How to calm your mind and body post-event
As that event adrenaline begins to wear off and you head home, you might find that all the energy you spent to execute a great event begins to catch up with you. There’s never a better time to take a step back and practice some self-care to get re-invigorated before you begin planning the next event.
Create Your Own Spa Day
The term self-care almost instantly brings to mind a face mask and bubble bath. Indulge in whatever floats your boat; treat yourself to a bath or foot soak with Epsom salt for sore muscles, or even invest in a massage gun, if you prefer.
Read More: Wellness Hacks: Deep Relaxation Trends
Quiet the Mind
A meditation practice or breathing exercise helps to soothe your nervous system. When practiced regularly, these practices can even help reduce blood pressure and chronic stress. You can find guided meditation and breathing exercises for free on YouTube or the app Insight Timer.
Heart-to-Heart
Personal relationships are one of the pillars of mental and emotional well-being. Schedule a coffee date with a good friend, call a loved one you haven’t had time to speak to in a while or even sit down for some long-awaited cuddle time with your pet.
Read More: How to Encourage All Personality Types to Open Up
Be Anti-Productive
Before you say, “no way!” remember that it’s vital to rest the mind in order to have the energy to produce high-quality intellectual or creative work. Give your busy brain a break and allow it to recharge. Get lost in a new book or movie, or even take a nap. Listen to what your body tells you it needs, and then give that to yourself.
For the Future: Make a “Dopamenu”
Wellness influencers on social media have been fixated on one new inspiring trend: “dopamenus,” or dopamine menus. Take a piece of paper and separate it into four quadrants: starters, mains, sides and desserts. Starters are quick activities that don’t take too much effort, like a 10-minute walk outdoors. Mains are activities that take a bit more time and effort but have a big impact on dopamine production, like a gym session. Sides are activities that you can add to others that make them more enjoyable, such as listening to music while you work. Desserts are those activities that give you a dopamine boost when practiced in moderation, such as watching an episode of a favorite TV show.
You can make your own dopamine menu by listing your own personalized activities that fit each category and use it as a reference day after day to make sure you’re implementing a healthy balance of them all, even when you get back to work planning the next outstanding event.
This article appears in the January 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
