4 TIPS TO REALLY UNWIND AFTER WORK

Top tips on how to relax after the grind

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It’s not always easy to switch off after a stressful day at the office. Don’t want to bring work home with you? Try these four tips to shake off the never-ending pressure from your workday.

TURN OFF YOUR WORK NOTIFICATIONS ON YOUR CELLPHONE
While the thought of missing an important email after hours can be stressful for many, it’s important to leave work at work. Do you have your work email connected to your personal cellphone? Seeing those email notifications streaming in can often make you feel pressured to log on after hours and continue working, cutting into your personal time. Break free from work and silence the notifications on your phone so that you don’t even see those ‘ASAP’ after hours emails piling up.

“If you see that little red circle with the number in it on your phone, even if you don’t check the email, you have to do the work of deciding not to look at it. Keeping these little alerts out of sight (and mind) gives you a chance to disconnect and clear your head – otherwise, it’s like being on call all the time,” explains psychologist Dr. Smith.

TAP OUT FOR 15 MINUTES
While it may not be practical to take a nap when you get home from work, lying down for 15–30 minutes first thing when you get home from work will help you unwind and decompress after a long day at the office. “It lets your body know you can rest—that it’s okay to rest,” says therapist Cassidy Dallas.

CREATE A POST-OFFICE ROUTINE
Create a 5–9 after your 9–5. Whether you are going on a walk with your family, cooking a delicious meal or racing back home to your couch to watch the latest episode of Bridgerton, create a post-work routine that takes your mind off work and helps you relax at home.

“Having a ritualised nightly routine is very important ... it gives you something to look forward to after a work day [and] it helps you just wind down so your body and your mind can rest,” says psychotherapist Noreen Iqbal.

MAKE TIME TO EXERCISE
Moving your body is the perfect way to revitalise your mind and spirit after the long grind at the office. And when you exercise, you release endorphins, making you feel good for the rest of the day. Although exercising is a great way to unwind after work, putting too much pressure on yourself to work out every day after work can also be stressful. Go at your own pace.

“Skip the ideal of going to the gym five days a week. Be really analytical about work and family-related needs when starting, because if you set yourself up with goals that are too big, you will fail and you’ll feel like a failure. At the end of a week, I always ask my clients to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Maybe fitting in a walk at lunch worked, but you didn’t have the energy after work to do it,” says Michelle Segar, the director of the University of Michigan’s Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center.