Shower, walks, breathing exercises: psychologist told how to relax after work
Kyiv • UNN
The psychologist spoke about effective methods of rest after a working day without using social networks. Among the recommendations are creating rituals, dancing, a warm bath, walks, and breathing exercises.
After a working day, you want to relax, forget about deadlines, and turn off your thoughts. Most often, we dive into social networks to switch off, but this does not always help. The fact is that when we watch TikTok or Instagram, we get a quick release of dopamine, which only gives short-term pleasure and does not allow our body and brain to fully rest and restore energy. UNN spoke with psychologist Kateryna Kononova, who shared several ways to relax after a working day.
Creating a ritual
Creating a ritual will help the brain switch faster from work mode to rest. Find specific actions that will bring you pleasure and signal that work is over. This will be especially relevant for those who work from home. It can even be something as simple as changing into "home" clothes, a 5-minute meditation, or listening to a specific song that will signal that you can now rest. It is important that this ritual is pleasant for you, and not purely mechanical.
Dancing
For rest to give a true feeling of relaxation and restoration of strength, you need to be able to switch activities. If regular exercise is not for you, then dancing can be an ideal substitute. Turn on your favorite music and let your body move as it wishes.
Such physical activity promotes the release of serotonin (the hormone of joy and happiness - ed.), which is responsible for our mood, appetite, and sleep. Chaotic movements and improvisation allow you to release accumulated emotions during the day, a sense of freedom, and reduce anxiety.
Warm bath
A hot bath helps relieve both physical and emotional tension. It relaxes muscles, stimulates blood circulation, lowers stress hormones, and sets you up for calm and recovery. For a better effect, you can turn on background music and light aromatic candles.
Being in the water provides natural relaxation; by concentrating on the sensations of your body, you put aside thoughts about work and problems, and also give your brain time to recover.
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Random activity
Make a list of things you would like to do, but never have time for, for example, visit a new coffee shop, try exotic fruits, etc.
Write each of them on a separate piece of paper and after work, do one of the recorded tasks. Such a deviation from the routine contributes to the production of dopamine, gives a feeling of novelty and satisfaction.
Walk without gadgets
Walking in the fresh air helps to distract from the thoughts and events of the day, gives the brain the opportunity to process the received information, and improves physical health. For the walk to help you relax emotionally, you can turn off the sound on your phone so that nothing distracts you.
Observing nature promotes the release of endorphins and serotonin, calms the nervous system, reduces stress levels, and promotes relaxation.
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Breathing exercises and muscle relaxation
Conscious breathing calms the nervous system, helps organize thoughts and process information received during the day. Muscle relaxation involves alternating tension and relaxation of the body's muscles, which allows you to relieve accumulated tension during the day.
Quality rest is a necessary condition for maintaining our health, increasing productivity, and life satisfaction. It is important to be able to put down the phone, turn off thoughts, and enjoy life, do something that brings pleasure, and just allow yourself to be here and now.
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