Nothing beats the chaos of the holidays, as we all get ready, decorate, plan, and of course, work. While the era of remote work means you can get those last few hours of work done from the comfort of your own home, all that hustle and bustle that comes before you close your laptop can make it hard to switch off and relax. Wondering how to transition from work to relaxation?
ContentHow to switch from work to rest: take a deep breathDecorate your workplaceHow to switch from work to rest: explore your emotionsTake time for self-careHow to switch from work to rest: do this exercise
WomanEL wants to help you with this and shares tips from well-being experts that will immerse you in the right mood.
How to switch from work to rest: breathe in and out
One of the best ways to reset your nervous system is to harness the power of your breath. Breathing and the nervous system are closely linked – rapid breathing can stimulate the nervous system, putting us in fight-or-flight mode, while a calm nervous system can cause our breathing to slow down. While stress at work can cause our nervous system to go into an unwanted fight-or-flight state, slowing our breathing can have the opposite effect.
A simple technique you can try is physiological breathing. “This powerful technique stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps us relax,” explains Dr. Safia Debar. “Take a deep breath and as you exhale, exhale loudly, releasing tension and imagining the depression leaving your body. Do this as many times as you can.
Decorate your workspace
While the first thing you want to do after you close your laptop may not be related to administrative work, you You'll thank yourself later – just five minutes can make a real difference.
“An effective way to help yourself disconnect is to create a physical boundary,” explains Vitality Wellbeing Coach Silvia Cordoba. “Start by decluttering your workspace, organizing and putting things away, then deleting all work notifications from personal devices, logging out of email (and setting an auto-reply), and turning off work phones.”
She continues, “It’s a good practice to make it a habit to disconnect like this on weekends throughout the week, not just on major holidays.”
How to switch from work to rest: explore your emotions
If you find it difficult to disconnect from work even after you have finished it, it is worth sitting with your feelings and trying to understand what is happening.
Dr. Gisela Caseiras advises to treat your emotions with curiosity. “Consider whether these thoughts and feelings are related to anxiety or guilt, shame, or anger,” she advises.
Although you don't have to “deal with” these thoughts right away (eventually (after all, it's Christmas), self-awareness and perhaps journaling about how you feel will help you work through any problems you face when get back to work.
“Once you identify what’s bothering you, you can see that your feelings are valid and understandable,” adds Dr. Caceres. “Now you can look at your thoughts and feelings from a different perspective. Think about how your experiences can be helpful to you. What do your feelings tell you about yourself?
Take time for self-care
Christmas is a stressful time. Chances are, after a hard day at work, you'll be overwhelmed with the hassle of cooking, cleaning, and more. But take an hour to relax between leaving the house and getting into Christmas mode. This will help you feel more in control, says Dr. Debar.
“Taking time for a small act of self-care, like stretching, taking a walk, or taking a warm bath, is a signal to your brain that it’s time to slow down, relax, and get into the holiday spirit,” she explains. “A calming routine, even if it’s just 10 to 15 minutes, can help relieve stress and calm your nervous system.”
Movement can be especially effective. It helps shift your focus from the past (work stress and deadlines) to the present (Christmas time off).
How to switch from work to rest: do this exercise
And last, but by no means least. If you're not feeling quite festive, take some time to lift your spirits with this simple exercise recommended by psychologist Madeleine Jago.
“This guided visualization exercise helps you mentally recall past positive emotions to boost your confidence, motivation, and overall mood,” she says. “By experiencing positive emotions, you can remind yourself of your strengths, capabilities, positive self-esteem, and build resilience to future challenges.”
How to boost your mood with guided visualization:
- Find a quiet place where you can sit or lie down comfortably.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to focus.
- Think back to a time when you achieved something significant, were proud of yourself, felt excited, connected, loved, happy, or any other positive emotion that is important to you.
- Use your imagination and all of your senses to recreate the event in detail. Focus on clearly visualizing the setting (colors, sounds, textures, smells, and tastes), recalling the actions you took step by step, imagining the people involved in the event, their facial expressions or supporting gestures, and the emotions you felt.
- As you visualize, allow positive emotions to fill your body. Find these emotions in your physical sensations and pay attention to how they feel in your body.
- Finally, take a few deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.
If, on the other hand, you want to increase your productivity during the holidays, we have prepared effective life hacks for you.