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A lip-trembling sigh echoes through the front door as you dash your keys on the side. Bags and shoes plummet to the floor as you shuffle into the house in your socks. You know this scene well. You’ve just come home from a long day at work.
Today though, the end of the work day looks very different for some with the rise of working from your home office, dining table, fold-out desk, or bed. Working in the same place you are supposed to live, laugh, love is not as idyllic as the little wooden sign makes it seem.
For a moment you’re relieved that the day is done, but how long does that moment last? You go to put the kettle on. Extend the joy of the workday’s end with a comforting cuppa. This is your time.
Now what? That task you didn’t finish haunts you. Why can’t you switch off? How can you leave work stuff at the door and get more joy from your free time? You’re in the right place to find out.
This week is National Work-life week and we’re talking about how to create a balance between your work and personal life.
What can I do after work to de-stress?
Create a routine.
Tick off your to-do list from that day and write one for tomorrow. Put away your work things and unplug. If you’ve been staring at a screen all day, the best thing you can do is take a break from it. Change out of your work clothes into something more your speed for the evening. Could be trackies, could be a neon green morph suit - do you! Now it’s time for that cuppa and a biscuit.
Take time to breathe and move.
Deep belly breathing - one surefire way to reduce stress and anxiety and generally calm the f down. Here’s how: In through your nose for 4s, hold for 4s, out through your mouth for 4s, hold for 4s and repeat. This military technique called Box breathing is used for staying calm under the pressure of imminent combat. So I'm sure with a bit of practice it can work for the stress of your 9-5.
Let’s get physical! Moving is another excellent technique for reducing stress, in particular soft exercises such as walking or yoga. Get outside if you can and take in your surroundings even if it is a gloomy concrete jungle.
Call or hang out with a friend or family member.
Do you ever feel energized after a chinwag with a good friend? There’s something therapeutic about gossiping, bantering, and putting the world to rights. Give your mum or one of your mates a call. Better yet meet up with them, even if it’s a 10-minute chat on the doorstep.
Do something you love.
Whether you’ve got 10 minutes or 3 hours, making time for your passions is so important to enforcing work-life balance. We say enforcing because spending time doing something you love whilst having a busy work life takes a lot of effort Both to get started and having the discipline to keep it up.
Whether it's playing video games, baking, or building an app spending time doing something that you find fun or interesting is worth its weight in gold when it comes to work-life balance.
Many members of our Fresh Beer community would consider making Fresh Beer their hobby. The fulfilment that comes from creating the brews themselves. The anticipation of waiting for it to ferment and then moving it to the fridge to condition. All in wait for that joyous day when they get to tap their beer fresh from the source. It’s about finding joy in each of those little moments and then getting to do it all over again.
Tips for people who struggle to switch off:
1. Don't add work notifications to your phone.
2. Turn off push notifications outside working hours.
3. Minimise work chat at home.
4. Play an end-of-the-day song to signify the start of “personal time”.
5. Make plans for your evening in advance.
Finding work-life balance is easier said than done. The importance of creating a healthy balance between our working and personal life cannot be overstated. It can be hard to know where to start. It means something different to everyone. Whether you're a brewer, baker, or candlestick maker, figuring out where you find joy is the best place to start.