3 Tips for winding down after work

In the modern world, whether we like it or not, we’re always connected to our work. With laptops, work phones or an emailing app on every device, it can be easy to head home and keep working.

But stop!

Home time is for you. And creating a work-life balance is integral for a better mood, stronger relationships, and healthier life.

Even if you want to have a productive evening overall, it’s important to take a moment and actually relax after work. Winding down after concentrating on your to-do list all day will give your body time to relax from its stressed, couped-up position, and give your brain the break it deserves.

So rather than grabbing the TV remote and falling into a Netflix hole for the rest of the night, here are 3 tips for winding down after work, no matter what you’ve got planned for the evening.

Take a phone-free walk

Step away from the phone, head outdoors and breathe in some fresh air. Between sitting in the office, heading home in the car and immediately sitting in the house, when was the last time you actually went outdoors for leisure?

Going for a walk before or after dinner is a great way to boost your health and relax your mind. It’s also the perfect activity to do as a couple, to help you reconnect and talk about non-work-related things.

Keep your phone at home, and just enjoy the present moment.

Turn on do-not-disturb

For some people, turning off your work phone at the end of the day is a little too drastic. But setting up do-not-disturb will mean you’re less inclined to keep checking in. Where possible, keep work apps on your work device. It can be easy to try streamline the two devices and mix your work and family life onto one phone – but this makes it much harder to switch off after you’ve got home.

When you leave the office, leave it all behind. With do-not disturb, people can still ring you in an emergency, but all emails, texts and other alerts will be left to deal with the next day.

Play a game, take up a hobby

Depending on how you want to spend your downtime, you might already have a million and one hobbies on the go. For those of you that don’t however, doing something that actually interests you is a great way to distract yourself from checking work emails.

There are plenty of hobbies that can be enjoyed on an evening, or you could even take up gaming online. If you have the whole family to organize, it can be difficult to gather more than 10 minutes for yourself. Use www.bingositesreviewer.com to find a gaming site in a theme and style that suits you. That way, while you’re in the bath, or having a drink just after arriving home, you can wind down in the time you’ve got to yourself.

Taking time to relax can feel a little selfish – especially if you’ve got a ton of chores to catch up on. But after working hard all day, you – and your mind – deserve a break.