You probably spend your whole day in front of electronic devices, working hard, and having difficult conversations. By the time you get home, you’re beat. You just want to disconnect from technology and turn off your brain. But at home, you have a family who want to spend time with you and hang out. So, what should you do? Well, in this article, we’re going to share how to disconnect after an exhausting day so you can recharge your batteries before tomorrow.
How to Disconnect After an Exhausting Day
1. Meditate
When you get home from work or while in the driveway from your commute, take a quick ten-minute break to do a guided meditation. You can use an app like Declutter The Mind to help you relax your mind and de-stress from a day at work. This is the perfect time to take a breather between your work day and your evening at home. That way, when your spouse greets you at the door or your kids have a million racing things to share with you, you won’t be bringing your work stress into your home life. That way, home can be your place where you have fun and happiness, rather than the place where you process your work day. Doing a meditation for anxiety could be helpful for those days where you had a stressful or exhausting work day.
2. Walk in nature
Having a routine to walk in nature with your family after work or dinner could be a great way to spend quality time with them while boosting your mental health. Talking to your spouse about how their day went is a helpful practice to always be on the same page as them. Chatting with your children about their day at school or daycare can help you to feel connected. While mindful walking you can play games, such as I Spy if you’re walking with your family. You could point out different animals you see on your trails like turtles, birds, geese, or dogs.
3. Put your phone away
Putting your phone on silent and on a charger after work will help ensure you won’t be glued to it. A social media detox doesn’t need to be extreme. But doomscrolling through your feed will only leave you disconnecting from those closest to you. You don’t need to turn your phone off in case of emergencies, but you shouldn’t be glued to it either. You don’t need to respond to work messages after work, they’re not paying you for that. So, spend time chatting around the dinner table, clean up the dishes, and enjoy quality time with the family.
4. Read a book
In the late evening when you’re in bed, reading a book can be a relaxing way to disconnect from work and a tiring day. Read something that teaches you something or leaves you feeling inspired. Positive books can allow you to fall asleep at night with more ease. Having reading as part of your night time routine can ensure you get to bed early to unwind after a long day. If you’re stuck on ideas, you can try these meditation books, which will inspire you.
5. Take a bubble bath
You don’t need to splurge on a spa day for ultimate relaxation. Actually, you can buy the green tea bubble bath that spas use for their green tea pools to relax in the bathtub after work. This green tea bubble bath will be the ultimate way to disconnect after work where you’ll just soak for a bit to disconnect and unplug from the day. While a quick five minute shower is easier, a bubble bath is ultimately more relaxing which will also help you fall asleep easier so you wake up refreshed in the morning instead of dreading the day to come.
6. Play with your children
If you have children, spending quality time with them can be a great way to disconnect after a long, tiring day. Giving the best version of yourself at work isn’t nearly as important as giving the best version of yourself to your kids. Spending time with them by playing with them, talking to them, or going to the park with them are all ways you can bond and connect with them. Creating themed nights with your kids as a bonding experience can also be a fun way to relax. For example, you might do a Friday night dance off, Saturday movie night, or Sunday mindfulness activities for kids with them in your home to enjoy their company and create lasting memories.
7. Listen to relaxing music
You can listen to so many positive songs or calming music after a stressful day. If you want to know how to disconnect, you can sit on the couch just listening to music and relaxing or walk on your treadmill blasting your favorite songs or go for a jog around the neighborhood listening to some tunes. You can also listen to meditation music to find peace of mind. Music can be an emotional experience for people from listening to hard rock when angry to upbeat songs to kick up your energy levels to listening to songs about depression when feeling sad.
8. Do a creative activity
When you need to disconnect or unplug at the end of the day, you can always do something creative. For instance, if you’re passionate about writing, you could journal, write stories, or pen a letter to a friend. But there’s a whole range of creative activities you can do from karaoke singing to improv acting to painting. Doing something that you enjoy doing as a creative outlet can be transformative to helping you disconnect at the end of the day. If you do it for relaxation instead of an end goal, such as making money it could be a very fun way to spend your evening. So avoid turning your creative hobby into more work if possible, especially if you struggle with burnout.
