I would take my metaphorical hat off to someone who never gets stressed. The source of the stress doesn’t matter and is not actually important, because what triggers one person to be stressed is not the same trigger to another. Rather, it is about our reactions to stress that is important and in this particular post, how to calm down after a stressful day so you can enjoy your evening after work.

I can’t imagine the stress levels of a businessman working a 12 hour day in the stock markets or big city banks, or a doctor or a nurse saving lives, or a teacher managing 30+ children. For me, a stressful day might entail client work and it is all relative.

What is important is how to de stress after a full day so that you can enjoy that valuable time spent at home.

Deep breathing. On your walk to the car, the station or even on your walk home, take deep breaths. All the way in and all the way out, a few times. Just to fill your lungs up before you get home. Thinking about the connection between your mind and body, all that energy used up in the day is replenished by taking in some fresh oxygen outside the workplace before you get home, so you don’t take your empty and tired lungs home with you. Take a walk. Stretch your legs that have been crossed under the desk all day, tired and tight, and let it all go. Jog if you have any energy, but releasing some of that tension outdoors sets you up for a calm and relaxing evening. Kick off your shoes. Your poor feet, crammed into shoes all day, your poor body in tight suits and trousers, kick it off! Put your loungewear on and relax into the evening. Read. Reading is a great distraction from the day you have had, it can transport us into another world and take us away from the stresses and strains of daily life. Cook dinner. Again with the distraction, cooking is a way to channel our energy into something enjoyable. Not only that but it means that there is a lovely meal to enjoy and the end of a long and hard day, and what better way to satisfy our minds than through our stomachs! Be grateful and loving. Be grateful for the home you are going home to, the people in your life and the food on your table. Love those around you and the time you have with them. Be grateful for the money you are earning and your ability to be strong, intelligent and capable enough to go to work. Disconnect. Switch off. Your iphones, ipads, computers, TVs. Of course we want to reconnect with the world after work, but it is also important to switch off our technology and calm our minds down.