How to Unwind After a Long Day

When I get home, I’ve always been the type of person who likes to be productive. I usually go to the gym after work, come home, make something for dinner, clean something, write an article, or try to do something remotely educational. If I’ve done all that, I feel like I can take some time off on the weekend (but then, that never happens anyway).

After doing all of these things, unwinding isn’t usually on the agenda. Other than reading for half an hour before bed to tire my eyes out, I don’t get much time to zone out and be a zombie. Sometimes, even with a thousand things demanding your time and energy, the best thing you can do is just blow it all of and unwind (which actually makes you more productive later).

Here are a few tips that I’ve learned about R&R:

Don’t Think About Your Stressors

This might be obvious, but even if you aren’t at work, thinking about work does nothing but harm. Worrying about the fight you had with your kids or the chores you have to do isn’t productive anyway, so put them out of your mind and spend some time doing something else.

This is probably the hardest part, because our brains tend to drift back to the bad stuff even when we don’t want them to, so you may have to distract yourself by doing something mindless, like watching TV or just getting your mind elsewhere.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Zoning Out

Sure, reality TV [or insert other guilty pleasure here] is probably turning your brain to mush and there are always going to be other things that you should be doing rather than watching it. But delving into something significant, important, or even just productive when you are stressed out and haven’t had a chance to think about nothing for awhile can do more harm than good.

When you are distracted, you never give the task at hand 100%, so you are more likely to make errors. Zone out and do something mindless and that doesn’t take thought or effort, and you’ll be able to recharge your battery at least a little.

Indulge

My indulgences include:

• Greasy food
• wine
• a bubble bath
• chocolate
• cuddles with my dogs

I obviously don’t drink my face off, but sometimes combining a glass of pinot with a bath and a good book is just the ticket I need to forget all about my long, stressful day and chillax. 

Some peculiar creatures indulge in a run or some other activity which involves sweat, but not I.

Go to Sleep Early

Staying up too late is never good practice, but this is especially the case when you are tired after a long day and have to get back to it in the morning. Sleep does wonders on your ability to solve problems, your attention to detail, and even your reaction times. Blow something off and get an extra hour of sleep if you need to unwind from a long day (there’s nothing more relaxing than being comatose).

Even if you didn’t have a crazy day, relaxing and recharging is important, so take some time to unwind before you lose it.