Hot tours from tour operators are over. The active holiday season is also coming to an end. You see photos of colleagues and friends, where they are tanned, smiling and relaxed. You hear stories about amazing landscapes, exotic nature, incredible customer service, and that they spent more time with family and friends. You are jealous and happy for them at the same time. But this year you did not have time for a long vacation. And you have more and more work on the horizon. You probably won’t be able to take a long vacation from work anytime soon. However, you need to stay strong, vigorous, healthy, and full of energy to be attentive to your tasks. It is not for nothing that you have been entrusted with such a responsibility. So your skills and abilities are needed right now. By staying at work, you are supporting the businesses of your customers. You project the image of a reliable and stable company and your personal image is of a responsible professional developer.
But as your working day closes, you don’t know how to get away from fatigue. And at the end of the work week you just want to get some sleep. So what kinds of recreation/relaxation can we even talk about? Let’s understand how to organize your free time so that you can return to work fully recharged. How to turn the beginning of work into the favorite part of your day and to finish the working day with a bright holiday. How can you turn your weekend into a short vacation? You may be able to relax even better than many of your acquaintances who visited popular resorts if you follow a few simple rules. So, let’s start resting now!
Sleep and awakening
In fact, the day does not begin with waking up, but from the moment you fall asleep. And how long and soundly you sleep affects the productivity of your next work day.
Try not to use gadgets 1-2 hours before bedtime. After all, the blue spectrum of light from screens excites the nervous system. Take this time off from your routine. Do relaxing things that bring you pleasure: read a paper book, talk to loved ones. Your favorite cup of herbal tea, a glass of water or milk, or cocoa before bed will complement the evening. A relaxing shower or bath will also relieve the stress of a hard day. Try to fall asleep before midnight. Leave yourself at least 7-9 hours for sleep. And after waking up, find 15-20 minutes to gather your thoughts calmly and without any rush. Set aside some time for daily physical activity. Even a short workout will benefit the body and improve muscle tone.
Imagine your next workday, think about the tasks that are awaiting you. Highlight the most important things and prioritize them.
Good morning! A new bright day is waiting for you!
Food
A healthy and varied diet is the key to a good day. Here you have a wide variety of hearty or light breakfasts, a number of meals and snacks. Everything is individual, depending on your preferences, diet, and physical condition. After all, food should bring you pleasure and fill you with strength throughout the day.
A balanced diet will always be beneficial for everyone. It’s generally not a good idea to give up your breakfast. It should be made up of energy-boosting products, slow-release carbohydrates, filled with useful vitamins and minerals. If you like snacks, make sure they are healthy. It is better to have nuts, fruits, and vegetables. If you have a sweet tooth, a good snack would be whole grain pastries, dried fruits, or dark chocolate -but watch out!! Don’t turn snacks into big meals. You still need to save your appetite for lunch and dinner. Distracting yourself with your favorite snacks is an opportunity to lift your spirits, to take a short break in your working day.
Lunch breaks.
Time for an adequate lunch and dinner is incredibly valuable to recharge and take a much needed break from work. First, it should be at least 30 minutes to 1 hour of peace of mind from hard work, tasks, and professional headaches.
In other words, delicious food can be combined with a pleasant meeting with a friend in your favorite cafe or restaurant. With an interesting conversation you will fill your day with positive emotions and fresh ideas. The time you invest in such a meeting will be very valuable. And delicious coffee will cheer you up before returning to work in the afternoon.
Getting closer to the end of the working day.
The second half of the working day should consist of the shortest possible tasks. We move from more difficult and cumbersome tasks to simpler ones. The closer to the evening, the fewer tasks you have to postpone for tomorrow. To relax , it is important not to think about working outside working hours. Your mind can not rest if you try to do your professional tasks in your spare time. Give your brain a break from work. End your tasks, close your programs, and change your environment. Leave work assignments at work. Then you’ll have free time for yourself and your loved ones. Leave space in your brain for important new information, entertainment, vivid emotions and feelings, and the warmth of spending time with family.
By the way, about coffee. Coffee break.
