How do you unwind after a demanding day?
Zoning out is how I unwind from anything. Doing that is so much easier now that Facebook and Instagram have reels and all of TikTok exists. Even when social media was in its infancy, I could scroll through that for a good while. It works though…watching mindless videos for a while helps me disconnect from whatever my day dished out. Now that I have a backyard and a couple of dogs, the best thing I do is sit in the backyard while my dogs unleash their energy after I get home from work. I take my phone or iPad and usually a book. I take the book with the obvious intent to read it while I sit out there, but many times the dogs are ready to go in before I actually remember to stop scrolling videos and pick up my book.
Sitting in my favorite spot on the couch and working on a knitting or crocheting project is also a good way for me to end the day. That has the same effect as the videos. My mind focuses on the repetition of the stitches I’m working and I’m able to zone out and reduce my anxious thoughts if I have any.
And sometimes, whatever it is I do, just the routine element of it helps. Whether I sit outside first or work on cleaning something, if I put on the news while I do it, that feels good. That’s part of my routine. It helps calm my mind if it needs it.
Fortunately, there haven’t been many days lately where I have to “unwind”. I do have demanding days sometimes and I’m anticipating the summer months to be filled with them. However, these few things are always on stand-by in case I really do need to unwind and detach myself from my workday. Though, I am looking forward to the time when demanding days just aren’t a thing for me anymore because I won’t have a full-time job that keeps me occupied like that. Someday…
Leave a Reply