9. Play a board game
Taking the time out to play a board game can be a fun way to disconnect with friends or family. Of course, we all know that some board games can get pretty heated. We’re looking at you, Monopoly. Stick to games that are more casual and less strategic to ensure that you don’t turn your relaxing game night into another stressful moment. If you want to know how to disconnect and unplug, playing a fun, get-to-know-you game, or a silly game can be helpful at getting you to unwind.
10. Have a family dinner
Those who are figuring out how to disconnect at the end of the day can simply join their families for dinner without their phones at the table. How often do we keep our phones on the table while we eat with friends or family in case something pops up on our phone? Never giving anyone full attention can lead to burnout. And if you need help disconnecting it’s possible you’re already experiencing it. So, tell stories about your day when talking to the family? Ask everyone what they’re feeling grateful for lately? Pay attention to how everyone’s mental health is. Provide all the love and support you can as you all spend time together. You can also dine out at a restaurant nearby to change your scenery and have something to look forward to on an evening after work.
11. Do a fitness activity
Whenever you feel like your brain has momentarily turned off and you need to disconnect or unplug, try going for a quick thirty minute walk. You’ll feel recharged after only thirty minutes– especially if you were blaring your favorite songs on your speakers or through your Airpods. You can attend a dance class at your local gym, work out in your makeshift gym in your garage, or learn a martial art. Finding a hobby that’s fitness related can be a great way to unplug. Exercise is transformative on your brain health so when you feel pressure at work it’s a good separation between your work and home life. Exercising immediately after work allows you to come home feeling recharged and upbeat, those endorphins will ensure you don’t go home grumpy.
12. Talk on the porch
If you have a porch or a patio at your home, talking to your spouse, kids, or a neighbor on it can be a great way to get some fresh air and enjoy quality time with those you care about the most. Being outdoors can have a positive impact on how you feel, whether it’s the sun shining down on your skin to give you that boost in Vitamin D or just breathing in clean, fresh air. Plus, when you add good company to the mix you end up having a relaxing time. If you’re more introverted, you can read the newspaper on the porch or read a book. But if you like good company, invite a family member to hang out with you outside for a bit. If you want to take things up a notch, turn on the BBQ and make a delicious outdoor dinner that night.
13. Play with your pet
There are so many ways having a pet can help you master how to disconnect and unplug. Having a pet forces you to go outside for walks every day so they can use the washroom. It can also enable you to meet new people through pet meetups. Plus, playing or cuddling your pet can help reduce your cortisol levels, blood pressure, and more. And if you’re the type of person to get lonely now and then, you’ll have a friend by your side who never wants to be apart. It can feel pretty good to come home to a pet waiting by the door for you. So, when you come home to a happy pet it helps give you that divide from your work life, so you actually get to disconnect when you come home.
14. Stargaze with loved ones
Nothing beats the dreaming about what the possibilities of the future are. When you stare at the stars, you know that the world outside of this planet is so much bigger than you can imagine. Getting lost in the idea that you can build a legacy for yourself on this planet in a myriad of ways from having a family to going off on your own in your career, you can recharge your batteries to dream up a better life. Maybe the reason why you need to disconnect from work is because you’re not happy there. But when you stargaze, you remember that there’s infinite possibilities out there for you to explore.
15. Visit a local attraction
After a long day at work, you might need to find a fun way to disconnect. You can visit a local attraction, fair, shopping center, or restaurant. Something to get you out of the house, change your scenery, and indulge in something fun and relaxing. Whether you visit a local aquarium, go on a shopping spree for nice clothing, or chill by the water at your favorite restaurant, you can find these are all good ways to disconnect and recharge. Your local attractions in your city or nearby one will all help you have fun after work so you can live a more balanced life.
Conclusion
Unplugging after a long and exhausting day is crucial to your long-term happiness and success. Life isn’t all about work, it’s also about play. Incorporating playtime into your daily routine will be key as you learn how to disconnect from work, electronics, and your daily stress. If you want to disconnect with a little help from a meditation app, you can download the Declutter The Mind web app to listen to meditations online, take meditation courses, and de-stress when life gets hard.
