The Best Ways to Wind Down After a Long Day at Work

After wrapping up all the work, you’re supposed to feel light. But instead, there’s an invisible, hefty burden that sits on your shoulders and seems to stay there permanently. 

Ever wondered why you feel that way? Because you don’t completely disconnect from work-related stress. 

It’s high time to start taking a chill pill and have a laid-back evening life. The pill here means having a nice 5-9 routine to wind down after a long 9-5 job. 

The best part is that- multiple ways can help you unwind after a long workday. You can reduce body and mental pain through light workouts, warm baths, soothing environments, bonding with people, relaxing drinks, calming music, and a good book. 

But you know what can help you de-stress big time? A good vape. 

If you still feel down after work, it means your vape isn’t helping you. In that case, try out Lost Vape Lightrise TB 18K Disposable to enjoy some relaxing sesh. 

Top 9 Ways to Wind Down After Work

1. Establish a Relaxing Routine

Having no clue what to do after leaving your workplace leads to a sense of disarray. Even if the work is done, you unknowingly carry this stress to your home that lingers till the next day. And consequently, the pattern continues and it ends up affecting your health and work. 

For instance, after office, you might want to finish the remaining work or check emails. And that leads to overtime. 

But an after-work routine lets you leave the day’s stress behind you.  

So, your first job to wind down is- to ritualize a consistent 5-9 routine. Doing this brings you a bunch of benefits. 

Benefits

• Sets healthy work-life boundaries
• Unwinds your mind
• Creates a more productive time
• Widens creativity
• Promotes healthy habits
• Signals your body so you can relax completely 

Include the stuff that brings you peace in your after-work routine. Here are some of the multiple examples of calming activities that can help take out stress.  

Calming Activities 

• Going for a walk 
• Taking a bath
• Playing games/sports 
• Bonding with families and friends 
• Working out
• Watching a movie/series
• Listening to music
• Surfing internet
• Vaping a good puff
• Spending time on social media 
• Reading a book
• Writing
• Cooking 

2. Create a Soothing Environment

Loud noises aren’t just annoying but they affect physical and mental health as well. You can end up getting sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even stroke. 

So, try to turn down the volume of all the surrounding noises. Create a calming environment at home through lighting, scents, and comfortable furnishings in the evening. It can work to de-stress, improve sleep quality, and boost productivity. 

Lighting

Use soft, warm, or cool-toned LED lights. They have a gentle glow that casts a calming ambiance and invites you to relax after work. 

Scents

Have some scented candles and potpourri to enjoy aromatherapy. Try out lavender, bergamot orange, ylang-ylang, eucalyptus, lemongrass, peppermint, chamomile, or apple spice. 

Furnishings 

Pick soothing colors for curtains and carpets. It can be light blue, soft lavender, or neutral tones like beige or light green. If you want something in print, make sure it goes well with the background. 

Pick different kinds of organizers- for your clothes, jewelry, shoes, accessories, big stuff, small stuff, and miscellaneous. Staying organized helps reduce clutter and stress big time. 

3. Unplug from Technology

Do you stick your eyes to your phone or TV screen as you leave work? Then, stop that! Although it gives you some sort of entertainment, there are adverse effects. 

Excess screen time leads to eye strain and discomfort, mood problems, sleep deprivation, chronic body pain, headaches, and attention and hearing issues. 

So, take a 2-3 hour break from screens in the evening after coming from work. Some of the perks it brings are- 

Benefits

• Prevents eye-straining 
• Reduces body discomfort 
• Upturns productivity 
• Improves sleep
• Deepens bonds 
• Clears out mind 

To enjoy these, unplug from tech devices and add different activities to the routine. It can be socializing or focusing on your hobby. Taking a long drag from a good vape and just contemplating life can also help you wind down. If you’re blank, let’s give you some ideas.

Tech-free Activities 

• Bonding with families and friends 
• Journaling 
• Vaping a good puff
• Exercising
• Going for a walk 
• Shopping
• Reading a book
• Playing sports 
• Cooking 
• Playing an instrument 

4. Engage in Light Physical Activity

Exercise is super lucrative but it doesn’t mean you’d go overboard! Because you’ll be already drained after a long workday, what you need are some light evening workouts. They provide effective benefits as well from external to internal parts of your body to help you wind down. 

Benefits of Light Activities 

• Sends positive energy to both physical and mental health
• Reduces adrenaline and cortisol which are your body’s stress hormones
• Boosts the production of endorphins that act as mood elevators
• Keeps your body and its inside organs in the pink 
• Increases agility and body movement. 
• Boosts your mood
• Multiplies productivity
• Enhances creativity 

Let’s highlight some of the light exercises that work effectively! 

