Don’t work late tonight! There are so many other things you can be doing, so take a break and relax.
I don’t know about you, but I find it so easy to work late, sometimes well into the night. Do you? I enjoy my work, so I don’t grumble about putting in a few more hours, but I am finding I am doing this almost every night now.
So it got me thinking; what else could we do tonight instead? Here are some ideas:
- Go home, cook a quick dinner, and watch some TV. This isn’t something I do very well, but it is also something I enjoy. I am far from a tele-addict, yet I can find entertainment in a wide variety of shows. With the multitude of TV channels, as they are, there is certainly something on there so that we can sit back, relax, and switch off.
- Take in a museum. If you’re city-based, there will be many museums to have a wander around. Get lost in the place. I find that museums have a calming effect. Not sure if it is the musty smell, or the echo of footsteps – it’s something – but we can immerse ourselves into a completely different world for a while here.
- Take in a show. I am not a big show-goer, really, but since meeting my partner I have begun to watch more (as she is in the Performing Arts industry). Shows come in all varieties – musicals, tragedies, classical plays – you name it. What I’ve discovered is that I can enjoy a show I never thought possible I would do. All it took was an open mind! See what shows are going on near you – pick one – and go along and discover something new.
- Watch a movie. Grab some popcorn and watch a movie. Try a genre you wouldn’t normally go for and see if you like it. Concentrate on the movie, and not your work – you’ll switch off just like that!
- Take a walk. Instead of riding in your car, or taking a bus, why not walk home this evening? Go a different way than you would do normally, and see what’s going on in your neighbourhood. It’s a great way to discover new stores, enjoy parks and take in new sites.
- Cook something new. Rather than throwing the usual ready-meal into the microwave tonight, you could go to a supermarket and buy fresh ingredients to cook yourself something spectacular. I find cooking a great distraction, it helps me relax, and it’s also far more healthy if done right.
- Visit a friend. Don’t go straight home, but visit a friend instead. And then maybe do one of the above with them!
- Browse a bookstore. I can get lost in bookstores, especially when there is a cafe in there. They’re treasure-troves of undiscovered passions. I like to browse all the shelves, even the stuff that I wouldn’t normally read. Time just melts away for me. Even if you’re not a bookworm like myself, bookstores have so much to offer. As much as I like Amazon, it will never replace the experience of browsing.
- Fix something. I’ll bet you have something at home that needs fixing, right? There’s always small fixing jobs to do, that (if you’re like me) you never get around to. Why not fix it, tonight? Switch off the TV. Shut the door. Get out the tools/glue, and get fixing. Why? You’ll feel a sense of achievement afterwards, and it will immerse you into something other than work. And, just maybe, it might be fun!
- Sleep. Yeah, sleep. Who isn’t overworked, and tired? Take this opportunity, once and for all, to get an early night and catch up on some Zzzzzzzzs. It will do you a world of good my friend!
