5 Extraordinary Ways to Unwind After Work

*Collaborative post.

5 Extraordinary Ways to Unwind After Work picture

Image: Shutterstock

Whatever you do and wherever you work, perpetually feeling busy, stressed out, or just plain bored can affect your wellbeing. If you’ve got a lot of responsibilities, like looking after your family or working in a high-pressure job (or both), it’s easy to lose track and never have a moment to yourself.

Breaking the Cycle

When you’re feeling run down and uninspired, it’s time to implement some extraordinary tactics to break the cycle and beat the mid-week slump. Constantly working late into the night or working on weekends can become draining and negatively affect your health and your relationships, so taking some time out to reconnect with yourself and those around you is incredibly important.

1. Get Out There with Extreme Activities

From go-karting to ax throwing, “extreme” activities can take you out of your comfort zone and give you experiences to remember. Get your friends or work colleagues involved, and do something wild together –– you might just find your new hobby!

Investing in opportunities to go and do new things will create greater happiness and fonder memories than spending money on throwaway purchases. You’ll cherish the memory of doing something fun and exciting, and you’ll be able to relive the experience again and again.

2. Indulge Yourself with Pampering and Relaxation 

Get some well-earned “me time” by scheduling some serious self-care. Switch off your phone, close down your computer and put aside your worries –– this is your time. While jumping in the bathtub or diving in the shower can act as a great circuit breaker, why not do something that’ll benefit you in a much deeper way?

Getting a tantric massage can be a mind-blowing experience that’ll reinvigorate your senses and help you connect with yourself –– and someone else. Massages have numerous physical and mental benefits, from relaxing your muscles and improving your skin to increasing your confidence and enhancing positive body image.

3. Reorganise and Reclaim Your Space

Although it might not seem that extraordinary, you’d be surprised at the amazing psychological benefits of whipping your home into shape. Putting time aside to declutter and clean can be incredibly therapeutic, helping you to feel organised and in control of your environment.

Reclaiming your space and clearing out your wardrobe can earn you some extra cash if you sell your unwanted garments online with apps like Depop or eBay. The additional funds might be the difference between taking on that extra shift of taking some more time out to spend with your friends and family. Alternatively, you can give something back to your community by donating your old clothes to charity –– another great and fulfilling practice. 

4. Break the Habit and Ditch the Screens

It’s amazing how much time we spend in front of screens. Sinking into the sofa and watching a new series can be a great de-stressor. But, if you’ve been working on your phone, laptop, or any other bright rectangle all day, your eyes will tire, you’ll start to feel worn out and your brain won’t want to switch off.

Ditch the screens, and do something different. Rebel against our modern obsession with technology, and find something else that brings you joy. Cooking a new recipe to nourish your body will have a profound effect on your physical and mental wellbeing while listening to music, reading a good book, or meditating will put you in a different state of mind

5. Try Out Some New Exercise

We get it: it’s cold outside, it’s raining, you don’t quite feel like it — there’s always going to be a reason why you don’t want to exercise. If you’re not a runner or you hate the idea of swimming at your local pool, your options can seem limited, so why not try something new?

There are plenty of online classes available that offer varied and exciting new ways to get your heart pumping. Trying out yoga or pilates classes can rejuvenate your body and inspire you to get moving without getting wet and muddy throughout winter. With so much choice, you’re bound to find the right videos and classes for your level of fitness.

 

Conclusion: Break the Mould

Whether you’re chasing a promotion or seeking inner peace, you need to find different ways to relax, unwind, and do something other than work. Your body and mind will thank you, and you’ll be able to move forward effectively to achieve your goals. From exercising and decluttering to pampering and meditating, set some time aside to do some extraordinary activities that’ll renew your vitality and give you back your lust for life.

