Feeling of fatigue, stress, anxiety and restlessness after a demanding day often makes an individual long for a break from the office life. There are times when you really drag yourself to work because you are bound to fulfil your commitments. Amidst all these commitments, family commitments take a backseat and get ignored.
Here are a few way which will keep you connected with family and loved ones, even if you have a stressful and busy day at work. It is only about how you utilise 24 hours effectively and makes the most out of them.
1. Morning workout with family
Morning is the best time of the day when you are with your family and can go for a workout together. If not workout then morning walk is the best remedy to feel fresh and keep your lungs in good shape for an uninvited stressful day. Set up alarm clock for an hour before the usual time when you wake up so that you can spare time for morning walk. This will keep your healthy and you can plan for the day as you discuss issues while walking with your spouse and kids.
2. Sit for breakfast together
It is a good habit to leave for work after munching on healthy snacks. Leaving home empty stomach will drain your energy quickly when you commute. So it is a good idea to convince you family to have breakfast together and decide a meal plan for the dinner which gets thumbs up by everyone in the home.
3. Call to connect with them
You can anytime call your spouse to just check on the progress of the day, or to ask if the lunch was good to taste. If you have kids then make sure to drop a call after they arrive from the school and ask about their day. You can even send little texts to your loved one and ask about their day. A casual chit chat about the progress of the day is a good idea. And you can always plan for a surprise outing in the evening to break the monotony of the day.
4. Watch a daily soap/movie together in evening
When you get back home after a long and tiring day at work, do not escape family time. It is quite rejuvenating. You can watch TV shows together if you share similar preferences of shows like that of your spouse. It will help you spend quality time with each other in the evening and you will have lot of stuff to discuss other than family issues and office trivia. Movie takes no less than 120 minutes, but a normal show takes upto 60 minutes and simultaneously you can make preparations for the dinner as well.
5. Go for a TV free dinner
It is a very important tip. A study shows that TV can distract a person from his eating behaviour. This means that watching TV while eating prevents the body from paying attention to the “internal processing food cues” and lowers the metabolism of the body.
So when you sit for the dinner, turn of the television and consume your meal properly in 20 minutes approximately. Relish the food being prepared and then plan for something new for the next day. It will add spice to your daily menu.
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6. Keep a daily dairy
This is one habit which is not common to all, but those who maintain a dairy find it easy to relieve their stress after a hectic day. They vent out their negative thoughts and stress by penning it down on a paper and feel relaxed that their secrets are safe with them. When you feel that your thoughts are loud enough and you can’t calm them down, start writing diary before you sleep and you will experience a difference in your life. So, instead of taking out the unnecessary anger on the family members, you will share it with your daily. In the beginning you might find it difficult to find word to write down the exact feelings but gradually it will become your hobby and your best friend.
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7. Talk about your expectations and listen to theirs
There will be times when despite of trying very hard, you might not be able to reach home at time. And when you reach home, everyone else will be asleep. During such peak pressure points, talk to your family and tell them the situation in office so that they do not worry for you uselessly. Be frank with them and explain your expectations in terms of time you can spare for them. But if in case they need your presence in some emergency and unavoidable situation, listen to them as well. Be all ears when they have problems to share.
Spending time with family will keep you grounded and save you from the unwanted stress of balancing work and personal life. You will be able to enjoy both equally. When it comes to family, we expect a level of understanding and that will come only when you keep the communication clear and transparent. So keep in touch with them whenever possible, rest things will take care of themselves.
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