I’ll sit down for dinner or a beer with a friend but my head is still spinning around what happened at work. If you feel the same, there’s an easy way to let go of the neurological traffic jam. That’s one round, which is enough for me on most days, but you can do more. To begin a state of relaxation, call a person who makes you feel encouraged. Running keeps your brain young, combats worry, and improves your mood.

Famous Erwin, LMHC, LPC, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 15 years of counseling experience. Famous is a team member of theTalkspace Council of Mental Health Experts. At Talkspace, Everyday is exciting because he has an opportunity to do what he loves and that’s helping people overcome life’s challenges through effective life skills and coping skills.

1. The breathing method is a powerful trick that gives your body an extra boost of oxygen.
2. Listening to music is also a known strategy for stress relief, and a simple one to do while sitting in an enclosed space.
3. Besides removing clutter and giving you relief from a crowded space, cleaning is an effective mindfulness practice.
4. This popular technique, also known as aromatherapy, focuses on using scents to holistically balance your physical, emotional, and psychological health.

Take a little time to review the following common culprits of work stress — see if any resonate with you. This means creating enough balance in your life to include leisure time and hobbies. It means cultivating healthy relationships to help you feel fulfilled and take your mind off of stress.

These strategies can help you leave your work stress where it belong—at work. However, if you find yourself stressing or ruminating over problems at work, it’s best to leave that burden at work. It only takes a few minutes but completely resets your system, rids you of all stress, and makes you feel like a newborn baby. It’s also dead simple, which is why it’s my go-to tool after a rough day. De-stressing with meditation after a tiring day of work is a proven technique that decreases stress, boosts focus, and promotes mental well-being.

Create a Soothing Home Environment for Yourself

Interpersonal conflict takes a toll on your physical and emotional health. Conflict among co-workers can be difficult to escape, so it’s a good idea to avoid conflict at work as much as you can. self-management: how to change your own behavior Purposefully slowing down and being conscious of your surroundings can keep you relaxed throughout the week. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness all work to calm your anxiety.

Read a good book

A more realistic approach is to adopt effective coping strategies to reduce stress at your current job. If you struggle with knowing how to relax after work, you’re not alone. Just as it helps children relax and go to sleep when they have a bedtime ritual, having a post-work ritual is a great way to help yourself unwind after a stressful day of work.

Tie Up Loose Ends Before You Leave

If it’s tied to a more long-term problem you can’t immediately solve, try another one of the quick relaxer tips below. If you’re noticing a bigger pattern, you might want to take a longer breather with our 30-minute tips or speak to a professional to get to the root of the problem. But when the stress boilover happens during work, at a party, or in public, dropping everything to take a nap is definitely not a good look. And in these situations, stress can also join teams with anxiety, leaving you figuring out how to rein in both emotions.

People who are grateful for what they have tend to be happier and less stressed. Every day after work, take a few minutes and think of 10 things you’re thankful for. Hugging someone you trust can protect you from the negative impacts of stress and fight off infections. So, find someone you trust and give them a big hug – you’ll feel better.

Instead of multitasking to stay on top of your tasks, try another cognitive strategy like chunking. Even if you’re a naturally disorganized person, planning ahead to stay organized can greatly decrease your stress at work. Being organized with your time means less rushing in the morning to avoid being late as well as less hustling to get out at the end of the day. A factor known to contribute to job burnout is unclear requirements for employees. If you don’t know exactly what is expected of you, or if the requirements for your role keep changing with little notice, you might become extremely stressed. Research has indicated that the percentage of Americans who are stressed at work is high—and it’s only getting higher.

Technostress: Fixing Technology’s Impact on Employee Mental Health and Well-being‍

When you’re stressed, your neck and shoulders tense up as part of your body’s fight-or-flight response. So, using calming techniques regularly can guide you in managing and improving your overall health. Take the time to prepare fresh meals or snacks (rather than grabbing a plate of cereal). Instead of going into a food coma, eating a home-cooked healthy meal may help you feel more relaxed. Whether you just finished a major project, had some difficult conversations, or found yourself rushing throughout the week like there’s no tomorrow, it’s time to learn how to unwind after work. Whereas your parents or grandparents might have enjoyed a drink while listening to the radio, these days folks are pairing their after-work cocktails with podcasts.

How to Relieve Job Stress After Work

Keeping yourself organized can also mean avoiding the negative effects of clutter, and being more efficient with your work. Don’t gossip, don’t share too many of your personal opinions about religion and politics, and steer the three stages of alcoholism clear of “colorful” office humor. Work stress has significant health consequences that range from relatively benign (like getting more colds and flus) to potentially serious (such as heart disease and metabolic syndrome).

Exercise

InHerSight matches job seekers and companies based on millions of workplace ratings from women. Find a job at a place that supports the kinds of things you’re looking for. Cooking helps you tap into your creative side and forces you to focus on the task at hand, instead of on whatever is stressing you out. Multitasking was once heralded as a fantastic way to maximize one’s drinking at workplace time and get more done in a day. However, people eventually began to realize that if they had a phone to their ear and were making calculations at the same time, their speed and accuracy (not to mention sanity) often suffered. Another surprising stressor at work is physical discomfort, often related to where you perform most of your daily tasks (such as your desk).

According to science, running keeps your brain young, fights off anxiety, and boosts your mood. If you aren’t a runner like me, taking a brisk walk will do the job just fine (and it gives you a chance to finish the end of that true crime podcast). Music slows your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and reduces your stress hormones. However, any music you love, not just classical, will help you feel happier and less stressed.