Six ways to relax after work

| December 6, 2019

To most people, their jobs are very fulfilling and working can be great fun, but it should go beyond just earning a living and paying bills. Work should provide some sort of purpose and a reason to be productive every day. It’s often our workplaces where we make life-long friends and find personal fulfilment but it can also be a source of great stress and struggle.

The modern-day work environment can be a high-pressure place with a constant race against failure and a chase for success and profit. Even for many freelancers, insecurity looms. All these worries can have a deep impact on our mental and physical health and cause conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, insomnia, burnout and weakened immune system.

Instead of de-stressing after work by dropping by a pub for a pint or stress-eating at home watching bad TV shows, give these several suggestions a try.

Take a “green route”

Even in big cities, you can always find a green patch so make an effort to avoid going to work by bus, metro or car and take a green route through a local park. If you live far from your workplace, commute only a part of your way and take a walk for the last mile.

You’ll experience double benefits – you won’t be pushing among other stressed-out commuters and you’ll get fresh air and much needed physical activity that can help you lower your stress and anxiety levels.

Get some exercise, but investigate what suits you Continuing on the same path from the previous paragraph, find an exercise that suits you and make it if not a daily practice, at least a weekly one. It could be swimming lengths at the local pool, jogging, Pilates, yoga, cycling, horseback riding, dancing, Tai Chi or weight-lifting. Experiment until you find what relaxes you the most and stick to it.

Take up fishing

One of the best ways to unwind and relax your mind is by going on a fishing trip. The main benefits of recreational fishing are stress relief in a natural and soothing environment and deep relaxation. Being outdoors increases your vitamin D which regulates the amounts of phosphate and calcium in your body, keeping your teeth and bones healthy. It also boosts your immunity and can improve your sleep quality as well.

The most important aspect of fishing, especially ocean rock fishing, is staying safe and a sure foothold is your main concern. A pair of high-quality aqua shoes need to be an essential part of any angler’s kit when they need to tread on traverse ocean rocks, a break wall or seawall. The rocks are often extremely slippery and falls can result in very serious injuries.

Be creative

Tapping into your creative side outside the scope of your work can be extremely satisfying and can greatly boost your mood. You can find time at home to practice a hobby or even take evening classes where you can learn to play a musical instrument, make art or learn the skills of creative writing.

All these activities can provide you with a much-needed outlet for any negative emotions and thoughts you might harbour inside which will help you reduce your stress and anxiety levels.

Talk about your worries and issues

Most people don’t feel like talking about their work problems at home but it’s much healthier to blow off some steam by talking about your worries. Keeping everything inside you and internalizing

conflict and bitterness won’t make your problems go away. On the contrary, they will seem even bigger and more complex. Don’t feel ashamed if you’re struggling to cope and find a trustworthy person to talk to among your friends and family, or talk with your partner. It’s much better than looking for a solution at the bottom of a bottle.

Stop overthinking

Overthinking, or clinically termed rumination is described as “obsessional thinking involving repetitive, excessive thoughts that hinder other forms of mental activity.” It can easily spiral out of control and interfere with the work adding to your stress.

In general, humans fear losing control so we try to overthink and over-plan everything to feel more secure and for some, a drink or a few, can help make the discomfort go away, Instead, you can try being more objective and just watch the thoughts pass by as if they were on a movie screen.

Practice alternate nostril breathing for a few minutes and choose a mantra you can repeat until those oppressing thoughts have subsided. Meditation can help a great deal in silencing the inner noise and calming your restless mind by anchoring you in the present moment and teaching you to be mindful.

The best thing about meditation and mindfulness practice is that you can do it anytime and anywhere – while you’re commuting on a train, while you’re waiting for a meeting to start or even during lunch.

You might also go for a walk or a run, do some gardening or crossword puzzles, listen to your favourite music or anything else that might distract you.

Whatever you choose to do, the trick is to be consistent.

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