Do you still carry much of your work stress with you into your off-work hours after your workday?

Whether you work at home or go to an office, it’s essential to separate your work and personal lives. Without a clear gap, it is much harder to de-stress, and leaving that stress behind is crucially important to your quality of life.

Carrying work stress with you can also result in chronic stress, contributing to many serious health issues.

Consider these tips if you think about work events outside of work hours or have difficulty letting go of stress.

Pause Notifications

Turn your tech notifications off for a couple of hours. Have dinner and enjoy the company of your family and friends.

• You’ll feel less stressed, and your relationships and social life benefit.
• Eating your dinner in peace also helps digestion.

Exercise

Hands down, the best way to limit stress in your life. Keep active.

• Exercise helps lower cortisol, the stress hormone.
• Also, you can focus on the activity and not the problems at work.

Try an Adoptogenic Herb

Herbs like Ashwagandha work to counteract the effects of stress in your body.

• Stress makes physical changes that harm the neurological, immune and endocrine systems.
• An apoptogenic herb stimulates your body to help naturally counteract the harmful effects of stress.

Plants

Have you ever talked to a gardener about what they are growing? The passion they share about their azaleas or tomatoes is (almost) contagious. That passion comes from tending the plants. It didn’t come first. So, plant something – a small garden, a container garden, or houseplants. Plants offer the ultimate hope for the next bloom or fruit.

• Plant beansprouts in a mason jar for fresh sprouts in just a week!
• Radishes thrive on a windowsill and mature in about 3 weeks! Try the peppery radish greens in your salad, too.
• Check out the potted flowers at your local nursery or the grocery store.

If you can’t even imagine taking care of a plant, buy yourself some cut flowers and enjoy them while they last! The fragrance of flowers relaxes stressed nerves, lowers your heart rate, and boosts your mood. Flowers help keep the body and mind in balance.

Vent

If you tend to keep things bottled up inside, consider making a healthy change in your life.

• Discuss the stressful issues with a close friend, family member, support group, or counsellor, as necessary.
• They can help you work through and maybe even resolve the issue.

Avoid Stimulants

Coffee, tea, and energy drinks all contain stimulants like caffeine and taurine. That’s what makes you feel wired, and then in some cases, more prone to feeling stressed out.

• Avoiding or limiting stimulant-rich foods and drinks can help your body to feel more balanced and lower your cortisol levels.
• Choose an alternative to coffee or tea. Golden milk and kombucha are rich in antioxidants for great calming, anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Or try a mushroom latte made with Chaga, an “adaptogen” that calms your nervous system and acts as a natural stress remedy.

Do What You Love

Dance, sing, make something, or play with your kids! Doing something you enjoy shifts your mind off work to melt away your stress. Taking time to enjoy your life is never selfish! This concept is a vitally important part of healthy self-care.

• Best of all, find an activity where you move around, like dancing. Then you’ll get a double dose of relaxation from the exercise and the enjoyment.
• If you don’t (yet) have an activity you love to do, try some new things. Also, look back on some guilty pleasures and see if shedding the guilt might create a joyful pursuit.

Plan Tomorrow

Take a few minutes at the end of each workday, then plan what you will do tomorrow.

• Consider the problems you face and block time off to manage the issues.
• Make notes, so you don’t need to carry the information (and the stress) in your head when you leave.
• Don’t leave work wondering what’s up, so you end up letting it churn about in your head after you go.

Break free from the burden of carrying work stress home with you. Live your best life with friends and family. Try these tips so you can enjoy the freedom from stress you deserve.

About the Author: Health First Network

Health First Network is Canada’s leading membership group for independent health & wellness retailers and the exclusive supplier of the premium Health First supplement brand. There are over 130 independently owned and operated retail Members across the country.