on how to shrug off stress and enjoy your life when you’re not at work. If you are already someone who loves to take a warm shower, then you know what I’m talking about. So, taking some off to de-stress after work will set things straight for you in this case. But being human, you have many other things to juggle personally and professionally. In between all this juggling, maintaining consistency at work becomes tricky. Hence, relaxing after work is more important than ever if you want to avoid unnecessary medical bills.
For this, you must disconnect from the day’s stress and negativity. Try to look forward to the time that you will spend after work for starters. In short, meditation is perfect for busy professionals who want to unwind and recharge themselves after a long day at work. Guided meditation sessions can be very helpful in this case.
For example, Maenpaa listed managers as well as people with high-pressure jobs, toxic work environments and poor time boundaries. Leanza said jobs that entail overwhelming stress, pressure, chaos or other conditions can contribute to the feeling. There’s tonnes of reading and science-based literature out there that is determined to help us cope with the stress’ of day-to-day life. Stay connected when it comes to new discoveries on mood boosting, stress-busting ideas and get stuck into a good stress-relief book after work.
Some of these can be subtle sources of tension, such as an uncomfortable workspace, chatter in the back, or a long commute. Experiencing work strain is unavoidable — even if you love what you do. You can take actionable steps to keep job stress at a manageable level. Some tension is expected, especially when facing a looming presentation or challenging assignment. But when work stress becomes chronic, it can affect your physical and emotional well-being.