After a long day at work, you probably want to relax and let go of the pressures of your day. Rest is more than just not working. The better you are at resting, the more energy and creativity you’ll bring into your work. So how to relax and recharge at the end of the day?

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you sleep, you still feel exhausted . And while work fatigue is a real issue and often a symptom of bigger problems that a guide like this won’t fix, there are ways to be more strategic about how you relax when you have the time.

True rest requires three key elements:

• Relaxing your mind.
• Relaxing your body.
• Relaxing your expectations.

Relaxing can help keep you healthy, in both your body and mind, helping you recover from the everyday stresses that life throws at you. Luckily, no matter how busy you are, it’s simple to learn how to create time for chilling and also how to best relax. Here are seven best ways to relax after hard-working that might help you to know how to relax your mind and body before bed with true methods.

1. Try meditation

If you've never tried meditation, then you're missing out. Meditation is an excellent way to relax the mind. The benefits are manifold and can be felt both physically and mentally.

There are numerous ways to use meditation to help reduce stress and anxiety. But while meditation can be many things and comes in many forms, at its core, it is the practice of training your awareness and honing your attention. Breathing exercises are one of the simplest relaxation strategies, and can effectively calm your stressed-out body and mind anywhere at any time.

• Focusing on your breathing, even for five minutes and learning to breathe more deeply can help you feel a lot calmer.
• Sit or lay down in a quiet and safe place such as on your bed or the floor in your home and put one of your hands on your belly.
• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to keep your shoulders down and relaxed. Your stomach should rise as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out.
• Count as you breathe. Start by counting 'one, two, three, four' as you breathe in and 'one, two, three, four' as you breathe out. Try to work out what's comfortable for you.
• If you find your mind wandering, that doesn't mean you're bad at meditating. Feel your belly rise and fall as you breathe in and out. Repeat five times, or as long as you need to feel relaxed.

Try Meditation with our Better Sleep.

2. Being creative

Getting in touch with your artistic side can help you feel more calm and relaxed. Try painting, drawing, singing, making crafts, playing a musical instrument, dancing, baking, cooking or sewing. Try not to worry too much about the finished product – just focus on enjoying yourself. See our page on relaxation exercises for more ideas on how to use creative activities to relax.

3. Leave work at the office

The reason most people find it challenging to ever enter a state of relaxation is that they bring work home with them. This happens both physically and mentally. Physically leaving work at the office is pretty straightforward. Turn off your email alerts, don't bring documents or computers home and cut yourself off from communication until the morning.

No matter how you choose to unwind, it will be difficult to do if you are still thinking about work even when you’re out of the office. The first thing you should do as you step out of the office is to turn your work phone off or turn it off or silent when you go home. Avoid bringing work home with you. You deserve to save some time for yourself and your family after putting in most of your energy for the day into the office.

If you’re tempted to check your work email, save it for when you’re in the office. Most things are not urgent and don’t require your immediate attention.

4. Spend time in nature

Connecting to nature and spending just a few minutes in nature when you feel stressed may help you relax. When you’re feeling stressed, take a step outside and go for a short walk, or simply sit in nature. Spending time outside and in green spaces can be great for your physical and mental health.

Take a walk in the countryside or through a local park, taking time to notice trees, flowers, plants and animals you see on the way. Spend some time taking part in conservation, whether that's digging in your own garden or taking part in a local green project.

However, you don’t necessarily need to be in nature to feel its stress-reducing effects. Scientists have found that simply looking at images of nature for five minutes or listening to nature such as rain, birds, forest, streams, waterfalls,... on a computer screen can help calm you down. So, thanks to technology, even people living and working in big cities far from nature can still experience its calming effects.

5. Going on a picnic

Going on a picnic with the family is a different joy that will help you relax with your family. In fine weather, try seeking out nature – you don’t even have to go farther than your garden. Breathing in some fresh air and looking around the greenery can let your mind wander away from the office.

Spending time outdoors, basking in nature, breathing fresh air and enjoying a great view. The pure air invigorates you and leaves you feeling rejuvenated. For those with respiratory disorders, breathing clean air helps clear the lungs.

Switching up your routine can help you step out of work mode and into relaxation. So, instead of eating lunch at the table why not pack it up and head down to the local park or your backyard? If it’s cold out, set up a picnic in your living room.

6. Exercise

Exercise is defined as any movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories. There are many types of physical activity, including swimming, running, jogging, walking, and dancing, to name a few.

Whether you’re a runner, a pilates-er or a crossfit-a-holic, spending as little as 20 minutes in workout mode will allow your body to release endorphins that will leave you feeling euphoric and it gives your body the opportunity to practice responding to stress. That’s why the less active we are, the more challenged we are when dealing with physical and emotional stress.

Read more: 6 Best Workout and Fitness Apps in 2023 There are many benefits of doing exercises frequently:

• Make you feel happier.
• Support weight loss and good skin health.
• Good for your muscles and bones.
• Increase your energy levels.
• Reduce your risk of chronic disease.
• Improve brain function and protect memory and thinking skills.
• Help you relax and sleep better.

7. Relax with music or read a book

Listening to music can be entertaining, and some research suggests that it might even make you healthier. Music can be a source of pleasure and contentment, but there are many other psychological benefits as well. Music can relax the mind, energize the body, and even help people better manage pain.

The music you listen to influences your mood substantially. To promote calm, avoid fast and loud genres of music as it may only aggravate you and give you a headache. Slower music that you can close your eyes and breathe along with, will help to reduce your heart rate. If you need to let your stress out, try singing karaoke.

Besides, reading is a workout for your brain. When you’re reading, you’re training your mind to focus on new information and take it in. A good book can transport you to the magic of other worlds away from immediate worries, reducing stress. There are many benefits of reading including:

• Promotes mental health.
• Reduces stress.
• Improves general knowledge.
• More empathetic.
• Expands vocabulary.
• Improves writing skills.
• Improves memory, focus and concentration.

So, try reading about a powerful character, or a positive situation. If you are not an avid reader, you can opt for an episode or two of a TV series you like.