I work long hours in what can sometimes be a crazy stressful job. Every day is different when it comes to TV news. I love my job, but some days are harder than others. Mass shootings, kids murdered, a family killed by a drunk driver… my job can be downright depressing sometimes!
However, the anxiety and adrenaline of a day filled with breaking news is NOT something I want to take home with me. My time with my husband and kids are precious. When I walk in that door I want to be happy, present and peaceful. So I have a few tips and tricks that help me decompress quickly after a long day at work… maybe they could help you as well!
Here are 5 ways to decompress after a tough day:
1. Call a Friend: This is my go-to. Nothing cheers me up more than speaking to my best friends. I pop in my ear buds and start dialing. My friends expect this call, answering with something like, “Driving home from work?” or “You know this is when most people are eating dinner, right?” Ha! But they always chat with me and it always brightens my mood. I love my friends so much and I feel very lucky to have them in my life. Instant happiness.
2. Put on a Favorite Play List: Music has an amazing ability to brighten your mood immediately. My favorite Pandora stations are Riptide Radio, The Killers Radio and Britney Spears Radio. (shut up, you know you lover her) I just plug my phone into my car radio and after a few minutes I feel immediately better.
3. Take Deep Breaths: At red lights, I try to take deep breaths. Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for a second or two, then breathe out through your mouth. Instantly you will feel your body relax and your anxiety level go down.
4. Listen to a Podcast or Audio Book: Listening to audio books or podcasts helps me take my mind off my work day and focuses my thoughts on something else. Podcasts are so much fun to listen to and can be really motivating.
5. Drive in Silence: Sometimes I like to just drive home in complete silence. I can enjoy the quiet and think about all the things I have to be thankful for. I will think about my kids, my husband, that I am thankful to have a job to help support my family… stuff like that. I make an effort to think about ONLY positive things going on in my life, while actively pushing out any negative thoughts. It helps put me in a better mood immediately.
I have a 30 minute drive home.. so when I am in a foul mood.. I need to turn it around quickly. These methods work well for me, hopefully they can help you out the next time you need to shake that stress!
This was a great list. I was already doing some of these things. Very helpful. Thanks
For me as a SAHM, I find all of these to work. I would add to the list, a quiet area from your family when they're driving you bonkers.
Good advice… and much needed!
Girl, I totally do steps 1-4! It made me smile when I read your line about "popping in the earbuds" to call a friend, because that's exactly what I do, too. 🙂 My PR buddy and I commiserate about our tough workdays, although I shouldn't complain because of course it's still easier than news, but I always feel sooo much better after chatting. Thanks for sharing this list!
you forgot– wine wine wine. lol. Great list!
All these totally work on me. It depends on the situation and my mood mostly. If I want to vent, I call a friend. If I want to stay alone, I listen to music or go on a drive! 🙂
Totally feel ya. From September to December I was so busy–I would work all day, go home, try to focus on my baby, then continue working from home until midnight. It wasn't until I was literally on vacation sitting in my MIL's basement working (while my family played upstairs) that I said enough! I deleted my work email from my phone and decided I needed some boundaries. I love these tips!! My two favs are cooking (chopping, I get really into that) and running at lunch or doing barre or yoga after my baby is in bed. It's so important to have some time to de-stress!
Yes and yes an yes! Reading does it for me too! As does wine!
Yes and yes an yes! Reading does it for me too! As does wine!
This is great! I unwind in the car too!
These are great tips! I don't give my friends a ring often enough – I'll have to try that next time I have a rough day 🙂
Great list. I pretty much always do #4, but sometimes my mom calls me on my drive home so that is kind of like #1 🙂 My drive is 2-3 times as long as yours 🙁
I love podcasts…silence is sometimes, good, too. So is singing the really raunchy rap songs out loud that I pretend I don't like. There are a lot of good things about a commute, huh?
Yes! Calling friends definitely helps me decompress! Love these tips! I'm going to have to pass them along to my mom 😉 thanks for sharing!
~Mattie
http://www.mattiesmakings.com
Oh my gosh this is a great list! I personally love to drive alone when I need to decompress, however I play the music pretty loud lol! Thank you for sharing!
Ok and here's where I add my new favorite- the adult coloring book. I swear, if I can just sit for a few minutes and color, I'm so much happier!
Great ideas…nothing like talking to a best friend or hearing a familiar voice to get you centered and in a good place! Good for you to make a conscious effort to do it BEFORE you get home!
I like to call someone and talk about light subjects (usually silly things the kids do) but driving in silence is also a great way to get some thinking done and calm down. This is a great list and decompressing after work and before the craziness of starting school is necessary to my sanity.
It's tough being a working Mom. These are absolutely fantastic tips!
Catching a breath… and driving in silence for sure! I remember those days – but it was a long time ago – but I didn't care for that after work "scrambling" dinner, homework, clothes ready, bathes…… but these are great tips for sure! It's not easy juggling the "working mom" thing – and it's surely a challenging job!
Great tips! I can modify these as a stay at home mom! I loved your Pandora stations. I love Riptide. And Brittany! Lol
I love driving to de-stress. I would also add "drink a bottle of wine" to this list:)
kay wait, i was waiting for the glass of wine line… did i miss it?
I'm all for driving in silence. It definitely helps you reenergize yourself and reorganize your thoughts.
thank you for the tips! love from Turkey 🙂
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