How to switch off after a long day - Top Tips
Once upon a time, there was a person who every day came home from work, and as soon as they entered their front door they were able to totally disconnect from work.
The stressful emails, the hurried lunch hours, the gossipy office colleagues, they were able to forget all of that as soon as their key turned in the lock of their front door.
Their shoulders relaxed, they heaved a big, peaceful sigh, and they slipped through the front door as if they were made of air.
That sounds like a fairytale, right? Because it has to be make believe.
No one, and I mean no one, is able to totally get rid of whatever happened at work that day, I’m willing to bet on that. For good or bad, the events of the day will be on your commute home, and possibly still loitering around as you turn off the light and settle into bed.
And that’s totally normal! We like to chat through our days with our family or friends, or perhaps mull over a problem after the bell has sounded. Sometimes we have so much work on that every now and again we have to bring some of it home to work on. Or maybe we’re working from home and our house is also our office (literally bringing work home with you).
For most of us, the aim is to ‘switch off’ after a shift, but that’s sometimes easier said than done. Let’s have a look at some tips that can move us closer to that goal.
Making a difference to your environment
Whether you’re working from home, in a flexible workspace, or in an office, the end of the working day can be signalled by a change of scenery.
Perhaps the commute will be enough, or it might be getting out of your work clothes into your comfies and taking the dog for a walk. Personally, I signal the end of the day with a quick tidy up, lighting a candle and dimming the lights. Especially on darker nights this moves me from work mode to rest mode.
Get present
Depending on what we do for a living, we might find ourselves in a state of mental or physical flow during our shift. The hours go by as we find ourselves in the zone, and then the day ends, and suddenly we’re thrown into a different headspace entirely. This is the perfect time to create a slow transitional routine from work to play! Some yoga, journaling, meditation, are all useful ways of resetting.
Have fun!
Depending on your energy levels and time available, having something to look forward to after work can be a good way of shaking off the work vibes. Perhaps you’ve planned a lovely curry night with your pals? Or maybe you’ve promised your little one a puppet show before bedtime?
Maybe you have a bath bomb burning a hole in your bathroom cabinet, and tonight’s the night to get it bubbling!
No matter what you do or where you work, you deserve for your free time to be exactly that: free.
