What types of things do you do to unwind after work?
My job has been unexpectedly more stressful than I had been mentally prepared for, so I get home and feel pretty burnt out. How do you stay sane after a long day of work?
Smoke and try to do as little as possible. Sometimes I don't even want to videogame because it takes effort.
yuck
agreed. what a horrible lifestyle
Put work phone away if you know you are done. Put it on your entry table or in jacket pocket for tomorrow, maybe check it once before you go to bed to make sure not missing anything but the goal is no jump scares when unwinding. Alternatively, if you have one phone and emails are just on the Work app, have notifications automatically turn off after a certain hour so you have to go in and check it. If they are really looking for you they will call you.
If not after 1am, I try to spend 20-30 minutes reading (something really light, think brainless fiction) with tea to unwind a bit. No phone right before bed. Try not to spend the entire evening on phone/computer in general.
I'm also an evening workout person, might be something worth trying - I find that gets my mind off of work and separates the day a bit more
Adding this to my routine. Thank you!
Gym followed by sauna.
+1 for sauna post workout after work. Makes a world of difference
sauna is amazing
Sauna is very healthy. I don't have access to one anymore so sometimes just do sweat workouts sometimes.
https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/alternative-treatments/sauna-benefits
Sauna bathing may be more than just a relaxing experience. It has some well-studied (and quite profound) benefits:
Improved cardiovascular health (more on this below)
Lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Improvements in pain and range of motion in people with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis
Decreased chronic pain for people with conditions like fibromyalgia and low back pain
Improvement in depression symptoms
Reduced risk of developing psychosis (in a study of the general male population)
Possible mild improvements in breathing for people with asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Reduced skin scales in psoriasis
Reduced inflammation and decreased cortisol (stress hormone) levels
Excretion of toxins and heavy metals via sweat
Reduced risk of stroke
Decreased headache intensity in those who get frequent headaches
Fewer colds and viral illnesses
My current obsession
Gym + stretching. Latter is super beneficial when you sit at a desk all day. Recommend the Pliability app.
Have been looking for a fitness app for some time now, what do you like about Pliability? Saw in reviews that it has a focus on mobility, is that right?
Have been going to the gym for a couple years doing classic weight lifting and now would like to start incorporating a bit of cardio
Correct, focus on mobility. Very good for increasing ROM in weight lifting and just overall feeling much better as you "un-glue" a lot of tight muscle fibers/areas. Especially your hips and shoulders when you sit down all day.
Due to placing an emphasis on mobility, I can squat ATG perfectly with no aches or pains - a lot of people at the gym shorten their ROM just to do more weight, but in reality, it's better to do less weight with a longer ROM - helps prevent injuries etc.
I find it's three main points that I rigorously stick to:
Great tips - especially the first one. If I'm too wound up, my mind races as I'm trying to fall asleep. This results in me stressing about not getting enough sleep, which makes my mind race more. It's a snowball effect that'll have me dragging the next day. Good stuff from the above commenter!
I work out in the morning, so I don't have the post-work gym session as many do. I used to work out after the office, but would often find myself being 'too tired' and coming home was unpredictable timing. This led to inconsistency in the gym, and occasionally missed days. It's brutal, but I've been waking up at 5:10a M-F for the past two months and getting a 45-60min lift in and then a 20min dog walk. I can get both the walk and the lift done by 6:30, then I have an hour to shower, eat, get dressed, and prep for the day. Usually aim to be in the office by 7:30-8a, traffic agrees with me most days. If you can fit it in, I highly recommend it. It fucking SUCKS the first couple of weeks, but you're so much more mentally sharp and prepared for the day. It also goes a long way in mentality, as I get to take out all my anger and stress at the gym so my mind is clear by the time I enter the office. I often lift and spend time strategizing and compartmentalizing what I'm going to do that day, rather than figuring it all out when I touch down at my desk. I know this isn't your question, but I figured I'd throw it in there for anybody considering!
Getting back to your question, I think the wind-down routine is pretty important. I don't think you should be TOO anal about it, as you'll make yourself stress needlessly for no good reason. But having a general sense of what you need to do every day, what you need to do some days, and what you occasionally need to do in advance goes a long way. I'll try and break mine down as follows, let's just give a general 6p arrival as I usually get to clear the office by 5:30 nowadays (s/o promotions).
To start with, if there are any outstanding errands I have, I gotta run 'em before I get home. Usually, I drive to work on days like these. Been trying to take the Metro more, but half the time it doesn't fuckin' come & dealing w/ rush hour on that thing takes a toll on a man. Anything from picking up dry-cleaning to all-out grocery shopping I think should come before you get home. Once I'm home, gotta change out of work clothes the second I walk through the door. My wife personally will stay in her work clothes for a while, and I just don't know how she does it.
I'll take some time to +1 eloquence's comment about the phone thing - goes a long way. Work phone usually stays on silent and it stays in our home office. On one hand, I get the importance of needing to be reached in an emergency, but I've set it up that only people that a) directly work with me on my team and b) have the authority to make after-hours calls to me get my personal number. I don't give it out to many work folks - the thought process is that if you REALLY need to reach me, then you work close enough to me to earn personal number access. This isn't meant to make me sound like a prude, I just don't want ten thousand text messages after-hours about shit that could be answered by a Google search. To those in leadership roles, you know how often this happens.
Besides that, it's nice to kind of enjoy 'me' time - after dinner, that's just hanging out with my wife and dog, maybe seeing some friends. Try to put the personal phone away too, as it's important not to be on that pre-bed. I like to read on my iPad, but that's about it. Will finish the night with a ten-minute stretch (crucial!) and a couple of WSJ articles to see what I missed for the day. Works well for me. I'm usually asleep by 10p, true old man fashion!
That's a wall of text, but figured you'd like to know. Plenty of things can help out getting a routine solidified, but as long as you aim to be consistent you should have no problem slipping into a rhythm. If you need more tips, let me know!
Great tips. Thank you !
SB for AM workout- definitely a tough habit to get into but it really is a life changer. Working out in the morning activates your endorphins and allows you to be sharp and focused upon arrival at the office and throughout the day. Getting such an important "To-do" checked off before even beginning work is a fantastic feeling. Long days at the office would sometimes cause me to either: have a worse, less intense workout as I am tired, or skip the gym entirely. I have found distractions from phone / social media can be more challenging to avoid in the evening, which makes for a less efficient workout for me. Having your evening allows you to get that drink with a friend / coworker without feeling guilty about missing a gym session. Also, having to charge up again for the gym after tiring yourself at work definitely affected my ability to fall asleep. The benefits really are incredible and would highly recommend to anyone looking to build a better routine.
Lie in bed and stare at the ceiling rethinking all my life choices
Don’t we all do that tho ?
I doubt people that are successful and happy with their life so that
Put on a gi and wrassle the boys
Poker
lmao why is she wearing *reflective* sunglasses?
Because Vanessa Rousso is a badass.
I wear sunglasses too sometimes. Some people do it to hide their tells and their eyes, but I've been to some casinos where the lights are so bright I prefer sunglasses.
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