Light Exercises

• Yoga
• 30-minute walk
• Stretching 
• 15-minute zumba 
• Couch potato workout
• Hula Hooping 

5. Enjoy a Warm Bath or Shower

A warm bath wipes away all sorts of dirt and negativity from your body after a long workday. So, make sure to bathe the second time, especially at night. It helps you wind down and get recharged. Moreover, it peps you up for the evening and preps you up for the next day. 

Studies reveal that taking a warm shower 1-2 hours before bedtime at 40-42.5C has different benefits. Here are some of them-

Benefits

• Activates a network of nerves called the parasympathetic nervous system to relax your body.
• Improves sleep quality
• Soothes muscles throughout your body
• Improves blood circulation and takes out toxins through sweat glands

The water pressure should be moderate because it gives a massage effect to reduce swelling and dispel fatigue. 

Also, focus on certain body parts to make the shower more efficient. Pay attention to your ankles, knees, waist, and arms. 

You might make the warm bath more effective with essential oils and bath salts. The calming aromas of both essential oils and Epsom salts can promote overall relaxation through-

• Uplifting the mood 
• Nourishing the skin 
• Rejuvenating the skin  
• Soothing tired muscle
• Relieving cramps and aches 

6. Savor a Relaxing Beverage

What you drink in the evening and at night can also affect how you feel. To reduce after-work stress, get yourself some relaxing drinks like fresh juices, smoothies, herbal teas, and warm milk. 

Fresh juice 

Fresh-squeezed veggies and fruit juices work to support the immune system, calm your stomach, and truly relax the body with their vitamins and nutrients. Consider having juices or smoothies out of citrus, berries, mangoes, apples, carrots, beet, and tomatoes. You can also combine them and make it a detox drink. 

Herbal Teas

Herbal teas don’t just smell nice but they have several soothing properties too. They all come straight from bioactive compounds like flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, and alkaloids. These work to relax your mind, decrease anxiety, and promote deep, restful sleep. 

So, do give it a try. Options like lemon balm, citrus mint holy, and basil can give a refreshing sour kick. Meanwhile chamomile and lavender have a pleasant sweetness. And as for green tea, its vegetal flavor tastes fine. 

Avoid coffee or anything that has caffeine. Otherwise, it’ll over-stimulate your nerves and throw off your body’s natural rhythm. 

Warm Milk

Warm milk has the tryptophan and melatonin elements that promote relaxation and better sleep. 

7. Try Vape Products for Relaxation

Want to stay chilled out after work? Then consider getting yourself some quality vapes. There are a variety of vapes but two are the most common: mods and disposables. 

Mods coming in different pieces are for heavy vapers whereas pods are single-use devices for light smokers. 

Regardless of the type, vapes give that ‘feel good’ vibe that helps you control anxiety and shoo away all the tension. 

You can pick the one depending on what suits you the best. Both can help reduce work stress and release dopamine to help you cope with anxiety. 

However, one of the best things about vapes is its wide range of flavors. So, after work, you might want to scope them out. 

A 2018 study highlights that you’ll get more than 7,000 flavors of e-juices in the vaping industry. Researchers also shared some of the common flavors. 

Here’s a list of 7 pop ones-

• Menthol
• Watermelon
• Strawberry 
• Blueberry
• Dessert flavors
• Lemon and Orange 
• Tobacco flavors

Try out the ones with menthol and mixed notes. They give you a cooling sensation that hits a nice throat and keeps you relaxed. 

8. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation

Meditation works as a powerful tool for managing and reducing stress after a long day at work. It lets you focus on the present moment, acknowledge your thoughts, control anxiety, regulate your mood, and fight depression. 

Not just that, such practices also increase performance and boost productivity. 

So, add some techniques of meditation to your after-work routine like deep breathing or mantra-based. They provide progressive muscle relaxation and improve overall well-being. 

9. Read a Book or Listen to Music

Try to immerse yourself in a good book or music because they can be super relaxing. Reading a book takes you to another world with its characters and stories. Meanwhile, listening to music uplifts your mood and shifts your mental state to something good. 

Book 

For the book, try out these genres: 

• Calming fiction 
• Fantasy
• Medieval and ancient history
• Mythology

Music

For music, try them out: 

• Soft, instrumental classical
• Ambient
• Lo-fi
• RnB
• Country
• Acoustics
• Alternate Rock
• Tropical House

Transform Your 5-9 Life

You can surely notice a drastic difference after adding all the good stuff to your end-of-the-day routine. Each of the techniques highlighted here may work differently but they ensure your well-being. 

So if you want to wind down after work, do a light workout, take a warm bath, create a soothing environment, savor some relaxing drinks, try out a good vape, listen to calming music, and read a good book. 

Bernard - Side-Line Staff Chief editor

Bernard Van Isacker is the Chief Editor of Side-Line Magazine. With a career spanning more than two decades, Van Isacker has established himself as a respected figure in the darkwave scene.

See Full Bio

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