 

 

Activities to help you stay on top of your mental health

If 2020 has taught us one thing it is that our health is so important. Health is wealth and our mental health is as important as our physical health. Most times, our mental health leads the way for our physical health to follow, which is why we must pay attention to it to live a fulfilling life. If you are struggling with mental health issues, you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible. It is important to start treating mental health illness as soon as you spot them. Preventing mental health illnesses is easier than treating them, so it is important to stay on top of your mental health. Here are some activities to help you stay on top of your mental health –

White Shirt Image

Exercise

An easy way of staying on top of your mental and physical health is to exercise regularly. Having a good exercise routine helps a lot. I exercise every morning for about 30 minutes and I have noticed a massive difference in my overall health. You don’t have to exercise for 30 minutes every day to improve your health. I started off exercising for around 15 minutes and I increased it gradually as I went on.

Exercising regularly has a positive effect on anxiety, ADHD, depression, and more. A good exercise routine also improves memory, helps you sleep better, relieves stress, and boosts your overall mood.

Yoga

Our nervous system is directly tied to our mental health, and this is where yoga comes in. Yoga calms and centers the nervous system. It also relieves stress, reduces muscle tension, increases body awareness, and sharpens attention and concentration. Yoga is a self-soothing technique similar to exercising and meditation. It is definitely worth trying especially if you are struggling with your mental health.

Grounding/Earthing

Going for walks and runs definitely help. There’s something about being outdoors that improves the mood instantly. The fresh air and the change of scenery usually calm the mind immediately. An important activity you should try if possible when outdoors is grounding. Grounding or earthing simply means walking barefoot. I did this a lot when I was a kid growing up in Africa, but the older you are, the harder it is to do some of the easiest things. Modern living has changed our lives and some of these changes are not good for our health.

Research has shown that grounding improves sleep, strengthens the immune system, reduces pain and inflammation, regulates the nervous system, and decreases feelings of anxiety and stress, and more. The benefits of grounding are too many to list in this blog post. However, grounding is not the easiest thing to do in the part of the world I live in but I make sure I do this in my garden as frequently as possible.

Tips for staying on top go your mental health image

Mediation

Mediating does wonders for mental health.  I meditate daily and I cannot imagine a life without daily mediation. When meditating to improve mental health, it is important to focus on the root chakra (root energy center). The root center in our body is the base of the spine and that is the center that deals with mental health amongst others. There are loads of guided root chakra meditation videos on YouTube to help you. It is best to playa round with a few until you find the guided meditation that works best for you.

Dancing

Dancing is another activity that instantly improves my mood. I dance every day. It is part of my morning workout session and I love it. It relaxes me, relieves stress, and keeps me fit. Plus, it allows me to enjoy some of my favourite African tracks.

Do you do any of these activities every day? Which is your favourite?

 

 

Meditate some more to reduce the lockdown stress

This lockdown can be so stressful. Some days are better than others. It is hard keeping track of the days of the week when you are home in lockdown everyday. If you are into meditating, you are in luck. You should actually meditate some more to reduce the lockdown stress and stay on top of your mental health. I have been mediating loads and it has really helped me improve my wellbeing. Meditating is a free way to reduce stress and improve your overall mental health. Since many of us are stuck indoors, meditating some more will do wonders for both the physical and the mental health.

meditation image

If meditating is new to you and you have no clue how to go about meditating, I would advise you to dig up some YouTube videos on mediating. There are loads on there to help you. You can also read books on meditation and how to meditate if you prefer reading to watching videos or you can combine the two channels and get all the knowledge you need. There are many apps for meditation. My current favourite app is Abide. It is a Christian app and it has completely changed my life for the better. It is a premium app but really affordable. I have tried loads of Apps, and the Abide App is the best by far. The App has meditations for various topics including sleep and very interesting bedtime stories. It is so amazing. You need to try it for yourself to discover how great it is.

Meditating is one gift I am glad to have discovered. If you are struggling with negative emotions during this turbulent season, mediating regularly will help loads. I have quiet times multiple times throughout the day and meditating is a big part of it. It helps me tune in and tune out the noise and negativity going on at the moment.

Do you mediate regularly?

 

error: Content is protected !!