I’ve had an insane two weeks at work. I’ve been leaving before 7 a.m., returning around 8 p.m. and eating horribly in between. Today was my last planned crazy day at the office and I’m in need of some serious relaxation time. My brain is exhausted, my body is craving fresh fruit and my soul just needs a bit of a recharge.
This weekend (and next week while I have a few days off), I have some plans to decompress and re-center myself so I feel a bit more like me again instead of an employee on autopilot. In case you have weeks like this too, I thought I would share the tactics on how to relax after a crazy week at work or at home.
Disconnect
Close the computer. Don’t check your email. Leave your phone charging on the nightstand as you go about your day untethered. Let work go for the weekend. It will all be there when you get back. It can wait a little longer so you can focus on you and the most important things in your life.
Quality Time With The Kids
Speaking of the most important “things”, make sure you break away and get in some quality time with the kids. I honestly can’t wait to do this. I have missed them so much. I feel like I was actually traveling for work versus commuting between the meeting venue and home every day. This weekend I am planning a day at my aunt’s cabin on a small lake to just spend some time outside with each other. I’m taking the kids by myself and leaving my husband at home. He has been the primary caregiver this week so he could use the break and alone time. I’m imagining watching them play by the water and relaxing. In reality, they are 1 and 4 so at the very least, I’ll be chasing the 1-year-old. I don’t even care though. Running after him is a much better way to spend the day than sitting in a stuffy conference room or walking a convention hall where the sun never shines.
Quality Time With Your Significant Other
Or, you could send the kids off to grandma’s and spend sometime with your significant other. It’s amazing how busy life can get and you can feel like you’re going through the motions with your relationship instead of participating in one. Go to a restaurant, put your phones away and talk. Hold hands, reconnect and do whatever you need to do to feel like your relationship with your partner is the most important one. Challenge yourselves to talk about something other than work and the kids. Click here for some fun date ideas.
Quiet Time
In direct contrast to that quality time in No. 2, I find that I also need quiet time. During this time, you don’t necessarily need to do anything. In fact, if you can get to a spot where there is no T.V., no radio, no children screaming or dogs barking; just be. Soak in the silence. Something magical happens when you are able to achieve real silence.
Close Your Eyes and Breathe
While you’re doing No. 3, try to just close your eyes and breathe. I find that this helps my body to further relax and it is actually a good way to fall asleep.
Exercise
My body feels like blah. Serious confession. I’m disappointed in myself this month. I love to exercise. Like LOVE it. I love what it does for my body and my mind. It instantly makes me feel better. I don’t get to do it as much as I would like to and I certainly haven’t done it much this month at all. I plan on exercising all weekend and August is going to be my revival month.
Cook
I really enjoy cooking. If you don’t then feel free to scratch this one off the list, but I honestly get lost in being able to create something yummy. My plans for this weekend involve keeping it fresh and keeping the portions appropriate so I don’t completely negate No. 5 up there.
Organize
After being out of the loop at home, the house is sort of a disaster. My husband does a great job keeping up with doing things like the dishes, but when there are toys all over the place it makes me a little twitchy. The same thing with clothing in the closet. I have a giant need to feel like the space I’m in is my happy place and, in my head, that place never looks like the disaster that is waiting for me in my family room. Once it is re-organized, I feel accomplished and I feel like I can fully relax.
Read
It’s been ages since I’ve gotten lost in a good book, but this is a big one for me. There is no easier way to be transported from your world and into someone else’s when you curl up with a good book. Check out this post if you need some suggestions.
Color
You’ve probably seen the adult coloring books that have exploded onto store shelves in the last year or so. You may think it’s something that only kids do, but it is actually been proven that coloring can help reduce stress. You don’t need to have an adult coloring book to do this either. Color with your kids and sneak in some of the quality time while you de-stress and bond.
Pamper Yourself
At one point in my life, before kids and before marriage, I had a great job and was able to get a massage and a manicure once a week. Those days are long gone. My last massage was over a year ago and my last manicure was two months ago. If I can squeeze this in, I love to pamper myself. It can be part of my quiet time, the closing-my-eyes-and-breathing time and it makes me feel like I’m really doing something just for me again, which I believe is needed and important for mental and emotional health. Even if you all you can do is break away to take a bath or an extra long shower, light some candles and soak up the relaxation benefits. A little me-time where you do something rejuvenate yourself makes all the difference at the end of a long week.
Veg Out With A Show
I have to admit, I don’t watch a lot of television anymore. There are a few shows I will record and catch up on when I feel like I need a dose of downtime though. Or, I seem to always be able to find something on HGTV, Discovery or the History Channel that can peak my interest. Like reading, this is a great way to get caught up in a story that is outside of your life. Fictional characters, fictional problems always give me a little bit of freedom from my own.
How do you like to decompress after a crazy week? What would you add to the list?
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Love these ideas. On Saturdays I usually disconnect as we have family time. I like the coloring idea though. Grand crayons.
These are great! Typically these are the things I like to do when feeling stressed, so I’m right on track! 🙂
These are great ideas. I have had a horribly stressful week and I am going to do a couple of these.
Yes! Thank you for sharing.
