In today’s climate, we’re faced with many pressures that we take on as humans. Some are subconscious, and others we choose to acknowledge. Beyond our control, life is hyper-stimulating; we’re surrounded by pressures and stress such as; making money, handling bills, balancing work and life, keeping in contact with numerous people and then pressures from work, too - meetings, performance, workload, to name a few.
The importance of switching off
It’s important not to let these everyday stresses consume us and take some time to switch off completely. Our health and mind need to take a break and reduce stimulation for a period.
Working from home has given people more flexibility, but it’s also blurred the lines between ‘work’ and ‘home life’. Our work equipment surrounds us, and emails and messages are at our fingertips, making it even more important to shut off and ensure we’re not over-stimulated for all of our waking days.
Here, we’ll explore ways that can help you to switch off entirely and give your mind some well-deserved breathing space.
CPD tips - How to switch off
At this point, we think it’s important to say that your method of switching off can look different to everyone else’s. Not everyone finds a walk in the outdoors relaxing or can’t get on with meditating. So, trial and error is the best approach here. Try a few different methods and see which one works for you.
Detach from technology
First thing’s first, technology such as our phones and laptops can apply pressure on us without realising. If you work on computers and phones for a living, you can easily slip back into work mode as soon as you open your phone or check your emails.
It’s common for us to feel the need to respond to an email as soon as we see it. We live in a world of instant connection, and it’s become increasingly more challenging to read a message and not reply straight away.
Similarly, social media has become a subconscious ‘switch off’ method. We open social media to have a flick through when we’re bored or want something to look at. However, this opens a getaway into other people’s lives, and we consume information that we don’t necessarily need, which can lead to competitive thoughts and personal pressure.
So, detach from technology. For 1 hour of the day, don’t look at your phone or computer. If it’s not in sight, it becomes easier to forget about. Instead of pulling up Instagram when you have a spare 5 minutes, you’ll substitute this for something else you want to do, indicating other activities you enjoy when you have some downtime.
Get outside and go for a walk
The more fresh air you breathe, the more oxygen you inhale, increasing serotine levels (the happy hormone). Going for a walk is beneficial not only from a physical perspective but also from a mental one.
Walking outdoors can help you zone out as you’ll concentrate on what’s around you and the views ahead of you. Being out in the wide-open space can help you to achieve headspace and forget about things that would generally consume you.
Relax and meditate
Although you’re not physically removing yourself from your home/place of work (if you choose to meditate at home), you’re helping to mentally remove yourself from a current situation or train of thought.
There are many different types of meditation, depending on what you’d like to achieve and how you’d like to feel. If you’re new to meditation, there are multiple apps out there, that will give you an introduction. Or, you can watch YouTube and get involved with the techniques and classes they offer. Or, if you’d like to learn how to maintain meditation on your own, you could potentially undertake different CPD courses that’ll guide you through the different types of meditation.
Find and do an activity
Some people struggle to switch off when they’re doing nothing or very little. Their mind turns to other things, and before you know it, you’re flicking through the news or thinking about work and your endless to-do lists.
We hope this article on the importance of switching off was helpful. Established in 1996, The CPD Certification Service is the largest and leading independent Continuing Professional Development accreditation organisation working across all industry sectors.
