It's often not that easy to switch off after work. A stressful conversation with your boss may still be on your mind, you may be going over unfinished tasks in your head and planning and mulling over unresolved problems. But switching off after work is important for our mental health. What can help?
In this article, we'll show you how to relax after work and some effective exercises to help you do so. We'll also get to the bottom of why it's often difficult to switch off your thoughts and how you can still manage to do so.
First things first: with exercises and routines, you can learn to switch off and not constantly think about work.
"Switching off": What does that actually mean?
If we look up the term "shutdown" in the dictionary, we find, for example:
"Disconnect by pressing a switch" or "Turn off the power."
Both are beautiful metaphors for what happens to us when we "switch off from work." By flipping an internal "switch," it can actually become possible to "switch off" from the stressful working day and mentally prepare ourselves for relaxation, time with the family, or our favorite hobby.
The difficult thing is that this "switch" first has to be found, because unlike the on/off button on a stereo system, there is no red light flashing here to signal to us: "Press here, please."
Instead, everyone must first find this "switch" for themselves or even incorporate it through rituals, because it may not yet exist.
"Switching off the power" is also a nice metaphor for what we want after work. Stress is often described as "being under pressure."
Those who are "under pressure" understandably find it difficult to relax, because this tension would first have to be "released."
Expert tip: Electricity can be turned off—and as strange as it may sound at first, work stress can also be "turned off" in a similar way.
Why is it so important to switch off after work?
Switching off after work is particularly important for your own well-being —but in the long term, it's also important for the well-being of those around you. Spending your free time with a stressed-out person who simply can't switch off is usually difficult in the long run.
Switching off and "winding down" after work serves two purposes: it promotes mental well-being and health, and it also helps you stay mentally fit.
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Relaxation itself has an effect on your health.
Various hormones that are influenced by stress and relaxation can also affect your health.
Stress tends to cause the release of hormones that are harmful to health, while relaxation tends to cause the release of hormones that are beneficial to health.
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Only those who switch off can take time for themselves.
Health and mental balance don't just happen by themselves. Rather, time must be invested: in sports, enjoyable hobbies, a healthy diet, and skin and hair care.
Those who find it impossible to switch off after work take less time for these important things—and thus their health and mental balance suffer.
What happens if you can't switch off after work?
Are you unable to switch off after work? This can have many negative effects on our health. From 2008 to 2011, a study was conducted on this very topic (DEGS1) was conductedon this very topic, confirming that chronic stress is a health risk. But what exactly are the effects this can have on us?
1. Stress
When we are under stress, our bodies release what are known as "stress hormones":
- cortisol,
- norepinephrine
- and adrenaline.
2. Burnout
Those who are unable to disconnect from work are likely to have an increased risk of experiencing burnout. Burnout occurs when we have to process more requests than we can handle over a long period of time.
Similar to a computer that is bombarded with too many requests at once, our system can no longer process these requests and breaks down.
3. Sleep problems
A lot of brooding about work and increased levels of stress can Causing sleep problemsPoor sleep leads to a variety of secondary symptoms. For example, the immune system suffer from this.
4. Relationship problems
If work is brought into every leisure activity, the relationship can suffer. This is because work is then always present as a "third person."
Since attention cannot then be fully devoted to the partner, he or she feels belittled. relationship problems can be the result.
5. Health consequences
From all the previous consequences of "not being able to switch off," various health issues have already been mentioned. But other health problems can also arise. These include physical ailments such as
- inflammatory reactions
- or cardiovascular problems caused by high blood pressure.
- But also psychological consequences such as burnout or depressive moods.
9 tips for unwinding after work
Rituals are a good tool to help you switch off after work and "flip the switch" again and again. Establishing these rituals starts in your head with the right mindset and ends with daily implementation.
Don't give up: they say it can take up to six attempts to establish a new behavior before everything falls into place!
Clear separation between work and leisure time
This is where your head comes into play. What sounds so simple is actually difficult. A first step could therefore be to answer the following questions:
- What does "work" mean to me?
- What does "leisure time" mean to me?
- What exactly do I take from my work into my free time?
- Does it help to write down the things I still need to do for work before I start my free time?
Wooden puzzles or model building
A good way to unwind after work is to engage in a physical activity that you enjoy. Relaxing games for adults are ideal for this purpose.
You should make sure that it does not require the same thought processes as your work. Wooden puzzles, for example, are well suited and can also help you relax with their colors and shapes.
Model railways, knitting, and embroidery are also good ways to ease the transition between work and leisure time.
relaxation exercises
Relaxation exercises such as progressive muscle relaxation or meditation can also ease the transition between work and leisure time. These exercises are primarily about focusing on the here and now.
If this is successful, it has a positive effect on heart rate and breathing rate.
Avoid overtime
People who constantly work overtime find it harder to switch off after work. Firstly, their workload increases and secondly, they simply have less time for leisure activities.
Physical activity
Sport is an excellent way to switch off, especially if you have an office job. Switching to physical activity also helps you to switch off.
meet friends
People are social creatures, so it's no surprise that meeting up with friends can also help you unwind after work. Interacting with others takes our minds off things.
keep a diary
Writing things down helps—some therapeutic methods recognize this. Writing things down helps to Sort by your thoughts, making it easier to switch off.
Turn off your cell phone
Always available and therefore always on the go? Feel free to say "No!" to your cell phone and turn it off.
Learning to say "no"
You can also say "no" to additional tasks and overtime. You don't have to accept everything that is offered to you!
Conclusion
Switching off from work isn't easy, but it's worth it. Your health will thank you if you establish a "switch" that makes it easier for you to switch off.
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