It’s been a long, hot, and dry Arizona day at the office, and it is finally time to clock out of work. As with most people, your first thought is about what you will do once you get home. Perhaps you want to finish a series you started, play your favorite video game, or jump right into an online poker game to unwind. The digital world offers a unique escape from the real world and can be the key to genuine rejuvenation. However, your time after work is the most valuable, and to achieve true relaxation, you need to find the perfect balance.
The Essential First Step: Planning Your Relaxation Activity
Before you can start planning how to manage your time, you first need to know how you’re actually going to spend it. For most people, the easiest thing to do after a long, draining day at work is to lie down on the couch or bed and begin scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. While this is a perfectly acceptable way to unwind, it can become redundant after a while and lead to social media fatigue.
Instead, opt for something that doesn’t require much effort, where you don’t need to leave the comfort of your couch. For example, checking out new shows on streaming platforms is always a fun passive activity. If you prefer a certain genre of film or series over the other, then try something new. Avid horror film lovers might enjoy a good romantic comedy, whereas romance lovers might enjoy television from foreign countries (i.e, K-dramas, J-dramas, or C-dramas).
For a more hands-on, dynamic activity, perhaps consider trying out a puzzle-focused mobile game or a new crypto casino. The latter offers a huge variety of game types, ranging from classic aviator titles to modern 5-reel slots and other crash games. Alternatively, leaning into mobile titles like Limbo, Candy Crush Saga, or even Cut the Rope could get your mind off of work-related stress. Overall, these are great if you want to get your blood pumping, test your critical thinking skills, and give yourself a good cognitive workout.
Curating the Entertainment Spectrum
Once you figure out what you want to do for the rest of the day, you then want to find the perfect balance between rest and relaxation. For instance, ask yourself how much time you want to spend gambling, gaming, or scrolling on social media. Do you have other duties you need to complete for the day once you get home from work? Factor in cleaning up, making dinner, or even hanging out with friends, so you know exactly how to allocate your time. Drawing up a quick schedule can make this that much easier, as you can now add your relaxation time into a specific slot.
Remember, relaxing after work shouldn’t feel like you are rushing or do not have enough time to do what you want. As such, pre-selecting your specific relaxation activity can also make your life much easier. Choice fatigue is real, especially when you find yourself with a free couple of hours, but you have no idea whether you want to read, watch a film, or take a nap. You should prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to your downtime, and feel as if said time was well-spent at the end of the day. After 8-12 hours at work, you ideally want to come home, take a shower, and get right to that gaming session or series.
Lastly, if you’d rather just lie down and catch up on your social feed, you want to ensure you are not contributing to your stress levels. Political (or generally negative) content can contribute to this, so try to steer away from watching anything that could affect your mindset. Aim for a curated feed where you can enjoy your favorite creators’ content and actually feel satisfied and rejuvenated afterward. Cute animal videos, comedy skits, and even make-up and ASMR videos can significantly boost your mood and make for a fun scrolling experience.
Building Your Personalized Recharge Plan
To achieve the perfect recharge plan, you want to make sure you find the perfect balance between your digital entertainment intake and your rest. For one, your phone can be a lifesaver as it offers some great apps and settings that you can use to keep things refreshing. Self-care pet apps are perfect for this, and they provide you with little reminders to take care of yourself. In turn, it also helps you build positive routines that involve healthy habits such as drinking more water or completing your step goal for the day. These are great for relaxation as well, as they can remind you to unwind and participate in mindful activities like voice journaling or reading on Kindle.
Alternatively, taking a nice long walk if you live near a beach or a park while listening to your favourite podcast on Spotify is also fun. You can limit your listening time to the length of your walk, and that way, you do not feel like your relaxation time has a deadline. Enjoying yourself and taking your mind off those pesky adult responsibilities should be the core focus of your free time. As such, if you spend longer than you planned for reading, scrolling, or listening to music, it’s an indicator that you’re actually having fun.
With more interactive hobbies like gaming, it can be difficult to keep track of time once immersed, which can end with you still being up at two in the morning. That completely defeats the purpose of planning your time. Set an in-game milestone for yourself, and let that be your indicator of when it’s getting late. Let’s say you know completing two missions might take an estimated two hours; you can measure time based on your progress. Once you hit that specific milestone, you can log off and call it a day, feeling satisfied and accomplished.
Log Off to Live More
In conclusion, you want to strategically limit your time, opt for focused engagement to avoid chaos, and plan your time accordingly. However, you also want to remember to use this time to actually enjoy yourself and have fun. Watch your favorite YouTuber, pull up your comfort show, and snuggle up with a cup of tea or hot cocoa. While being strategic is a great approach, relaxing is the ultimate goal.
