Do you ever find yourself just wanting to sit in the quiet with the lights off for a few moments after work?
If you do, you are absolutely not alone.
I saw a recent social media post about this from Type.b.slp on IG, and immediately related to it, as did a lot of other SLPs. In fact, I typically keep the lights off in my SLP room when I am writing notes, eating lunch, or just wanting some “quiet” (I have big windows with lots of natural light).
And one of my favorite routines, which I have not been able to do much of lately, is to stop at home before I pick up my kiddo and sit to listen to a mediation audio. It helps me to find quiet, decompress, and shift out of work mode. And I often pair it with a warm cup of tea when I want to feel extra.
These moments of decompression make sense – as an SLP, especially with young students and children, you have to be ON all day long. You are talking, engaging, and bringing the enthusiasm for hours a day, even if it is with breaks in between. And then there are co-workers, families, and meetings, where you get to engage even more. For me – it is the virtual meeting that I find exhausting and “ON”, and I used to work in teletherapy exclusively!
It is no wonder that many of us crave a few moments of silence in the comfort of our own homes at the end of the day.
This time to decompress brings in much needed balance, which can help you to feel less overstimulated and overwhelmed. When those things happen, your brain has more difficulty processing and it can make it harder to think, to get anything done, or to feel steady – it is more overwhelming and stressful.
Decompressing can help you to find balance, reduce stress, and be more present in your evenings.
By definition, decompression means to “let the pressure out” or to “relax and find calm”. And I envision it as just this – a tightly wound up person (SLP) that has been piled on throughout the day, with more weight added to them, and more and more packed into their bubble, until they are about to burst or collapse. Then finally, at the end of the day, the pressure is released (sometimes through a cry or a scream or a letting go of all the steam like a pressure cooker), and they finally decompress and feel right again.
So what are some ways to decompress?
If decompression means to let go of pressure, find calm, and relax, then any activity that counteracts the pressure of the day, let you relax, and find calm would be considered a way to decompress. It could definitely vary from person to person, but there are a few that could help most or that give you a few places to choose how you take it.
4 Effective Ways to Decompress from Work
Try these simple and quiet ways to decompress after your SLP workday:
If you are feeling overstimulated and it is hard to think, process, or be around anyone, then finding quiet will help. Chances are, you are dysregulated from being around so much talking and being “on” all day, and you need a little space and quiet to counteract it.
Try something calm and quiet – a 5 minute meditation, sip a cup of tea and stare out the window (or go outside!), read a book (fiction, preferably, so you don’t feel more overloaded).
You may have been on the move during the day – up and down hallways – but it is not the same as moving on purpose. If you are feeling that you are in your head, and thoughts are constant, then movement can be helpful. It gets you out of your head and back into your body and the present moment, so you can be present at home and enjoy it more.
Try some mindful movement – go outside for a walk, try some yoga, swim, go lift some weights, or head to a class – anything that helps you feel better after, rather than more stimulated or tired.
If you are feeling that you are really stuck on a thought, it can be helpful to let it out by writing about it. When you write about the thoughts you are ruminating on, it gives them a place to live other than your head, and this helps you to remove the pressure of the thoughts, find some calm outside of them, and can give you something to look back on later if needed – although many times, just getting it out helps you move through it and onward.
Hobby – let off steam, find balance
It can also be helpful to do something fun, that you enjoy and that gets you in the zone and out of stress for a moment. If you have a hobby that you find soothing, like it resets you, give it a try. It could be writing or moving or reading, but it could also be something like drawing, baking, knitting, building things, etc. If you find it calming and it lets the pressure go, then it could be helpful – but if it stimulates you more and doesn’t bring in balance, try a different thing.
Needing time to decompress after work is not a bad thing and doesn’t mean you are “wrong” or that your job is awful. Sometimes, it just means you had a lot going on that day, and you need to bring yourself back into balance, using your environment to do so. Take a moment (5 minutes might be all you need!) to let the pressure go, and find some calm and relaxation.
Which one of these are you going to try? Share in the comments below!
Want more resources to help you let the pressure off and find some calm? Subscribe below by entering your email address for instant access to the FREE resource library, The Resilient SLP Toolbox, featuring yoga classes, meditation audios and more (check your email to confirm!).
With Love and Light,
Jessi
