Finding the right work/life balance is challenging, but finding that balance for your physical and mental well-being is crucial. Many of us throw ourselves into our jobs, take our work home, and fail to find ways to relax at the end of a long day. The following hints and tips will assist you in finding ways to relax and restore your body’s batteries when you clock off from work.
You should start preparing to relax from the moment your shift finishes. Most people have to travel to and from work, so they have a definitive point of where work finishes and their personal time begins. For most, the journey home is when relaxation mode begins. But what if you work from home? As someone that has worked from my home office for 15 years, I am in an excellent position to give you some tips. First, I always try not to work in parts of my home where I relax. Second, I always try to finish work at the same time, even if some tasks still need to be completed. Third, I take a shower and change clothes. These three steps help my brain realize I am now at home, not work.
Activities to Aid Relaxation; Do What You Love
Search for relaxing activities online, and tens of thousands of results will grace your screen. They will suggest going for a walk, reading a book, or taking a bath. What they do not recommend is doing something that you enjoy doing just for the sake of doing it. Some people love nothing more than sitting in their favorite chair and watching a Netflix documentary. Others listen to calming music. Some people enjoy taking advantage of free bets and no deposit bonuses online than watching an NFL or NBA game unfold. It is essential to choose an activity you love; otherwise, the very thing meant to aid your relaxation can cause more stress and anxiety!
My wife thinks I am crazy because although my two favorite pastimes, listening to music and playing video games, are everyday activities used to relax at the end of a hard day, my go-to genre of music and game does not seem relaxing to her. I prefer trance and electronic dance music and fast-paced shooting or horror games at the end of the workday. While they are not comforting for my wife, they are what I enjoy, and that is what is important.
Remove Any Work-Related Distractions
Finding a hobby you enjoy will help massively lower your stress levels and take relaxation to the next level, but having continual links to your work will spoil that all-important “me time.” Many of us have work email accounts on our smartphones, tablets, and computers. Never check work emails when you are off the clock. Of course, some of you reading this article will be on call or have high-powered roles where several staff or teams rely on you and your guidance. If this is the case, minimize how often you check work-related emails. If you do not need to be at someone’s beck and call, never consider work when you have finished for the day.
I suggest muting any Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, or similar groups you share with colleagues. Many people use these groups to socialize with their work friends, but how often have you been telling jokes and arranging a night out only for the subject matter to revert to how busy work is right now or about something that happened in the office? Of course, nobody is suggesting cutting these people out of your life because socializing with friends and colleagues is usually a surefire way to chill out but mute those groups if you are feeling particularly stressed and need some relaxing downtime.