You know that feeling you get when you’re sitting at your desk at work looking at all of the things you have to do and yet your eyes drift over to the time and something in your chest constricts because- holy what, it’s still only 9:15 AM? Yeah, we’ve all been there.
Did you know that the average American works 34.4 hours a week? That doesn’t seem like a lot, but that’s just the idea of how much a person spends in an actual office. Now with technology, work will undoubtedly follow you wherever you have your phone. It’s enough to drive someone crazy. Because whether it’s your average 8 hour work day, or a longer 10-12 hour work day, that moment when you get to clock out is supposed to be when your entire body goes into rest mode.
There’s a pattern that most people keep. It’s pretty simple. It goes:
-Wake up early.
-Calculate how much time you have til you get back home.
-Go to work.
-Lunch Break.
-Work Again
-Go home.
-Go to Bed.
-Rinse and repeat.
So what happens when you have a half day and find yourself stuck in that same endless pattern? What are you going to do? Go to sleep at 1 PM? Netflix the entire day away? Well, sure you could do that, or you could make the most of your half day and actually feel accomplished when you wake up the next morning.
It’s time to drop that action of mentally checking out at the end of the day and break your day-to-day patterns.
Here’s some tips on how to make the most of your days (and half days):
- GET SOME SLEEP! This goes without saying but sleep is important, and probably the first step to having a balanced day. It’s hard to juggle between not having enough sleep and getting entirely too much sleep. Your body won’t operate right on either one. If you’ve got a full day of work, make sure you get at LEAST 6 hours of sleep. The human body is said to need 7.5- to 8 hours to feel completely rested. This can impact your entire day and every decision you make. So put the phone down, shut the laptop screen, and get yourself in bed at a reasonable hour.
- TREAT YO SELF! Have you ever heard of self-care? It’s not a new idea in today’s society, however, it’s finally starting to get the recognition it deserves. When it comes to working crazy hours at work, you sometimes can go weeks without giving yourself the self-care you need. Whether it’s something like getting a much needed mani-pedi, or booking that teeth cleaning you’ve needed, or that haircut you’ve wanted, or even just taking a minute to yourself and going to see that movie that you’ve missed- self-care is important. Especially when you’re living at The Place at Castle Hills and are only 12 minutes away from The Day Spa @ Folawn’s where you can not only get your nails done but also a haircut and a facial. Effectively treating the crap out of 3 birds with one stone.
- FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! How and what you eat every day can make or break how you feel. First off, skipping breakfast is a no-go. Listen, I know it seems like drinking that iced coffee is good enough, but it’s not. You need sustenance. Even if it’s something as simple as a kind bar, get yourself that energy you need to keep moving. Also don’t forget that light snacking is important. And when you’ve got a half day, treat yourself to a regular sized meal at lunch, nothing too big or you may find yourself wanting to go home and sleep the rest of the day away- effectively ruining everything you could have done.
- WORK IT OUT! Oh god, I’m gonna say it. The dreaded word that everyone hates to hear. The Gym. Look, not everyone is going to love every second of their gym experiences, but I promise you, it’s worth it. If you’ve got a half day at work, you may decide after lunch to go get some errands done, and then towards the end of the day still feel weirdly restless. It’s a terrible feeling. But the gym is the cure to not only that, but to getting a good night’s rest and to balancing out your next day. Now, you could get one of those expensive gym memberships and have to drive out of your way to work out, but why not just use the fitness center that’s just a step outside your door? The Place At Castle Hills and The Place at Oak Hills and The Place at Shadow Valley all offer a 24-Hour Fitness Center that is there to meet all of your gym needs. End your day with a good run and let those endorphins flow, the feeling of absolute nirvana you get when getting into bed will 100% make all that sweating worth it.
- HAVE A DRINK! So you know how you usually only see your friends on the weekends? Because all adults have big adult lives and schedules and want to go home and just watch Netflix. Well break that habit! It’s been said that being social, even on weekdays, is an energy booster as well as a form of mental self-care. We all need to go out for drinks with that one friend to vent about a coworker. It’s therapy. Don’t try to rid yourself of that. Instead of re-watching The Office for the 400th time, why not put away the popcorn, put on some shoes, and go meet your friend out for dinner and drinks? (Don’t go overboard on that latter part, if it’s a weeknight, ya feel?) Might I suggest checking out the Dough? It’s only a 20 minute drive from your door at Shadow Valley, and it’s described as the “undisputed king of pizza”. Y’all, there is no better way to spend the evening than with drinks, good friends, and pizza.
