How To Unwind After Work

When you get home from a long day of work, the last thing you should be doing is thinking about or doing work. This makes it very hard for you to unwind and relax as you're occupied by other, sometimes stressful, things. Make sure you're not getting your work out once you get home, and if you work from home make sure you're strict with your working hours so that you don't continue to work late into the night. This may sound like a challenge too difficult for some, but it requires training. Once you've figured out how to do this you'll feel more relaxed at home, and will subsequently sleep better and wake up more refreshed the next day ready for work. Studies have shown that you're a lot more productive after a restless nights sleep, so it's worth it!

Often we've got lots of other things to do when we get home, and relaxation often takes a back seat. Instead of sitting down the minute you walk in the door, throw your laundry in the washing machine, wash the dishes and get all your house chores done so that once you start to relax you don't have to cut this short. It's much easier to get things done and then relax as your mind won't be preoccupied with the growing list of thing you need to do!

Exercise reduces stress hormone levels in the body and stimulates endorphins (happy hormones). Endorphins are responsible for feelings of relaxation. Doing exercise regularly also helps you to feel more confident as your fitness improves, it can give you a sense of achievement and happiness. Mental stress can produce physical symptoms such as muscle tightness, headaches or neck and back pain, so by exercising you can literally work out the stress. Try our guide to relaxation for inner balance.

Warm water has a calming effect on the mind, soul and body as it relaxes the muscles. Combine this with a scented candle or some luxurious shower creams such as the NIVEA Creme & Oil Pearls Lotus Shower Cream. Hot water also helps to prepare your body for a restful nights sleep. If you want to go one step further, try our NIVEA Relax And Unwind Essentials Giftset For Her including all the products you need for an evening of self-care and pampering.

There's a number of reasons why reading a book is a good way to relax and unwind. Most importantly, it helps to reduce stress levels. Research has shown that reading a book for as little as 6 minutes can reduce stress levels, so it's the perfect hobby to relax and unwind after a day at work, and helps distract you from feeling stressed.

Socialising with a friend over a nice plate of food helps to reduce anxiety level and make you feel more capable of coping with everyday stress. Socialising like this helps to direct stressful energy outwards as you can discuss it with them, rather than directing and harbouring it on the inside. If you're not able to talk over things you're stressed about with a friend you may find that your anxiety levels continue to increase, and you'll find unwinding and relaxing at the end of the day all the more difficult. So why not pop down to your favourite restaurant! 

Just like catching up with a friend over dinner, having them round for a movie night is another great way of relaxing. If you don't feel like going out, inviting them round is another way of getting the necessary socialisation we need to help reduce anxiety, but in the comfort of your own home.

• This could include breathing focused exercises which involves simply concentrating on your breathing and taking deep long breaths. It helps to distract you from stressful things on your mind, and slowing your heart rate down in this way is also good when you want to relax.

• Another thing you could do is practice meditating - this involves sitting and focusing on your breathing while consciously bringing your mind into the present and forgetting your worries of the day. Research also suggests it may be especially useful for people suffering with anxiety, depression or chronic pain. If you do think you suffer with any of these though, we recommend you seek a professional to talk things through with.

There really is nothing better than a good nights sleep. Getting a good nights sleep helps to restore energy after a long day and prepare you for the following day ahead. If you want to get a good, relaxing nights sleep you should make sure your bedroom is free from distractions, and try not to spend too long awake in bed as this leads to you associating being awake with being in bed which is the opposite to what you want your body to feel! Not only this but you'll wake up looking more refreshed too as you're less likely to have dark circles, which will make you feel more awake and confident thanks to some beauty sleep.

These could be any of these:

• Feeling tense in your muscles
• Headaches
• Trouble sleeping
• Weakened immune system
• Causes skin problem like breakouts to become worse