Workaholic Much? How to Leave Your Work at the Office

March 26, 2012 by

Work FrustrationDo you find yourself sitting at the dinner table, lying in bed, or trying to relax on vacation while stressing out about your responsibilities at work?

Is it hard to chill out and enjoy your hobbies without the stress of the workplace and your responsibilities in the back of your mind?

In our culture the workplace is becoming even more important and with how email, cell phones, and other devices have made us more connected it is even harder to leave it behind at the end of the day.

If you want to learn how to leave your work at the office and enjoy your free time more, here are a few tips.

  • Shut off your devices. As soon as you arrive at home, turn off your Blackberry and don’t check your emails until the next morning. The emails will still be there tomorrow and this is not the time to respond to them.
  • Make a happy playlist and listen to it in your car on the way home. Music is a great emotional trigger and when you hear your favourite songs you will feel much better.
  • If you have had a stressful day, ask your partner to allow you 15 minutes to vent. You can set the timer to stay on track and once your time is up, you are not allowed to say anything else about work for the rest of the night.
  • Spend time with your family. Go outside and play a game of soccer with the kids, watch a movie with your partner, or take the family and the dog out for a walk in the park. You will quickly forget about your work worries and focus on the people you love instead.
  • Sometimes we get worn out and stressed because we don’t take enough time for ourselves. Schedule in a hot bath, a favourite TV show, or a quiet moment to sip a cup of tea and read a good book.

The most important thing to remember is that if your workplace continues to be stressful and consumes your thoughts for too long, it might be healthier to seek work somewhere else.

Life is too short to spend feeling stressed out about your job!

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: , ,

How to Stay Sane During the Holidays

December 23, 2011 by

The holiday season can be a stressful time! With so many presents to buy, meals to prepare, and guests to host, it’s easy to get burnt out holiday stressduring this time of year.

All of the pressure from all sides to create the perfect day can leave you feel like you are rushing around like a crazy elf trying to run Santa’s entire workshop by yourself. 

However, the holiday season doesn’t have to leave you exhausted and stressed out. Here are some tips for staying sane and relaxed during the holidays:

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

The trick to taking the pressure off yourself is to stop expecting every little detail of the season to be perfect. The important thing about Christmas Day is that your family is together and having a great time, and not how many different festive salads that you have prepared or how beautiful your tree looks.

Don’t worry about making your Christmas celebration look like a photograph in a Home Design and Cuisine magazine, and focus more on enjoying the moment instead.

Take Time for Yourself

Sometimes during the holiday season we are so busy running around shopping for others that we forget to care for ourselves. Make sure that you take a moment out of your schedule to take a walk, read a good book, or do an activity that you enjoy.

Ask For Help

Don’t overwhelm yourself by assuming that you can do everything! There’s nothing wrong with asking for a little bit of help!

If you are hanging the Christmas lights outside the house, why risk pulling a muscle when you could ask your teenage kids to give you a hand? If you are baking cookies, invite your young children, nieces or nephews to help you stir the dough.

If you just can’t figure out how you will cook the entire festive meal, your guests won’t mind if you ask them to bring a few dishes to the table, potluck style.

Remember, the holidays are a time for special moments spent together with the people that you love. Take the pressure off and don’t stress yourself out too much!

 

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , ,

How to Create a Luxury Spa in Your Own Bathroom

December 7, 2011 by

Imagine yourself relaxing into a hot aromatherapy bath at a luxurious spa center at a resort. Surrounded by flickering candles and peacefulhome spa experience music, you can allow the healing power of the essential oils calm your mind and forget all of your worries. It is a truly wonderful experience.

However, going to a luxury spa can be very expensive, so what if you can’t afford to treat yourself to this indulgence?

Don’t worry. You can still pamper yourself on a small budget, because it is fun and easy to create a luxury spa at home in your own bathroom. With a few special touches you will have your own private spa that you can visit again and again whenever you need some serious relaxation.

Adding Spa Details

The luxurious feeling of a spa is all about the little details, and you can add these details to your home bathroom as well. Buy yourself a soft and fluffy cotton or velour robe to wrap around yourself, and add a comfortable chair or an ottoman to the bathroom where you can sit and read or paint your nails while you wait for the bath to fill up. Invest in some heated towel racks which will provide you with warm and fuzzy towels when you step out of the bath or shower. You might want to also swap your old shower head for a detachable, massaging shower head so that you can soothe your sore muscles with the jets of water. 

Another simple way that you can make your bathroom more like a spa is to treat yourself to some high quality scented bubble bath or handmade soap. Don’t use it for every shower; just bring it out for your special spa sessions.

Setting the Mood

Now that your bathroom is well equipped for giving yourself the spa treatment, it is time to create a mood of pure elegance and relaxation. Dim the lights and use several small candles throughout the bathroom to provide light.

You can place them around the sink and bathtub. Bring a stereo or radio into the bathroom and play some soothing music, such as an instrumental classical piece or a slow ballad. Play something by one of your favorite artists, because if you like the music more it will make you more relaxed.

Don’t forget about scents as well, as you can use essential oils or scented candles to make your spa smell amazing.

Pampering Yourself

The next step to making your homemade spa experience complete is to go above and beyond your normal bathing routine. Take your time and treat yourself to something special, such as a face mask, deep conditioning treatment, or manicure. Devoting this extra time to taking care of your appearance will help you relax and enjoy, and give you a happy and confident glow.

Giving yourself the spa treatment at home is fun and easy, much cheaper than a professional spa, and you can do it whenever you need a bit of relaxation. Go ahead, you deserve it!

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , ,