Mentally counting everything you have to be grateful for can not only make the time pass but can get you into a more positive frame of mind. It can also prime you to appreciate your loved ones more when you get home to them. After all, we spend a significant part of our waking hours at work. These strategies can help you leave your work stress where it belong—at work.

Is It My Job—or Something Else?

Workplace conflict can take a significant toll on your emotional well-being. Listening to an interesting podcast between meetings or watching a funny YouTube video can give you relaxing pauses throughout the day. Enjoy a good book to transport you to another world, and provide an escape from work-related stress. 💙 Ease into the late afternoon and early evening by pressing play on Calm’s curated playlist for relaxation, Mellow Afternoon Ambient. 💙 Let this short Shut Down Routine meditation be a part of your post-work ritual. The routes feature in Strava can help you track your progress and make your exercise sessions more interesting.

Summary To Help You Destress After a Long Day of Work

For example, taking a minute to focus on an object nearby and trying to identify as many details of it as possible. Engage in creative expression without decision-making or problem-solving tasks. The process of coloring activates the brain’s frontal lobe and can help you focus on one thing so you can relax, making coloring one of the easiest, and maybe most fun, ways to de-stress from work. Basically, by activating your senses, you shift your attention away from the pressures and demands of your job to, say, how warm water feels on your face or how the wind hits your skin. “It tells your brain on a subconscious level that you are done with work,” Dallas says. So, if you’ve been lurking around the above subreddits desperately in search of tips to salvage your evening (just me?), you’ve come to the right place.

Create a Comfortable Work Environment

• According to Pew Research Center, a little more than half of adults find that their job is stressful some of the time.
• Another surprising stressor at work is physical discomfort, often related to where you perform most of your daily tasks (such as your desk).
• This could be a holiday, your comfy armchair at home, or even curling up with your pet.
• Likewise, combating the stress of a long day with your favorite music on the drive home can help you wind down and feel less stressed when you get there.

Explore our range of new Mindfulness Ecourses to inspire good mental health in all aspects of your life. Choose from Sleep, Stress Relief, Daily Kindness or Daily Mindfulness and enjoy a collection of audio meditations, breathwork and movement videos, book recommendations and more. No matter your flexibility, you could take a few minutes to try practicing yoga at your desk and see the benefits in reduced physical and mental tension.

Tie Up Loose Ends Before You Leave

Thus, journaling apps and mood trackers are the right tools to track and monitor your wellness. Apps such as Presently, Intellect, Delightful, and Three Good Things have features and tools that help you journal effortlessly, how to destress after work even if you are a beginner. It’s not the healthiest way to deal with stress, but some days, you just want to watch the world burn. If your schedule allows for it, you might try taking short exercise breaks throughout the day. This can help you blow off steam, lift your mood, and get into better shape.

One effective way to deal with stress at work is to manage stressors immediately instead of letting situations escalate. Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards. Engaging in fun activities with loved ones can provide a much-needed break from work-related worries while strengthening social bonds. Here are eleven proven, effective ways to unwind and decompress after work, so you can leave the stress behind. The American Institute of Stress notes that Americans are the most stressed out group in the world.

By disconnecting from digital distractions, you create space for deeper relaxation and rejuvenation, setting the stage for a restful night’s sleep and a refreshed start to the next day. So, the best way to unwind after work is to shut your phone down and enjoy some tech-free time—unless you want to stay awake all night counting sheep. By anticipating your stressors, practicing relaxation techniques, and managing your time, you can decrease some of the pressures that make you feel stressed out at work. Seeking professional help through therapy can allow you to develop coping strategies for managing stress. Online stress therapy makes the process as easy as possible — it’s convenient, affordable, and effective. A licensed therapist can share effective stress management techniques.

This means prioritizing sleep, setting aside time for fun, and ensuring you eat throughout the day. Sometimes, it’s easy to underestimate how much stress affects you. If you start becoming aware of how you feel, you may find yourself emotionally exhausted and pessimistic by the end of some days. It’s very natural to seek emotional support when dealing with difficult co-workers. However, as with job stress venting in general, focusing too much on the stress created by difficult co-workers can rob us of the joy of our non-work lives.

Limit screen time

The proof is in her ever-piling browser tabs and newsletters, which help her stay on top of the latest wellness trends. When she’s not researching sustainable alternatives to her everyday products, Lauren is likely attempting to make a dent in her “TBR” book pile. Get matched to one of over 35,000 licensed therapists in as little as 48 hours. Dr. Lassen recommends keeping a “toolbox” to use in moments of stress that can include words of self-affirmation, calming or joyful pictures and a journal to help write away any negative thoughts. These can be different for everyone and may be related to the type of job. Looking out a window for 5 minutes to focus on the sky, trees, birds, lights, or anything else you can look at, may also help you manage stress at work.