Cooking is my way to decompress as it just totally relaxes me. However, after being on my feet cooking and baking, I love to pamper myself and take the time to get some piece and quiet. Loved learning new ways to decompress!
I love these tips and as a first time mom about to return to work next week after a year of maternity leave, I will definitely need these tips.
for me after quiet time and exercise, the world doesn’t seem so bad. These are some great tips and I’ll keep them in mind over the next two weeks… I’m expecting them to be bad.
These are very good points…but personally cooking would not be a choice of mine!!! OH, I can’t cook. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful list! I need to do more of these things also:)
I totally agree with all of these. Exercise especially helps me when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Hang in there!
I love this list! There are so many of these I need to do more of. Disconnect is probably #1. Tonight I played Candy Land with my girls for the first time. I hope this is the first of many game nights with them. Great list! I pinned it.
A much needed post. I’ve been looking for something as useful as this everywhere. Will definitely use while in College this semester.
great tips you have there. it is really a must to distress after a tiring and hectic week or two to give us the needed energy and enthusiasm for the coming week.
stay positive and happy monday morning from this other side of the world
These are some great ideas to decompress! My favorites are reading by myself or to my kids.
This was perfect time, I needed to decompress after an emotionally rough week. My favorite way is to go for a run followed by a hot shower!
Exercise and quiet time are the best ways for me to decompress on a daily basis. I try to take time each day so that an entire week or month doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Reading is one of the things I do to decompress…with a cup of hot cocoa in my hand. I also like doing little art projects, like making Zentangles…very relaxing.
I’ve been having a similar crazy week, a way I like to relax and decompress is to relax in a bubble bath and read.
These are great ideas. Taking time out for self care, especially after rough weeks, is so important!
Yes, I feel like disconnecting and spending time with my husband go hand in hand right now! But its so hard when you work on your computer and for yourself. I’m definitely going to try and be more mindful of this. Thank you x
We have a lot of hectic weeks with two kids and their crazy schedules. I love some quiet time with a good book on the weekends. I also love to binge watch some of my favorite shows that I missed during the week .
These are all such great ideas! Disconnecting, and spending quality time with my family are my faves! But, getting in some alone time is a soul saver! I hope you have fun at the lake!
This is a great list of ideas for when I need my next recharge. It’s so easy to just keep go go going onto the next thing and then end up fried. Enjoy your time with the kids!
I haven’t had actual time to sit and breathe for a long time. It is so hard with so many distractions (like people) around me, but I try to get it in. i really need it to control myself.
It was spring break around here, so it was a different type of crazy. I definitely need to disconnect and spend some quiet time. It’s also my husband’s birthday, so I’m hoping we get some time to just connect with each other too. I’m taking some deep breaths right now! So many great suggestions!
I like to decompress by playing with my toddler. Her imagination is so entertaining, she always cracks me up and just mellows my mood.
Great tips to teach people how to relax. For me to spend some quiet time with myself at the gym would be one of the best way to re-charge and relax.
If I have a crazy week of work I normally take a step back from the internet and read a book that I’ve been wanting to read. Also I sleep to catch up on what I lost.
Wonderful ideas. Life can be so hectic that the youngest miss out on our time and they are the ones that can’t really communicate their desires. They are also the easiest to please. Taking a nap with my daughter and spending the first 20 minutes on her undivided would make her so happy. I’m just thinking children right now as my daughter works full time and is in nursing school. I take them one at a time for special attention.
Why is it that I feel like all of my weeks are crazy?! I like the idea of quiet time though – to just enjoy the silence and the stillness.
It’s so important to take some relaxation time during the week, to prevent over-stressing about things. These are great tips to do that!
Gosh, I really need to get back into my exercise routine. This is a great list! Perfect ways to unwind. x
I really liked all the ideas you had to relax after a hard week. I particularly like the idea of exercise and pampering! I think a great workout and a face mask is my go-to relax.
Great ideas to disconnect. Most of these are my go to things when I’m stressed to unwind.
Love these tips! Decompression after a crazy week is one of the best things that you can do for yourself.
Love the pointers Rachel. Digital detox is so important in this era where a major part of out day is eaten up by the mean machines. So is de-cluttering of mind. Now all i need is a long weekend to make that happen.
After a whole week super busy and stressful work. Disconnect is my favorite thing. Every weekend, me and my friends go hiking where there is no Internet or mobile connection. It’s very effective mind cleansing and relaxing very therapeutic activity for me.
This week was one of the longest most stressful weeks since…last week lol I think I need to unplug and just enjoy some time with the family.
So many great ideas! I need to digitallay detox more often!
I work on my blog during weekends, since I don’t always manage during the week, but the suggestions are great! Hopefully I’ll find some time to do some of those soon!
These are some great ideas. One of my favorites that you mentioned is pampering myself. I feel rejuvenated when I do that.
These are some of my favorite ways to relax after a crazy day or week! Nothing is better then cuddling with my boys or my husband. I am glad that people still color! I will add that going to Walt Disney World is another thing I love to do after a crazy week??!
Great list. I wanna focus on exercise and cooking the most . These are two things which don’t let me fee l relaxed .