A lot of work requires a lot of energy and vigor. Energy drinks and coffee can help us stay alert . We will not go into details about the harm coffee might have on your health. There are certainly some sources that suggest coffee can be harmful to the digestive system, overstimulate the nervous system, and lead to general exhaustion after excessive amounts of caffeine. If you believe this, it might be just as good to replace your coffee with a glass of cold ice water or fresh juice from fruits or vegetables. We will not talk about coffee itself, but rather about the coffee break as an element of corporate culture. It is a break for communication and an opportunity to distract yourself from hard work and take care of yourself. Do a quick warm-up with light exercise. Take a short walk around the office, visit colleagues, ask how they are doing. And if you can’t imagine your day without a delicious coffee, then spend this coffee break with colleagues for a short pleasant conversation.
Mini breaks.
IT professionals work for many hours without looking away from their screens. Sometimes the tasks are so exciting that you don’t even notice how you’ve been sitting for eight hours without leaving work. Set an alarm or reminder to take a 5-minute break every hour. Look away from the monitor and close your eyes. In a minute, open your eyes. Focus on an object in the distance. Gradually change the focus, move your gaze from one object to another. Change the background and shape alternately.
Do a little warm-up for your fingers and back. If possible, get up from your chair several times and sit down again. It will only take you a few minutes. This will help you to be more energetic. Follow these quick tips to keep your workflow healthy.
Time after work.
Everyone needs to finish work on time, and to meet the deadlines set by your manager. If you are regularly late for work, it means that either you have incorrectly set priorities, or you do not have enough time to complete the task. Or maybe the customer urgently needs your support for the reliable operation of their software.
Consider how not to linger at work and not to overwork. After all, the working day should have a limit. And you’ll lose your time to rest and recuperate. You honestly deserve a vacation because you worked hard all day. Time to rest!
A delicious dinner, a pleasant meeting with family and friends, and time for personal hobbies. Make sure that your rest after work is as useful as possible. However, do not try to fill these hours with too many tasks. Everything must be in moderation. Therefore, do not plan everything in one day. For example, work and training courses, meetings, cooking, cleaning the apartment and gym. Distribute your favorite activities throughout the week. The same goes for personal meetings and visits with friends. It is very important for your loved ones that you give them your time and attention. Focus on your relationships and try to get the most out of these meetings and enjoy the experience. The same goes for your hobbies and self-development courses. Everything should bring you pleasure and energy. Therefore, if you can not fully participate in the process, it is better to schedule it for another day. Choose what you like best and what can bring you maximum relaxation for your evening .
Weekly weekend.
The long-awaited weekend at the end of the working week is a short vacation. If you like active rest, it is necessary to fill the weekend with such activities. Go outdoors , feel like a tourist and choose interesting places near your city. You can also go on a tour of the city, which you have wanted to visit for a long time. You can even organize a short tour to another country for two days. Try interesting sports: cycling, hiking, rafting.
If you are a fan of a quiet holiday, then visit the pool, take leisurely walks, go to the movies, a concert, a theatrical performance or a barbecue with friends can suit you. Holidays at home and your favorite activities will recharge you before the start of the work week. Extra days, no work during the weekend. If you are unable to take a long vacation, take the opportunity to take one or two days off by adding them before or after the normal weekend. This will come in handy if you don’t have enough time to relax for two weekends in a row. You can use a few days of general relaxation, so you can increase the number of days in the middle of the week for a longer vacation. This allows you to plan more exciting events for your little vacation.
Sick leave
The days during which you are unlikely to be able to relax, however, are a time to take care of your health.
If you feel unwell, feel sick and need to see a doctor, do not delay! Be sure to take sick leave to see a doctor. Do not stay at work if you are physically exhausted and need a medical examination. Many do not pay enough attention to a common cold and continue to work. Working in this condition can be quite unproductive. And if you work from the office, then you can endanger your colleagues.
Conclusion.
So if you haven’t been able to take a vacation this season, don’t worry! Fill your days with interesting things that fill you with energy.
Use your free time to spend more time with friends and family, enjoy your hobbies and self-development. Maybe you will take the time to learn Italian or try to cook a few French dishes? Challenge yourself with a new sport or explore the unique locations of your city. It will also be interesting to travel around your home country.
Make sure you always have free time. Separate your work and home. When chatting with colleagues, don’t talk only about work. Let your working day leave only pleasant memories. Be the master of your own time. We wish you a good rest!
Yuriy Muzychyn
November 2021