Do you watch TV while you’re still answering the email? Are you with your family on the beach and do not stop thinking about the numbers of your company? Having free time is not always synonymous of rest. Therefore, learning to disconnect and relax after work is essential so that the stress and the pressure of work does not affect our personal well-being.
One way to achieve this is to practice other activities that allow us to disconnect while helping to improve our mood.
Places to relax after work
- Do some outdoor or group sport. Did you know that physical exercise is one of the best ways to relax after work? Sport is very beneficial for both our body and mind since, in addition to improving cardiovascular health and feeling more active, physical activity releases endorphins (the happiness hormone) and also increases the production of noradrenaline, a chemical aid to moderate the brain’s response to stress.
- Enjoy a concert. The therapeutic effects of music have long been proven. Listening to music that pleases us improves health and well-being by activating the chemicals of motivation and pleasure, which manage to regulate stress. In addition, according to a study by the University of Deakin (Australia), people who attend concerts more often have higher levels of satisfaction thanks to the fact of sharing music with several people.
- Read a book. Reading is one of the leisure activities which has the most positive effects. Spending a good time concentrating on reading improves our ability to establish relationships, create new neural connections, while relaxing ourselves, and it even helps us become a better person. Therefore, it should not surprise us that, according to a study from the University of Sussex, reading relaxes more than listening to music, taking a walk, having a tea or a beer.
- Stroll through nature. What was the last time you took a walk in the woods or along the shore to simply relax? Walking while being in contact with nature is one of the best ways to relax after work because while we are exercising, our body and mind totally change of space and they come into contact with the natural environment, leaving the problems of the office aside.
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- Play! As we grow we play less and less, leaving aside all the benefits that playing reports to our mind. You can play with your children or play alone: puzzles, chess, videogame consoles … With only 30 minutes we can free ourselves from all the stress accumulated during the working day.
- Cook your favorite dish. Although for some it may be a nightmare, cooking is a very relaxing activity that allows us to disconnect from the daily stress that we accumulate at work. It does not have to be a very complex and long recipe, which would generate more stress, but we can prepare an easy dish that we want to eat in order to get rid of all the stress accumulated. In addition, cooking something that we already know allows us to recover the sensation of having things under control and recover the calm.
- Afterwork with friends or colleagues. It may seem contradictory, but sharing a relaxed time after work with your peers can help you relax after work and reinforce the relationship. What a better plan to take advantage of the good weather than having a drink in an afterwork? Laughing, chatting, discovering common hobbies … All this will contribute to improve the team.
- Do nothing. Sometimes the best way to relax is to do nothing. Meditation is a good routine to get to that moment of inactivity, both physically and mentally, which is so necessary to get out of the daily routine
Consequences of not disconnecting from work
Not relaxing after work can end up affecting your personal life and your state of mind. If we always have our mind set on the affairs of the office, our personal and family relationships will eventually suffer, something that, if prolonged in time, can bring about the loss of friendship relationships and/or partner relationships. Work is important, but cultivating social well-being is imperative in order to keep growing professionally.
Also, not relaxing after work brings consequences to our quality of life. If worries occupy our mind, we will not rest enough and problems of insomnia, personal dissatisfaction and bad mood will begin to appear. Listening and giving time to emotions is fundamental to our day to day life.
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