Monday, February 11, 2013

Switching Off!

I am not sure whether it’s because of the winter weather or just life ‘these days’ but I’m increasingly being asked for more ‘quick fix’ ideas to de-stress from work to home. I know I've shared some before, but obviously not enough (:-)

I have found that establishing a ritual, a regular action you take on the way home from work every day to 'switch off' is key.
If you drive, play a specific piece of music and stop at a special place, taking five minutes to just breathe slowly, close your eyes and let the tension go. If you commute by bus or train, make it enjoyable – listen to a book or your favourite music or read a chapter of a novel that is pure pleasure. This may seem obvious to some, but I'm surprised to find how many people read newspapers with gloom and doom stories, (exacerbating any stress) as they travel home.......... not really a good idea to my mind.

When you pull up in front of your door, try to stop for a moment, take three slow breaths and appreciate something, (anything!) allowing yourself to smile before you open the door.
Inside your front door, place a box or basket or shelf where you can park your work (bag, briefcase or even laptop if you dare!) and don’t pick it up again until the next morning!

If you have children, gather around the kitchen table with a nice drink and chat about your day - with all technology switched off. Or find something else special, preferably ‘un-plugged’, that you can do together daily, making it the official start to your evening.

Hope that's helpful! I'd love to get more ideas - so please share if you have any!!!!