Unwind After a Long Day Without Alcohol - Relax and Recharge

The Physical and Mental Toll of Long Work Days

It's no secret that working long hours day after day can really take a toll, both physically and mentally. Even if you love your job, dealing with a long commute, being on your feet all day, staring at a computer screen, managing stressful projects, and working overtime hours can leave you utterly exhausted by the time you get home. It's completely understandable that after all you've powered through that day, the first thing you want to do is kick back and relax with a glass of wine or a beer.

While alcohol may seem like the perfect way to unwind and detach from the stress of the work day, relying on it too heavily can create bigger issues. Regularly drinking alcohol to cope with stress and fatigue can take you down the path of unhealthy dependency. And let's not forget the dreaded hangovers and general grogginess lingering well into the next work day that alcohol leaves you with.

Luckily, there are lots of other great ways to decompress that don't involve alcohol and that can leave you feeling refreshed and recharged the next day.

Relax Physically First

After a marathon day of physical and mental exertion, it makes sense that your body and mind are in dire need of rest and relaxation. That's why it's best to focus first on resting your physical body.

Take a Long Shower or Bath

One of the easiest ways to begin shaking off the stress of the day is to take a nice long shower or soak in the bath. Spending 10-15 minutes under a stream of hot water works wonders for relaxing tense muscles, soothing frazzled nerves, and clearing your head of work thoughts.

To enhance the stress-relieving benefits, add some Epsom or Himalayan bath salts to your tub routine, along with soothing essential oils like lavender. The magnesium in Epsom salts helps relax muscles, while the sulfates flush toxins and heavy metals from your system. The warm water and calming scents will put you in relaxation mode.

Do Light Yoga and Stretching

Some very gentle and restorative yoga poses are a great way to address the muscular tightness and mental tension that builds up from sitting and focusing for prolonged periods.

Try seated forward folds to let gravity help stretch your back muscles. Fish pose lying on your back opens the chest and shoulders. Supine twist stretches out your back and core gently. Child's pose relieves pressure on your lower back. Finish off with savasana, aka full relaxation pose, lying on the floor completely motionless and focusing on deep breathing.

You'll be amazed at how much lighter and calmer even 10-15 minutes of simple stretching and breathing makes you feel.

Use Essential Oils

After a taxing day, re-energize your senses by filling your home with relaxing scents. Essential oils like lavender, chamomile, and clary sage are incredibly soothing. Add a few drops to a diffuser or mix with a carrier oil to massage into pressure points.

Not only does your body absorb the oils' active compounds, but their aromas also activate your sense of smell, signaling to your brain to enter a more relaxed state.

Enjoy a Massage

Treat yourself to a professional massage or foot reflexology appointment at least once a month. This hands-on muscular therapy quickly improves circulation, reduces inflammation, and gets deep-seated knots to melt away.

If that's not in the budget, ask your partner or friend for a quick neck, shoulder, and foot rub. Even a short amateur massage can relieve some of that pent-up tension in your muscles.

Quiet and Nourish Your Mind

After using the above relaxation techniques to settle your sore, tense body, it's time to give your mind a break. Your thoughts likely have been in overdrive all day long, so find ways to calm the mental noise.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness simply means focusing your attention on the present moment, using techniques like breathwork, body scanning, and visualization. Apps like Calm, Headspace, and InsightTimer offer excellent guided mindfulness sessions.

Start with the basics: Sit or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take 10 deep, slow breaths, focusing on the air moving in and out of your lungs. Release any tension you notice in your face, neck and shoulders. Clear your mind fully as you exhale.

Continue breathing deeply as you do a mental scan of your body from head to toe, noticing areas holding tension or discomfort. Visualize stress and tension dissolving away with each exhale. Smile slightly to relax the face. Stick with this for 5-10 minutes and you'll feel remarkably grounded and centered.

Try Gentle Yoga and Meditation

For those days when your mind is still racing and stressed after work, a gentle, meditative yoga flow can quiet mental chatter while also loosening up your body. Sequences with an emphasis on slower, longer held postures rather than quick movement are ideal.

Pair it with guided meditation, either during practice or afterwards, focusing on mantras or imagery that evokes a sense of inner peace and safety. Even 5 minutes can slow down an anxious mind.

