7 Ways to Detach from Work and Come Back Stronger

For many of us, work brings us purpose, meaning, joy and of course, money to do the things we want to do in life. Work makes up a large part of our lives and our identities, but it can be stressful and take its toll on you both mentally and physically.

Everybody has their capacity for stress and work, and we all need to listen to our bodies when it's saying we either need to slow down or take a break altogether. While some employees find it easy to move on from work, others struggle to detach themselves from the environment and can cause themselves to burn out due to his overwhelming sense of responsibility.

Traditionally, workers, are encouraged to take breaks like annual leave or a holiday to avoid burnout and stress, but you should also work on daily detachment from work. So how do you break free from the shackles of the workplace?

Here are a few tips to help you break the ties and not feel guilty.

1. Have a regular sleeping pattern

This one is a no brainer to detach from work; you need to learn to do the opposite of work, and that's rest. There is no better rest than getting a good nights sleep. Something you may also be depriving yourself of because of work and stress.

Sleep helps the body reboot and gives the mind time to settle down. A mind and body need its 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. If you go below that, your work performance will be adversely affected.

Also, remember that the time of sleep is only one aspect of a good nights rest while the quality of your rest is something entirely different. If you want to ensure you have the optimal sleeping conditions in your bedroom, make sure you purchase yourself a high-quality mattress.

2. Take on a hobby

Taking time to do something you enjoy or you're passionate about can easily break ties with your work. Your mind will focus on tasks you enjoy while you're hyper-focused on learning or improving skills needed in your hobby. A hobby also brings with it a sense of fulfilment as you're not motivated by money, but by the fact that these tasks are something aligned with your values.

3. Excercise

Maintaining an adequate level of fitness will go a long way toward easing work-related anxiety and tension. When you exercise, you raise your heart rate and get the endorphins and dopamine, including chemical pumping throughout your body. It helps alleviate tension and stress as well as take your mind off everything as you focus on the task at hand.

Improving your physical health will also provide you with better coping mechanisms should you be placed in a stressful environment. In the future, your body is less tense than it previously was due to this way of letting out frustration and anxiety.

4 Use your mind for something else

If you want to detach from work you may want to focus your mind on something else, reading a book, watching a movie, watching sports, playing board games and spending time with family are all healthy distractions that keep your mind off work and help you find new interests.

5. Take control of what you eat

You remember the expression "You are what you eat?" Well, it's accurate in a sense as you are a reflection of what you put in your body. Many employees who are stressed out turn to comfort food or caffeine and sugar to help them get through the day and without it, they can feel sluggish.

Once you're in this cycle, it is hard to break out. Your body becomes reliant on these overly caffeinated and sugar-filled foods. This diet can have a significant effect on your mental and physical performance and make you susceptible to stress-inducing hormones.

Eating clean will keep you balanced and help maintain your energy levels and keep your body working at its optimum conditions.

6. Learn to relax

Believe it or not, but not everyone knows how to switch off and will find themselves slipping back into their old habits the moment they get a second chance. Learning to relax is a process the modern human has forgotten as we live in such a frantic, fast-paced world filled with things to grab your attention and as we crave stimuli.

Taking time off to sit in a peaceful quiet spot for a few minutes, learning to meditate or try yoga can make all the difference in getting you on the path to relaxation.

7. Build support networks

We, humans, are social creatures and require help from others at times. You should not shy away from using social support to reduce stressful situations in the workplace and having someone to air your grievances with instead of bottling it up can make a massive difference to your outlook on life. Leaning on your support networks of friends and family can help you work through your stress, find new solutions to your problems and provide a release you may be craving.

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Tags: Health, Mental Health , Work , Guest Post