How to Make Your 5-9 After Work Productive and Restful

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Staying busy feels great until you enter burnout mode. If you’re used to hustling, it might feel like a never-ending workday is an unavoidable part of life. The good news is that having a plan for your weekday evenings might help your mental health. It’s all about tailoring your 5-9 to your best interests.

Learn how to have a productive and restful routine after work. You’ll balance your mental health, keep up with your responsibilities, and still have extra energy to pour into your job.

What Is the 5-9 Trend?

The 5-9 trend is how people use the afternoon and evening hours between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to improve their mental health while managing their responsibilities. It began when TikToker @matthew.campos posted his evening routine that included household chores and self-care activities. The video went viral as people realized relaxing and productivity could pair well together. It plays on the idea of a 9-5 job being a big part of your life, while your 5-9 evenings should be equally important for your long-term mental well-being.

Ways to Make Your 5-9 Restful and Productive

These are a few ideas for using your evening hours to your advantage. They’ll help you maintain your personal responsibilities while incorporating more restful activities into your life.

1. Schedule Light Workouts

Exercising might not seem like the best way to relax, but it helps release any pent-up stress that could keep you from unwinding every night. Try gentle workouts like yoga to ease lingering tension from your mind and body. You’ll likely find that it’s easier to rest afterward and makes you feel productive because you added a workout to your daily schedule.

2. Pick Tomorrow’s Clothes

People often feel anxious at night because they’re worried about keeping up with whatever the next day holds for them. If that stress feels most familiar to you, consider easing tomorrow’s burdens by picking your clothes out the night before. It’ll be one less thing to do in the morning, which might make your day more enjoyable. It’s also an instantaneous way to feel productive without undertaking a big responsibility.

3. Spend a Minute Dancing

Structured routines cause people to miss essential self-growth opportunities that only happen during free time. If you’re always working on a practical to-do list, you’ll never get in touch with your instincts and preferences. Dancing is an excellent way to break that habit.

Turn on your favorite song after work and dance for at least a minute. The lack of rules and structure will help you connect more with your body and whatever emotions arise with the song. It’s a fun way to remind yourself who you are outside of work. You’ll even get extra exercise into your day without adding the gym to your schedule.

4. Stay Away From Your Computer

Impressing your boss by remaining reachable at all times might feel important, but it only makes your 9-5 stress ruin your evenings. Consider putting your computer away for the night when you get home from work. You won’t feel tempted to answer emails, which is an especially vital relaxation factor for people working from home. Unplug to focus on resting or being productive with whatever you need to do around the house.

5. Tackle Chores Right Away

You might think that doing chores immediately after work is the opposite of relaxing. Although household responsibilities keep people busy, they’re also the best way to gain more free time at night. Try getting your household tasks out of the way right after arriving home in the evenings to improve your mental health.

Once you make that fruit fly trap out of vinegar and vacuum your living room, you won’t have any responsibilities hanging over your head while you rest. You’ll spend the rest of the night fully engaged in whatever relaxing activities you choose because there isn’t anything waiting for you besides a good night’s sleep.

6. Change Into Comfortable Clothes

If you arrive home after work around 6 p.m., you might wait a few hours to change into pajamas. Although that’s fine if you’re working on chores or running errands, try jumping into comfier clothes whenever you finish with your responsibilities for the day.

Getting out of daytime clothes tells your brain that it’s OK to sit back for the night. You’ll fully disengage with your productive mindset and get the most enjoyment from your restful activities. Your pajamas or sweatpants may also motivate you to push through those last few chores after work.

7. Revisit One Hobby Every Night

Hobbies can help people rest their minds even if the activities keep them busy. It all depends on which pastimes activate your stress levels. If going for a bike ride feels like a chore, you might enjoy something else, such as paddleboarding.

Whatever you choose, make sure your activity doesn’t relate to managing your responsibilities or becoming good at something to pay the bills. The only purpose should be having fun. Try new activities like making candles, gardening, embroidering or fishing to find the hobby that helps you relax the most while passing the time in an enjoyable way.

8. Eat Something Healthy and Filling

Your dinner and potential dessert can be excellent tools for decreasing your stress. Instead of reaching for comfort foods, fill your plate with nutrient-packed foods that leave you satisfied and at ease. Research shows that fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and fermented food decrease a person’s anxiety by providing health benefits like anti-inflammatory properties.

Once you feel less anxious and stressed, you’ll get the most enjoyment out of your relaxing evening routine. It’s another smart way to start feeling better without becoming busier during your free evening hours.

Enjoy Every Weekday Night

Your personal life doesn’t have to feel equally as busy as your work routine. Once you get home from your evening commute, use these ideas to make your time productive and restful. You’ll recharge, keep up with your responsibilities, and feel more prepared to conquer your workday when your alarm goes off in the morning.