Cat Stretching | Flickr user Les Howard

Image: Flickr

After a long busy day of work and travel, it’s important to decompress and shed all the tension accumulated throughout the day. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the time off after work by making a smooth transition into your evening with PC Housing.

Change Your Clothes
After a long day of professional behavior and being “on”, the first thing to do to mark an official transition in your day is to shed the wardrobe that goes with it and replace it with comfortable clothing. Aside from simply being more relaxing, exchanging the seriousness, weight and structure of work attire for comfortable clothing allows your body and mind to accept that you are officially off the clock.

Stretch
The next thing to do in order to sink into the evening is to click back into your body with a gentle stretch. As we all know, the stress of the day seeps into your body and shows up in tense shoulders and tight backs. However, the effect of that stress is compounded by the fact that people rarely notice that they have stopped breathing effectively, with shallow breaths replacing deep, oxygenated breathing (you’ve already relaxed your shoulders and noticed your breathing, haven’t you?). A good stretch at the end of the day (and really several times a day) promotes breathing by bringing the focus back to the body and the present moment, instead of the million items on the To Do list, and the anxiety-causing presentation from a few hours before.

Wash Your Face
Another way to symbolically shed a layer is in washing off the day’s makeup and oils. Affirming that you are officially off duty, removing your makeup and nourishing your face is equal parts practical self-care and indulgent pampering. Invest in some quality products that won’t over-dry your skin and create an olfactory experience, and turn washing your face into a luxurious and relaxing ritual.

What are some of your favorite ways to unwind after a long day? Let us know in the comments below!