Decompress Before You Go Home

After a day of stress and pressure at the office, most of us arrive home cranky, tired and dispirited. We gave the best we had to our colleagues and customers and, sadly, we have nothing left for the people we love the most: our spouses, children and friends. Like gladiators who have just completed the battle of their lives, we wearily walk to your favorite easy chair and order family members to leave us alone until we regain our composure.

Taking ten minutes to decompress before you walk through the front door of your home will help you to avoid making this scenario a part of your daily routine. Rather than leaving work, driving home and rushing into your house, you spend a few minutes sitting alone in your car while parked in the driveway. Use this time to relax and reflect on what you would like to accomplish during the next few hours with your family. Remind yourself how much your partner and children need you and how many fun things you can do if you simply put your mind to it.

To further decompress, you could go for a quick walk around the block or listen to a favorite piece of classical music before you open the door and greet your family. Be creative about your personal decompression time and treat it as a chance to renew and recharge so you are the person your family wants you to be when you greet them.