How to find your off-switch: you don’t always have to be ‘on’

We all know the feeling: getting home after an exhausting day at the office, with a to-do list longer than when you started. You’re not quite satisfied and feel like your work is far from done. This probably has something to do with work always catching up on us, even outside office hours. Via notifications of Slack, Gmail, Trello or WhatsApp. And often, our mind just has a hard time getting into off-switch mode. We can’t seem to get a break. Or better said: our fried brain can’t hit pause. High time to ‘unfry’ that brain of yours.

Welcome to the art of unwinding 101. Let’s go. 

Stop watching funny cat videos

Step 1: put down your cell phone and slowly back away. Step 2: turn around and never look back. No, we’re just kidding. But leave it at least for an hour or two. Or who knows, maybe set your very own digital curfew? Nowadays, we bury our faces in screens. The moment we lay down on the couch we’re very tempted to look one of those screens to entertain us. Perfect, that qualifies as relaxing too, right? Nope. Because scrolling through never-ending streams of social media posts or binge-watching Netflix series also takes its toll. Same as watching unnecessary funny cat videos over and over again isn’t giving our brain the rest it needs. Tip: try to limit your screen time after work and see what happens. This means phones too. We know it’s tough, but – you’ve got this.  

Disengage and ditch the guilt

We live in an ultra-connected world which makes it hard to, literally, slide into off-switch mode. It makes us feel guilty when expectations at work are high. Meanwhile phones become these little dictators of our lives, where we completely depend on them. We’re so used to this ‘always on’ culture we don’t even know how to switch off our brains when we get home. This eventually results in excessive stress and anxiety. And in order to perform, your boss needs you healthy. So, office hours mean working hours. But at home, once you step through your front door, hit the off-switch button. Tune out. Time for destressing, and quality time with family and friends. Catching up on your reading list and other relaxing activities. Disconnect, unplug and most of all: ditch the guilt and embrace the JOMO: Joy Of Missing Out. It’s the new FOMO. It’s what all the cool kids are doing these days.

Get into the wild

The dark days of winter are upon us and may trick you into staying holed up at home. Couch potato mode? On. With ordering in being the usual. After all, we can manage the world from our phones, right? But let’s not forget how our ancestors relied on nature; the position of the sun and hunting strategies to feed themselves. Being part of nature is in our nature – but we tend to forget. Sometimes we just need a little reminder. After all, our brain is still wired the same way, but then technology happened. We actually need to spend time in the outdoors to stay sane. Being in the greens is crucial for your mental state. So, every once in a while, head for the hills, stroll through the woods and take some time to refuel. The best way to clear your head and tune out is being surrounded by nature. It has been for ages. So, get yourself out there.

Here’s wine not

Of course, sometimes you just want to come home, kick of your shoes and pour yourself a good glass of wine. And we don’t want to be a party pooper, but keep in mind that alcohol also increases your level of anxiety. And if you’re stress level is already pretty up there, alcohol might make it worse. Not just for one day, either – it can actually keep your stress level up for a couple of days. So, it’s kind of a temporary band-aid. But of course, and this goes without saying, after surviving a stressful day at work everyone deserves a nice glass of red. Or white. Because wine not? After 8+ hours of work, you’ve earned it. Cheers. 

Stay weird

Sometimes, when you’re having a really hard time to disconnect from work, we know just the remedy: go do something very unusual, weird or random. Per example, looking back on your childhood, what did you used to love doing as a kid? Going wild with paintbrushes? Going treasure hunting in the garden? Running through the woods with a feather headdress? Whatever it was, time to relive it.  Uncommon activities  tend to relieve stress. So, what’s stopping you? It’s the perfect excuse to make a boat tour and claim you’re Jack Sparrow, pretend you’re Picasso or regain your inner Indiana Jones. Let’s go.