Listen to Calming Music

Music is an instant mood-booster and stress-reliever. Creating a relaxing playlist can give an frazzled mind a sense of ease. The key is sticking with smooth, slower-tempo songs and soothing sounds of nature.

Some genres particularly great for unwinding include: ambient, neoclassical, acoustic, piano, nature soundscapes, and anything labeled relaxation, meditation or sleep music. Press play after work and the calming harmonies will clear away the mental chaos.

Disconnect from Devices

Power down the laptop, mute phone alerts, and step away from the screens. After staring at various devices all day, give your eyes and mind a much-needed break. Use that winding-down time after work for screen-free relaxation to allow your brain to fully rest.

Take time to simply sit and listen to music or an audiobook, sketch or journal, have real conversations, play a puzzle or board game, or get outside for a stroll around the neighborhood.

Read a Print Book

Speaking of screen breaks, another way to lull a stressed, distracted mind into relaxation mode is to read an actual printed book. The focused, linear reading experience engages your mind deeply, providing an escape from your worries.

Studies show reading print books before bed leads to better sleep quality too. Opt for a paperback novel or a book of short stories, poetry, or inspiration quotes to relax into each evening.

Switch Up Your Routine

Shaking up elements of your daily winding-down routine after work can go a long way in helping you detach from the stress of the day.

Take a Walk Outside

If you usually plop right down on the couch after work, change it up and get outside for walk around your neighborhood. Just 15-30 minutes of moving your body in the fresh air and natural light works wonders to boost your mood.

To up the relaxation factor, build in time to stop and smell the rosesliterally. Pause and appreciate little joys like blooming flowers, cute dogs being walked, kids playing outside, the changing leaves or first snowflakes. Tuning into the beauty around you effortlessly lifts the spirit.

Switch Up Your After Work Snack

Many of us get home feeling totally depleted and craving a snack and drink to recover some energy. While pouring a glass of wine or grabbing chips or ice cream may seem appealing, over time blood sugar spikes and crashes from junky snacks just make that after-work exhaustion and anxiety worse.

Instead, try switching up your snack to more nourishing, energy-boosting options. Some ideas are oatmeal with fruit and nuts, hummus and veggie sticks, cottage cheese and berries, or peanut butter on whole grain toast. Sipping herbal tea, kombucha or coconut water are gentler afternoon pick-me-ups than coffee or alcohol.

Cook Yourself a Healthy Meal

Many times were so drained after work, the last thing we want to do is make dinner. Heading out to happy hour or ordering takeout seems like the only option. But refresh your routine by taking a little time to cook yourself a nourishing meal.

Not only will this save money and give you healthier food options, but the act of cooking is shown to lower cortisol and lift mood. Chopping vegetables can be very cathartic! Cook enough for leftovers so you have quick meals ready to reheat later in the week.

Switch Up Your Nightly Entertainment

While Netflix and chill feels like the perfect way to zone out after a grueling day, it becomes routine to the point it ceases offering relaxation. If you notice youre staring at screens on autopilot without any enjoyment, its time to switch up your activities.

Try alternatives like playing a board game with family or roommate, doing a craft like coloring, knitting or journaling, playing an instrument or singing, calling a friend or family member, or doing a puzzle. Engaging with something new activates your brain in a fresh way so you can truly unwind.

Know When to Say No to Overtime

One of the biggest risk factors for work-related burnout is consistently working overtime hours. While an occasional extra-long day may be unavoidable, regularly overworking yourself will lead to exhaustion.

Sometimes anxiety over saying no to a superior or looking lazy makes us put in excessive hours we dont truly need to. But for the sake of your health, learn how and when to set those boundaries. Ask yourself if each hour of overtime is truly essential or if certain tasks can be left until the next normal workday.

When you do need to put in extra hours, do what you can to cut back a little the next day. Protect your off-the-clock time in the evenings so you have a chance to fully recharge. Those who learn to work smarter within their allotted hours experience less risk of burnout.

Know When to Ask for Help

Similarly, be aware of when your workload has become truly unmanageable on your own. Jobs these days often expect individuals to handle the work of multiple people. Its easy to think were supposed to be able to handle it all independently.

But letting your boss know when you truly need more support, even just temporarily, isnt a sign of weakness. No one person can healthily manage an entire departments worth of work without becoming depleted. Asking for help ensures you dont overdo it to the point youre exhausted and drinking to cope.

