I don’t know about you but when I get home from work, I am wound. Sometimes it’s hard to unwind and decompress after certain days and sometimes what works one day won’t work the next. Here are a few things that have worked for me and maybe they’ll work for you.
Go For a Walk
You may not want to hear it, but it’s true. Say you’ve never felt good after a long walk, and I’ll call you a liar. There’s just something about exercise that helps get the steam out. Actually, it not something, its dopamine. Exercise helps to make you feel happy and relieve anxiety by causing your body to release chemicals like dopamine and endorphins in your brain according to the Dana Foundation and the CDC. The easiest way to get some exercise is to just go for a walk.
Read
Get lost in another world. Read something that is so unlike your own life to take your mind away from the realities of your day, even for a brief moment. To just not think about the realities of the day is often enough for me to relax and realign. Interestingly, a study done by the University of Sussex in 2009 found that stress is reduced in a person by 68% just by reading for 6 minutes! How easy is that? And it doesn’t have to be a book. Even light reading like a magazine will do the trick.
Listen to music
Nothing needs to be said here about the power of music. It is so self-explanatory. There is nothing more magical than music’s way of transforming a mood, affirming a mood, or lifting a spirit. PsychCentral lists from numerous studies on one page the many ways music can reduce stress, help you relax and even help with reducing anxiety and even pain. With the ability to log onto your favorite streaming app and find something perfect for the mood you need, there’s no excuse not to.
Connect With Others
Sometimes you just need to vent, let it all out. Call that one buddy who you know will listen to you. It’s okay to just have a bitch-fest. Sometimes you just have to. In fact, it has been demonstrated by a 2006 University of California, Los Angeles study that “Putting Feelings Into Words” helps reduce anxiety by alleviating the fight or flight symptoms of anxiety and stress. If you find yourself in a spot where you are having a challenging time connecting with people for whatever reason, check out Meetup, “The people platform—Where interests become friendships”. There are many groups that might peak your interest and the odds are great there’s one in your area.
Get Some Sleep
Sometimes when you’re stressed out from a tough day at work, it’s hard to fall asleep at night. When I know I am going to have a racing brain I intentionally decide to prevent a restless night. I always get my things ready for the next day, make sure to lay down at least an hour before I usually do and have a Calm magnesium drink to help relax my muscles and mind.
Sometimes I’ll read a book or find a good show to immerse myself in to take my mind off of things. I push it till I can’t keep my eyes open and hopefully I’ll just fall asleep. This is definitely something that needs to be intentional and you have to find what works for you. If you know lights bother you, make it dark, put tape over electronic indicator lights. If you need white noise but don’t want a fan blowing on you, you can purchase a white noise machine for less than 30 bucks that mimics the sound of a fan without the blowing. No studies are needed to explain the obvious benefits of sleep. For myself, I have found it definitely helps to prepare for setting up the night to help me fall asleep easier.
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