The Betterment Project

6 Ways For How To Fully Relax After Work

Do you ever feel like you live your work weeks constantly looking forward to the weekend? We put a lot of pressure on our off days. 


Our off days are when we plan to catch up on our favorite shows, do chores around the house, having fun with family and friends, and run errands that we were too busy and tired to do during the week. One of the biggest expectations we put on our days off is to be relaxing.


We want to feel relaxed and refreshed after our days off, but that’s a big question when a lot can happen during a workweek. Maybe we need to take some pressure off of our off days and find ways to fully relax after work instead. 


Why put off to tomorrow what you can do today? If you had a stressful day at work today, why not fully relax after work and put that stress entirely behind you. 


Not only will you be able to enjoy your off days more, but you can also have a reset in the middle of a workweek. Feeling relaxed before the next day’s challenges can be just what you need to rise to the occasion and feel better prepared for what may come.


1 - First Things First


It’s important to note that stress causes a fight-or-flight response in your body. During this process, your
breathing quickens as a response. This is really noticeable during extreme stress, but when you are dealing with small amounts of stress for long periods of time, you may not notice the toll it’s taking on your body.


When the workday stress is over, the first thing you should do is take a deep breath. For good measure, take several deep breaths. Focus on your breathing for about five minutes when you first get home. 


This deep breathing can turn off your fight-or-flight response, your sympathetic nervous system triggered, and turn on your parasympathetic nervous system to help you rest and digest your day.


A simple technique to try would be to keep your inhalations and your exhalations even. Breathe deeply for a count of four and exhale for a count of four. Establishing this rhythmic breathing will help calm your body and oxygenate your tense muscles.


2 - Consider Meditation


As you take time to focus on your breathing, you’re already in a prime position to practice meditation. Meditation can be practiced at any time during the day. Many people like to incorporate it into their morning routine to help them start their day in a better mindset.


However, meditation at the end of a long day can help you recenter yourself and feel less anxious. There are guided meditations available online that are designed to help you bring your day to a close, and for many people, meditation makes it easier to fall asleep at night. 


To meditate at the end of your day, take a few minutes to reflect on the events of the day. Mentally observe your experiences from a more objective viewpoint. This will allow you to process your feelings about the day and put them in the past. 


Adding this practice to the end of each day can help you begin the next with a renewed sense of balance and allow each day to be its own fresh experience instead of one long continuous stretch of stress broken up by a bit of sleep.


3 - Take A Supplement


Sometimes we need a little help beyond deep breaths and meditation. A supplement like
Complete Calm De-Stress Gummies may help soothe you at the end of a stressful day, and you’ll notice a calming sensation almost immediately after taking your daily gummy. 


We do so much work during the day to get things done on time for others and to fulfill our obligations. It’s nice to know that there’s an easy, treat-like task that you can add to the end of your day that can support you. 


With consistent use, your supplement may help reduce anxious feelings, encourage mood elevation, and reduce your mental fatigue with its key ingredients like Rhodiola extract. Each ingredient has been chosen to help you feel more zen and optimistic.


The extract of Persian saffron in the Complete Calm De-Stress Gummies has been proven in over ten clinical studies to help support emotional wellness and reduce feelings of anxiousness naturally. Boosting your feelings of calm has never been so easy and tasty. 


4 - Talk It Out


Talking to your friends can be a soothing activity at the end of a workday.
Friendships have many health benefits. Your friends can help you relax, provide support in times of stress, and encourage you in your endeavors to form healthy habits like regular exercise.


Connecting with our friends can engage our limbic system, which is responsible for our emotional wellness. Refocusing our limbic system on our friendships instead of our work-life stress can help us feel relaxed and calmer after a friendly chat at the end of the day.

5 - Try Something New


If relaxing after work isn’t part of your normal routine, you might want to try something new after work. A change in routine might be just what you need to break the hold that work mode has on you. 


Instead of eating dinner at the table as you normally would, perhaps you can take your meal outside to enjoy some fresh air, a change of scenery, and a break from the mindset of your workday.


You might find a fitness class, a book club, or a group activity that gives you something else to look forward to at the end of the day instead of vegging out in front of the television. A new activity can help you switch gears and give your brain something else to think about at the end of the day.


You may find yourself reflecting on your new activity during the next workday to give your mind a mini-vacation, so it’s a win-win. 


6 - Give Yourself A Gift


If you’ve had a hard day or you’re in the midst of a hard week, give yourself the gift of a good night’s sleep. Don’t wait for a day off to sleep in. Set yourself up for a good night’s rest and hit the hay early, if you can.


Developing good sleep hygiene that you maintain regularly can make it easier to fully relax at the end of every day. Some essential habits for good sleep include:


  • A warm bath or shower
  • A cool, dark, quiet sleep space
  • A comfortable place to lie down
  • A regular bedtime 
  • A routine that includes calming strategies that signal to your brain that the day is done

Some calming strategies can include gentle yoga poses, meditation for sleep, journaling, and preparing for the next day so that you wake up into a calmer morning. Find what works for you so that you can get to sleep and greet the next day refreshed. 


If you find it difficult to calm down enough for sleep, you may want to consider a natural supplement like Complete Calm Sleep Gummies. The nighttime terpene blend can help you feel an almost immediate calming sensation and help you drift off to sleep easily when taken 30 minutes to an hour before you plan to fall asleep.


Summary


Finding ways to relax after work fully can set you up for success the next day, and it can seriously take the pressure off of your off days to be everything your workdays were not. You shouldn’t have to wait for the week to be over to fully relax. You should get to experience a little relaxation every day. These five ways can help you fully relax and put the workday behind you and lead you to discover new ways that work best for you. 


Most of the effective ways to fully relax after work are surprisingly simple and take very little effort or time. Focus on your breathing—practice mindful meditation. Consider supplementing your efforts with a supplement and a little more sleep, and for your sake, try something new or phone a friend to help set your evening apart from your day. These strategies will help you close the book on this day and help you be more prepared to write a better day tomorrow.



Sources:

What Happens During Fight or Flight Response | health.clevelandclinic.org 

Neuroanatomy, Parasympathetic Nervous System | ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 

Friendships: Enrich your life and improve your health | mayoclinic.org 


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This article has been reviewed by members of our Scientific Advisory Board.

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