Had a long, chaotic day at work? How do you feel right now? Mentally exhausted? Bet you wish you could go on a long vacation right now, or that it was Friday evening, not Tuesday night. Well, the human body is not meant for continuous work. Perhaps you will find the tips given here on how to relax after a long day at work useful. Read on!
Take a Long, Relaxing Shower
If you’ve had a particularly tiring day at work, nothing would relax you more than to wash it off – the stress, the arguments, the tension – as soon as you’re home. It is said that water has a relaxing effect on the body, mind and soul. Take a long, relaxing shower, ensure that the water is of the right temperature, wear your most comfortable pair of clothes, hit the couch and watch your favorite show on TV.
Hit the Gym
After 10 hours of sitting at the desk in the office, you may want to get your body moving and engage your pent up energy. Intense physical activity is just what you need. So, hit the gym! Spend around 10 minutes on the treadmill first, that would warm you up for the resistance training exercises to follow. Lift weights; exercise all the main muscle groups –back, shoulders, legs, arms and the core. Or just go for a quick 30-minute run around the neighborhood – that would clear up the mind as well.
Turn Off Your Phone
The last thing you need is for the phone to ring when you’re home. You don’t want to bring work home, so turn off the phone. Make it clear to your coworkers not to call you up with work related issues after office hours. You’ve worked hard enough at the office, and now you deserve a time-off from all the work. After-office hours are to be spent with your family and friends. So make the most of it, turn off the phone as soon as you’re home. Detach yourself completely from work.
Indulge Your Taste Buds
After you’ve had a particularly tough day at work, you’re probably short on energy and need to satiate your hunger. So indulge yourself with something sumptuous and tasty. What’s your favorite food? Is it ice cream? Have a scoop or two, till you’re completely satisfied. How about dark chocolate? It makes for a perfect cheat food, even when you’re on a diet. Replenish your calorie supply with a hearty meal. You need foods that give you energy, so have a plenty of healthy carbs.
Spend a Relaxing Evening with Your Family
Nothing would relax you more than a quiet evening with your partner, a long chat on Skype with your sister or parents or helping out your kids with their homework. Indeed, if you’ve kids, you should consider yourself lucky because kids are the greatest stress-busters, at least when they are young. But never talk to your family about work – just don’t bring work home. Nobody would like that.
Read a Good Book
The value of a good book is often underrated. Pick up an old classic on your Kindle, something you’d read a long while back, which you’d completely forgotten about. Or pick up the latest bestseller from a popular author. If you’re not a big reader, that’s okay, you can just catch up on your favorite TV show, or watch a great movie on Netflix.
Listen to Great Music
Music can be deeply relaxing. Just go to your room, tune in to your iPod and play something soothing, such as classical music. It is best to stay away from rock music or Hip Hop as that would only serve to aggravate you further. You want to listen to music that relaxes you, not loud music that plays on your nerves.