It’s Friday and if you’re like others in business you have some built up stress from the week.
I don’t know what it is, but that always seems to be the case.
The week gets busy and then on Friday you have to think about all the things coming up next week.
It’s stressful and it can really wear you down.
Here are some of the things I do to relieve stress on Fridays and really at anytime.
1. Walking
My wife and I enjoy going on walks. We get to spend time together after long work days. It gives us time to vent to each other about work if we have to. We can talk about the things going on in our personal lives.
It’s just great for connecting.
And we’re getting in some exercise too while enjoying the outdoors.
I’ve gone on walks for as long as I can remember. My mom liked taking walks and she passed that enjoyment on to me.
2. Manual Labor
For me it’s cutting the grass or putting up tree stands for the upcoming bow hunting season.
I like to do some work. I’ll even go out and pull the weeds in the lawn if I have to.
When you work at a computer all day it feels good to get your hands dirty once in a while. And those sore muscles actually kind of feel good. It’s a reminder that you’ve done some work and you can feel good about that.
3. Reading
I love reading.
My parents encouraged it from a young age. They read to me. Then they bought me all kinds of sports novels as a kid and I always asked for more.
Today, I real autobiographies and business books. I also store long stories and articles in Pocket and read them on my phone.
If I need to take my mind off something I’ll start reading. It kind of forces my mind to change gears and I can relax and relieve the stress from work or whatever else is going on in life.
4. Crosswords/Puzzles/Brain Games
Like reading, working on puzzles or games gets my mind off things.
I usually try to work on the daily New York Times Crossword. I have the app and love it. I’m still not that good at them, but I keep trying to get better.
5. Joining A Local Sports League
This is fun. It’s something to look forward to during the week. You can get in some physical activity. You hang out with friends and meet new people.
Lots of positives even if it’s just once a week during the summer.
6. Cooking Dinner
I like cooking dinner. It’s calming. I force myself to not multitask while cooking.
That’s probably a good thing because if I tried doing something else then the fire department might be called.
Having that single-minded focus is good for cooking and it’s good for relieving stress because you’re not thinking about what’s stressing you out.
And cooking is easy to learn. You might not be good right away, but grab a few recipes and try them.
If it doesn’t turn out you can always call for delivery.
7. Playing With Children
I don’t have children yet, but hopefully someday soon.
But we do have friends with kids and it’s always fun to see them and to play games with them. Kids are full of energy and it’s contagious. They will play hide and seek with you forever. They’ll throw a ball around all afternoon.
It wears them out and it will wear you out, which is a good thing because you’ll be so tired that you’ll get a great night’s sleep.
8. Biking
I’m not a huge biker, but like walking I know it’s good for the mind. You’re getting physical activity in and you’re focusing on your surroundings. your senses don’t have a chance to focus on the stress.
9. Photography
I’m an amateur at photography. All I have is my phone.
But it’s fun to go around and take photos. You can look for interesting scenes and perspectives. And with all the cool apps today you can do some neat things beyond just the simple photo.
You can learn about lighting and how to set things in the background and avoid other common issues.
10. Golfing
I love golf.
I realize that for some golf is probably not a stress reliever and is probably the opposite.
But for me I love going to the range and picking a target and trying to hit it. I’m not thinking about anything, but that target.
That seems to eliminate stress for me.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few ways to relive stress. I hope at least a few of them will work for you. I run into a lot of people that are very stressed out by Friday evening that they don’t even know what to do.
These ideas work for me and I hope they can work for you.