Work stress can easily sneak into your evenings if you are not careful about it. The American Psychological Association notes that managing daily pressure is essential for your long-term health and wellbeing. You really need a good balance to enjoy your life outside the office. Here is a gallery of simple tips to help you leave your job at the door and protect your precious free time.
Set hard boundaries for work hours
When work follows you home into the evening your body stays stuck in fight or flight mode. You need to draw a hard line on when you clock out and refuse to cross it. The World Health Organization even points out that limiting work hours helps dodge burnout and protects your free time.
Step away for real breaks
Staying glued to your desk for hours only builds up your stress. You need to step away from your workspace for a bit even if it means just walking outside to grab some food. Getting that distance helps clear your mind and gives you a nice break from looking at screen full of spreadsheets all day.
Take a minute to breathe deeply
Your breath gets shallow and real fast when you start feeling stressed out at work. Taking a minute to practice deep breathing actually turns on your body’s built in calming system and Mayo Clinic recommends combining it with visualization for the best results. It don’t cost a thing and gives you instant relief when work gets crazy.
Write your daily to-do list early
If you let tomorrow’s tasks pile up in your head it is super easy to ruin a peaceful evening. Jotting down your to-do list before closing your computer helps a lot. It removes the mental clutter so you aren’t sitting there stressing about emails during dinner.
Keep yourself properly hydrated
It sounds almost too simple but being dehydrated actually drives your cortisol levels up and makes stress feel way worse. You gotta keep a glass of water nearby and just take sips all through your busy afternoon. Staying hydrated helps your body deal with the physical effects of chronic stress way better.
Move your body sometime today
Working out is honestly one of the best ways to get rid of stress hormones. You definitely do not need to spend hours sweating at the gym since a quick run or brisk walk will boost your mood right away. Finding something you actually like doing is pretty much the secret to keeping it up.
Create a clear commute ritual
Your mind reacts to movement and changing locations helps knock that leftover work attention loose. Whether you have a long train ride or just walk from your home office to the kitchen you need a transition ritual. This simple physical shift tells your brain that the workday is officially over.
Turn off those after-hours alerts
Our phones are always right next to us and that constant buzz keeps your stress response activated around the clock. You should definitely go into your settings and turn off those work notifications when you are officially off the clock. Disconnecting digitally gives you the space to actually relax without guilt.
Talk to someone you trust
Holding all that stress inside isn’t doing your mental health any favors. Talking to a close friend or family member can really help give you a new perspective on whatever is bugging you. Really you just need to grab some coffee and laugh off that awful boss for a bit.
Make time for your favorite hobbies
Modern work culture makes us feel guilty unless we are constantly productive but you honestly need fun too. Blocking out time for painting or cooking or reading is a big deal because the Mayo Clinic says to do one thing you love every day. Leaving your job at the office means letting yourself just be happy and live a little.
