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If you’re anything like many of us, you spend most of your days working hard. Between your hour-long commute, stressful deadlines, and a never-ending stream of distractions, it can be a real struggle to keep your cool on the regular.
At the end of the day, the stress of your tedious day weighs heavily on you as you make your way back home. So, you come home feeling like absolute dog hair, still stressing over how the day went and deadlines that must be met.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can relax and de-stress after a long day at the office. Relaxing helps you recenter yourself and refocus on the big picture. It helps you forget temporarily about your to-do list and gives you a chance to stop, destress, and refocus.
This way, you can look at your life and your responsibilities with a more balanced perspective. So, after a long day, what better way to relax than by indulging in some of these easy, stress-relieving activities, right?
Reasons Why You Should Relax
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget to take some time for yourself. However, it’s important to remember that taking some time for yourself is crucial for your mental and physical health. Here are a few reasons why it’s important to take some time for yourself:
- Healthy heart
Research proves that indulging in restorative activities helps keep your heart healthier, reduces stress levels, and reduces muscle tension.
- Improves brain function and memory
Rest refills the brain’s cognitive function. It also encourages creativity and productivity.
- Help to avoid depression and anxiety
Not getting enough rest will cause one to pile up worries and increase stress levels. This might eventually lead to anxiety or depression. A well-rested person will be able to destress, thereby freeing the mind of such.
- Prevents Obesity
When you’re stressed up, you might be susceptible to stress or emotional eating. This is when a stressed person frequently eats sweet or comfort foods or snacks at all hours of the day or night as a means of dealing with stress. If you’re no longer stressed due to enough rest, you won’t stress-eat, thereby avoiding obesity.
- It boosts your immune system
Adequate destressing helps relieve the symptoms of some medical and psychological disorders. As a result of this, your body’s immune system will improve.
8 Ways to Relax After a Tiring Workday
The feeling of being stressed out all day long is not good for our mental health. It can have a devastating and negative effect on our well-being. The aftermath of a hectic day at the office can be difficult to shake off, but there are ways to help yourself recover.
There are plenty of ways to relax after a long day that won’t cost you an arm and a leg (or your sanity). Check out our favorite tips for getting your Zen on after a busy day to help you unwind and recharge.
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1. Take a Good Soak in a Clawfoot Tub
If you have a chance to take a bath before bed, go for it! While baths are traditionally a time for cleaning the body, they can also be a fantastic way to relax the body and calm the mind.
It is best to get your bathroom installed with a vintage clawfoot bathtub for optimal relaxation and mind rejuvenation. After all, who doesn’t want to soak in warm water while smelling your favorite essential oils, right?
Baths are known to increase your heart rate and reduce blood pressure, but they are also incredibly soothing. Fiberglass clawfoot tubs are not only classy, but they add elegance to your bathroom too.
Taking a bath can help to calm your thoughts and relieve stress, which is why it’s a great way to wind down for the night.
2. Plan Your Evenings
If you’re looking to wind down and chill out after a hectic day, it’s important to set a positive tone for the evening ahead. Instead of spending the evening plugging away at emails, try to take some time to relax.
Closing out the day with some stress-relieving activities is a great way to begin to unwind. Whether you take a bath, listen to guided meditations, watch a relaxing YouTube video, or spend some time doing something you love, you’ll immediately feel a difference in your mood.
3. Meditate
Meditation is a proven way to reduce stress and relax the mind. It’s been called “the ultimate stress reliever,” and it is for a number of good reasons. If you’re new to meditation or would like to practice it more regularly, we recommend starting with a beginner’s guide.
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While everyone’s practice is different, there are lots of ways to get started. You can use guided meditations, listen to guided music, watch calming videos, or even try out a mindfulness app.
4. Walk It Out
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to relax, you just can’t shake that stressful feeling. In these cases, it can be helpful to take a walk in order to calm your thoughts and release some of that pent-up energy.
If you have some extra time before bed, a quick walk around the block can do a world of good. Even if you’re only walking for 10 minutes, do your best to clear your mind and release any tension you’ve accumulated throughout the day.
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5. Plan a Relaxing Weekend Getaway
If you’re like us and need a little help relaxing on the weekends, try planning it ahead of time. This can help to reduce the amount of stress you feel on Monday since you’ll have something relaxing to look forward to.
Planning an exciting getaway will help you be more productive and boost your mood throughout the week.
6. Turn Off the Screens
Smartphones, computers, and other modern devices can be incredibly distracting, and they can increase your stress levels as well.
When you’re scrolling through Facebook or Instagram while waiting in line at the grocery store, you’re likely experiencing quite a bit of stress simply because you’re not supposed to be doing those things while you’re waiting.
If you need to unwind, the best thing to do is to turn off your screens and get some actual work done. There are just too many distractions online that it’s hard to get anything done, and this is true whether you’re working or not.
7. Turn On the Music
Music is important for so many reasons, but one of the best things about it is that it can help to relax you when you’re stressed out. Whether you play an instrument or prefer to listen to nature sounds, a good playlist can do wonders for helping you unwind.
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8. Turn Down the Lights
Lighting also plays a big role in helping you to relax. This is because bright lights tend to spike your cortisol levels, which makes it difficult to relax. But, low-key lights (like those found in a room with minimal distractions) have the opposite effect and can help to calm your thoughts and get you ready for bed.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a variety of ways to relax after a long day. Some of these are going to be more effective for you than others, but the important thing is to find something that helps you to unwind.
Surely, a good soak in a clawfoot tub will ease your mind at the moment. But the important thing is to remember that you’re not alone. Everyone has stressful times in their life, and while they can be challenging, they don’t have to be overwhelming.
