How to Unwind After a Long Day at Work

Friday health thoughts: having a work/life "separator" to help unplug at the end of the day When I worked in an office, I had a love/hate relationship with the daily commute Fighting traffic Burning through gas Racking miles up on the car But at the end of every workday, it also provided me with a 20-minute "separator" from work 20 minutes to unwind 20 minutes before joining friends/family 20 minutes to think or 20 minutes to turn the audio in the car off and not think at all Since I've been working remotely + get to work from the comfort of where I live, the only "separator" is 10 seconds of shutting the lid to my laptop and walking out of the room... ...only to pull my phone out in another room to read the next Slack notification waiting for me 🤦♂️ I needed my 20-minute break to transition from "work" mode to the person I need to be at home for my family So I started baking this back into my day, and I couldn't be more grateful for it The two main components to making it work: ☝️ No work-related activities during this time ✌️ Must change your physical environment Go for a walk or run Hit the gym for a workout Play with your animals or children Clean one room or fold some laundry Start to prepare your meal for the evening Sit outside + catch up with a friend or family member That buffer period helps me "turn off" work mode so I can be more present with my family + gives me a mental break after the workday 10/10 recommend this for everyone, but finding what specifically works for you #fridayhealththoughts

When I worked at Amazon, this is how I would wind down from a busy day. I’d go home, watch some shows, and turn my mind off. I viewed it as stress relief and decompression. It felt like it was a way of practicing self-care. But, in reality, it was a way of 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 and 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 my emotions. Had a bad day at work? An episode of Game of Thrones could easily take my mind off it. Yet, underneath, my mind was still running in overdrive. I just shifted its focus from solving a hard coding problem at work to figuring out if Jon Snow will end up slaying a dragon. Making ourselves feel “better” in the short term doesn’t mean we’re taking care of ourselves. When we use screens as de-stressors, we’re actually numbing our minds while keeping our nervous system in a state of “fight or flight”. Here’s a simple test: ➡️ Do you wake up in the morning with your mind racing from the day before? If so, your self-care has failed. You’re not dealing with the root cause and just stuffing life’s challenges into your mental piggy bank. And, it’s only a matter of time before it cracks. Instead, here are three ways of practicing self-care that bring relief and reduce stress: 1. Journaling. Write down three things that went well Write three things that didn’t go as well. Feel the emotions and spill them onto the paper. 2. Listening to music. Play songs that make you feel relaxed and empowered. Feel them in your body. Let the stress and emotions flow out with the music. 3. Physical activity. Stress is physically stored in the body. Working our body releases feel-good hormones that melt away stress and bring more calm to our minds. Stress is a part of life but it doesn’t have to take us down. The key is to deal with our emotions and mental fitness in a healthy way. Learn to stop numbing, masking and suppressing. You’ll be mentally rejuvenated and ready to tackle even the toughest challenges. —- ✍️ How do you deal with your daily stress? Comment below. ♻️ Reshare if this was helpful.

Have you blocked off time in your calendar to pour back into yourself next month? It’s not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Prioritizing self-care is key to maintaining your energy, focus, and overall well-being. I’ve learned this the hard way. There was a time when I was the worst version of myself because I wasn’t making time for play, relaxation, or exploration. I was constantly on the go, and it showed. I was irritable, exhausted, and disconnected—from my work, my loved ones, and most importantly, from myself. It wasn’t until I started prioritizing time for the things that bring me joy and peace that I began to feel like myself again. Here are some of the strategies I love: 💡 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲/𝗟𝗼𝘄-𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: - 𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗹𝘂𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀: Spend a day disconnecting from technology to read, journal, and pray. Let your mind and spirit recharge. - 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀: Take a peaceful walk in a nearby park or nature reserve to clear your head. (Shoutout to Hannah, I owe you a hike in October) - 𝗔𝘁-𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘆: Create a DIY spa day at home with a warm bath, face masks, and relaxing music. - 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: Make time to indulge in your favorite hobbies, like playing The Sims 4, to relax and spark creativity. 💡 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: - 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀: Schedule a massage to relieve stress and tension from your body. There are several companies that offer discounted monthly memberships - 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Plan a monthly outing with friends to laugh, connect, and unwind. - 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Book a stay at a nice hotel or a cozy cabin getaway outside of your city. A change of scenery can work wonders for your mind and soul, offering a much-needed break from the routine. Remember, self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential for showing up as your best self, both at work and in life. Let’s make self-care a priority, not an afterthought! #SelfCare #LeadershipWellness #WorkLifeBalance #PrioritizeYou

With so many pressures in today’s work environment–from tight deadlines to constant change–stress has become a normal part of everyday life. While there is good stress–the pressure that causes us to try hard and reach farther - there is also unhealthy and bad stress. Bad stress affects both our mental and emotional health and it becomes hard to focus on self-care. However, there are different ways to combat stress which can enable you to become kinder to yourself. Practice this simple pneumonic: HDWMQ - How Do Workers Maximize Quietude”: The key is to find an activity that you can do that brings stillness, calmness, or quiet into your environment or life. H) Hourly - Use a mindfulness app at the top of every hour during the workday, 1-minute visualization of a happy time in your life, 5-minute hug moment with a loved one or pet, get a laugh from a funny Instagram story,  you tube clip, or tictok. D) Daily - Take a nap, go for a walk, exercise, practice grounding, or  listen to relaxing music (I enjoy music with no words to decompress after a long workday). W) Weekly - Make time for your favorite hobby or passion (painting, crafting, sports, cooking, baking, volunteering, gardening), journaling about the aha moments, wins, and challenges from the week, go on a relaxing date with a friend, family member, or partner. Two of my favorite weekly habits are solo Friday Oysters & Champagne and weekly date nights! Tip: Never miss another date night by scheduling them on your calendar months in advance. My friends and family joke that I’m the only person they know who does this. See a pic of me enjoying a crab cake lunch at the BWI Marriott Hotel. M) Monthly - Pamper yourself to a spa day at home. Take a long shower or bath, exfoliate your skin, apply a face mask, trim your nails, refresh your hair, and massage tense muscles with some tiger balm. Q) Quarterly - Treat yourself and reflect in a new space. Go to a new area, city, state, or country to do something you enjoy with no time limits. Reflect on your last quarter and celebrate your commitment to taking time out of your day to give yourself the gift of self-care. While stress may be inevitable, you do have a choice as to how you manage it.  You do not have a choice as to WHEN bad stress arrives in your life nor can you control it from happening in the future. However, there are several self-care habits you can practice to combat stress. By treating yourself kindly, you can improve and sustain your emotional and mental health, too. Even though stress is an everyday part of life within the workforce, you can model self-care to your teams as you continue to grow as a leader. Just think, you might influence others to emulate your behavior and prevent burnout. “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” ~ William James

When the day gets busy, I ALWAYS make time for quick mental breaks. Here are my top 3: Short Walk – Fresh air, quick movement. I take a loop around the block, walk up to the top of a hill near my home, or just stand outside with the sun on my face for a few minutes. It clears the mind, every time. Breathing Techniques – 5-10 minutes of deep breaths. No nap needed. I just sit or sometimes lay down, and breathe in and out, and hit the mental reset button. I've been loving the Huberman Lab 10-minute non-sleep deep relaxation audio I found on YouTube. Curiosity Reading – I read something that sparks my interest. It could be tech, science, or something totally random. It keeps my mind sharp and gives me a break from whatever I'm working on. These little breaks fuel my productivity and carry me throughout the week. How do you recharge?