Evenings are a time when we need to relax for our physical and mental health in order to avoid anxiety at night. However, we usually are never finished with work, family obligations to household chores that further demand our attention. Instead of letting all those activities continue to interfere and deny us of those precious hours, here is how to solve the issue to have less of it.
A big problem that many people have is running late because of something that popped up at work or related to a project or task to a call that ran over despite quitting time. To lessen the chance of being stuck at the workplace or home office, try figuring out how long it usually takes for everything needed to be done once home first such as cooking dinner, cleaning up, bathing, etc. before bedtime and then work backward to get a better idea of time to cut. For example, if dinner is usually at 6:15 P.M., then the food needs to ready around 5:30 P.M. This way calculating how long it takes to complete nightly tasks can help for knowing where there is time to spare for adjustments.
Another trick to relax more at night involves making allowances for last minute problems. Working in a small block of time just for slippage such as how long it takes for trips to the restroom, an unexpected call to heavy traffic or other minor emergencies can be beneficial.
Something else worth exploring is devising a workplace escape plan to prevent anxiety at night. Imagine planning to leave on time but a habitually talkative co-worker decides to start a conversation. Instead of just being delayed, try holding your car keys or bus pass in your hand the moment that you see that person closing in. The trick is not hiding the item in your hand, but shake that key or bus pass to give that person a hint and excuse yourself.
Another way to unwind at night is delegating some tasks to family. For example, a husband that may arrive home first should help pick up some of the slack such as meeting the kids from school or putting the casserole in the microwave at a certain time to peeling potatoes. Kids can do a variety of small chores, depending on their age. One suggestion may be having an older child walk the dog instead of watching television immediately after school.
Sleeping better and lifting that nightly burden also means eliminating an idea of perfection. Who doesn’t want to finish all assigned tasks for that day just because they are on the list? Rather than working though tired or stressed just to complete everything, try moving an uncompleted chore to a different night in favor of spending time unwinding with the family. In most instances, whatever else you wanted to fit in was hardly that important such as throwing in another load of laundry when the family still had enough outfits and underwear in their closets. Many of us can relate to that scenario.
Curtailing anxiety at night also necessitates altering your frame of mind. This may sound silly to some, but just changing from your work clothes into an old outfit that you usually wear at home helps get you to that comfort zone. Make this a habit with your kids to help melt tension and save the condition of your better clothes can also help the budget.
One last thing that I want to leave you with is remembering life can be crazy at times. Why stress over the chaos of a stupid situation that may have suddenly surfaced because it happens? Learn to embrace it and laugh because it can be funny when you think about it later. After all, life is full of surprises and it is up to us how we react in each of our own life stories.