Consider if any responsibilities could be delegated to a co-worker or assistant, at least occasionally. Or request to hire a temporary freelancer or intern. Taking on less of the burden helps safeguard your off-work time and prevents burnout.

When Work Life Imbalance Goes Too Far

Making small tweaks to your daily unwinding routine and limiting overtime are often all thats needed to ward off job-related exhaustion. But take note if you continue feeling utterly depleted and relying on several drinks most nights to cope with work stress.

If nothing seems to help lower your daily distress level, it may be time to re-evaluate your current job situation. Consider talking with your employer about adjusting your responsibilities or workload. Or explore whether a different position within the company (or at a new company) would provide better work-life balance.

Its important to listen to your mind and body. When your career consistently steals time and energy from self-care with no signs of changing, it may be time to make bolder moves for the sake of your health and sanity!

Move Your Body and Get Social

After youve focused on resting in the early evening, consider mixing up the second half of your post-work time with activities that energize you mentally and physically. This counteracts the sluggishness lingering from your tiring day.

Work Up a Sweat

While intense exercise right after work may sound unappealing, a moderate workout gives an energy boost that makes you feel rejuvenated rather than spent. Go for a jog, bike ride, dance class, brisk walk or YouTube exercise video. Moving your body releases feel-good endorphins and gets your blood flowing.

After an active session, that book or TV show you settle into will feel all the more relaxing. Youll also sleep more soundly after expending some physical energy.

Infuse Fun Into Your Day

When we slog through draining workdays only to crash at home, life can feel like an endless grind. But prioritizing fun forces you out of that drone mentality, rekindling your spirit.

At least 2-3 times per week, plan an enjoyable outing to mix up your usual weeknight routine. Meet friends for trivia, comedy or an improv class. Go roller skating or play mini golf. See live music or a sports game. Have an art date at a paint and sip class. Play board games at a cafe. Whatever reliably lifts your mood, find ways to fit it in.

Meet Up With Friends

Likewise, actively nurturing your social connections combats the isolation and loneliness that overworking induces. Set a weekly dinner or happy hour date with friends. Host a potluck, game night or Netflix party. Meet friends for coffee or ice cream, or to cowork at a library or cafe.

Lean on your social support network and resist the urge to hermit at home. Human interaction boosts your energy and wellbeing. Even introverts benefit from one or two get-togethers per week.

Get Your Zen On

As you wind down your night, transition into relaxation mode with these proven zen-inducing rituals to lull your mind and body into deep rest.

Unplug

Shut off all work and personal devices at least one hour before bedtime. Emails and social media can wait! The blue light emitted from screens negatively affects sleep by inhibiting melatonin release. Enjoy tech-free time to read or have real conversations.

To prevent middle-of-the-night work anxiety, consider keeping your phone across the room overnight. Charge it there so youre not tempted to scroll if you wake up. Unplugging is one of the most powerful ways to unwind fully.

Sip Herbal Tea

Caffeinated drinks like coffee, black tea and energy drinks obviously have no place in an evening unwind routine! However, a mug of caffeine-free herbal tea can be the perfect way to soothe and relax before bed.

Chamomile, lavender, passionflower, cinnamon, lemon balm, and magnolia teas have natural sedative properties. Sip a cup while reading or chatting with your partner for an evening ritual that preps you for quality rest.

Write in a Gratitude Journal

One of the simplest yet most powerful relaxation habits is keeping a daily gratitude journal. Jot down anywhere from 3-10 things you were thankful for about your day. Big or small, reflective writing shifts your focus to the blessings and positives within your day rather than ruminating on stressors and hassles.

Focusing on gratitude before bed will help you detach from the work day and drift off feeling content. Over time this practice rewires your brain for optimism,lowering anxiety and depression.

Take a Hot Bath

We already covered the benefits of showering after work, but taking a hot soak right before bed is equally calming. The warm water helps loosen tense muscles. Add Epsom salts to soothe soreness and essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus to relax the senses.

The hydration also helps replenish dehydrated cells. Light some candles to relax further. Then get into comfy PJs and slip right into sleepytime after your bath.

Read Fiction

Rather than watching TV or scrolling your devices before bed, return to the childhood ritual of reading from an actual book. The focused, linear reading relaxes a distracted mind much more than overstimulating screens.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.