No matter how much we love our jobs, there’s bound to be days when work just gets too tiring and stressful. We’re living in a time when we’re expected to work hard and be career-driven. But that shouldn’t be the sole thing we’re living for. We should take a break sometimes. Otherwise, the busy work culture will take a toll on our mental and physical health.
Relieving stress is all about habits. It involves learning to cope with a busy day at work and still finding time for self-relaxation. A good way to relieve everyday stress is by finding an activity to do after office hours. Here are some ideas.
Write a journal
People say our experiences make us who we are. But because of our busy lifestyles, we might be missing things that unnoticeably make an impact on us. Hence, the importance of processing daily thoughts and events through a journal.
Studies have proven that writing about your emotions can help relieve stress. It’s because you’re acknowledging it instead of holding it in and letting it consume you. Releasing your feelings through writing will help you stay grounded and will enable you to process your emotions properly.
Pamper yourself
Undertaking an activity may not sound appealing to you because of exhaustion. After a long day at work, most of us just want to get home and lay in bed. Relieving stress doesn’t have to involve physical and mental activities. It can be as simple as pampering yourself and spending some time calming your body and mind. After work, why don’t you splurge on a spa session, head to a men’s hair salon, or take a nice long bath in your tub? These simple things will help refresh your mind and rejuvenate your energy.
Read
Reading is one of the most common and extremely effective stress-relieving activities. A study showed that reading could help reduce stress levels by up to 68%. It has a ton of health benefits, too, such as slowing down your heart rate and reducing tension in your muscles.
You don’t even have to read an entire book in one sitting to benefit from it. Going through lines and pages six minutes a day can significantly improve your physical and mental health.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is a term that we commonly associate with yoga or meditation. But we’re not asking you to try out yoga after work-although it is also a good activity that helps combat stress. Mindfulness is about focusing on the now. It’s training your mind to live in the moment instead of worrying about what the future holds. Having this perspective will increase a person’s ability to deal with stressful experiences and trauma.
Every day after work, do some mindfulness exercises. Engage in activities that help you focus and clear your mind from the worries of tomorrow. Simply being aware of what you’re doing will train your mind and help it build a better resilience against stress.
Have you ever heard of the term “work-life balance”? It’s something millennials are very dedicated to. It merely means knowing to balance your professional careers and personal lives. Working hard should be acquainted with having enough time to relax and unwind. So instead of focusing solely on your career, take a breather and work towards self-care, too.
