How To Treat Yourself Better After A Long Day At Work

You work hard day in and day out to meet the challenges of life and provide a pleasant life for yourself. You are 100% dedicated to your career and giving your all. In addition, you find yourself taking on the care of everyone else and having little time for yourself. On top of that, no one seems to notice. Nothing you do seems to be getting you anywhere. You feel taken advantage of and the boss just keeps piling more on your plate while the 80% nonworking workers are loafing around.

Well, how real is this. Sometimes things just don’t work out in your favor. There are so many situations at work that are unfair. You give 100% and you are the last person they cut any slack. Does that sound familiar?

That must really suck to spend long hours in a bad working environment.

Face it, you may be that person who takes 100% responsibility, and your tolerance to take on stuff just seem higher than most. I’m not trying to tell you to ignore it and do nothing because I have plenty of suggestions for getting out of those situations. As a matter of fact, go to Passive Income menu to read about a key way for escaping all the pettiness of a job permanently. If you are wanting to escape, but don’t know where to begin, there are clear instructions for starting in that direction (click here to learn more). Rather, I want to direct your attention to how to treat yourself better regardless of those crummy situations that are going on at work.

First, it is important to leave work mess at the work place and not bring it home. You should try really hard to turn off work when you clock out or head out of the building each day. Turning it off is the last conscious step you should do before exiting to get in your car. I’m suggesting that you should perform a physical motion as if you were pushing an off button on your brain (push your temple and repeat “Off work”). Commit to doing that action because you have treats awaiting for you at home.

Second, on the way home, decide on an activity to destress. How will you treat yourself? Your focus should be to visualize the peace and joy that is going to come form that activity.  My simplest ways to detox from a hard day at work are below. Technically these are things you should do to treat yourself anytime, but you really should take advantage of these in a crummy work situation.

Third, do these often to treat yourself better, period.
Work and treat is your new vicious cycle as oppose to work and work. These three healthy ways to treat yourself are my favorites.

Chocolate – A Favorite Indulgence

Try a healthy dessert of fresh berries drizzled with chocolate or adding a couple tablespoons of natural cocoa to smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.

As a health nut and student of nutrition, I have come to know the ins and outs of chocolate and I’m well acquainted with its origin and benefits. I think it is important to give a brief overview of chocolate so you can choose the best variation to eat.

Chocolate is roasted and grounded cocoa beans. The cocoa bean, also called cacao bean, cocoa, and cacao, is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor. When fermented and heated, the residue is cocoa solid and cocoa butter. Cocoa solids are a source of flavonoids which have a long list of incredible health benefits that are still being unveiled by scientists today.

There are variations of chocolate created from the combination of cocoa solid and cocoa butter, and some are healthier than others. They are:

• Bitter chocolate contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions, without any added sugars. It is always dark and a minimum of 75% cacao. It is used for baking and referred to as raw cocoa.
• Sweet Chocolate contains a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter or added vegetable oils, and sugar. Typically contains 15-35% minimum of cacao solids.
• Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. It contains a minimum of 20% cocoa solids
• White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, but does not contain cocoa solids.

Now chocolate is not a superfood, but it does have a notable impact on heart health and brain health which makes it a favored treat. The flavonoids in high dosage have been shown to help relax blood vessels and thus improve blood flow to heart and brain. Studies are showing that this increase in blood flow leads to lower blood pressure and improving memory.

It is believed that a daily dose of 545mg of flavonoids is an effective for health health and much higher dosage for brain health. You should know that an ounce of Dark chocolate only has 100 mg of flavonoids, which should be obvious that your only source of flavonoid should not be chocolate. Berries, apples, and green tea are also healthy sources of flavonoids.

The point is that for a treat, chocolate has a health component and is not just delicious. With anything, eating in moderation is the key. An ounce of chocolate is roughly 160 calories.

Visit Chocolate.org for some healthy choices of specialty and gourmet chocolate. They have an array of gluten free, organic, sugar fee assortment of chocolate candy, truffles, cookies, brownies, and baking goods.  Don’t forget your friends. Chocolate is a cool way to build relationships or make a great first impression.

Red wine – A Guiltless pleasure

Unwine with some red wine (in moderation). Yes, I am giving you permission to drink red wine and eat dark chocolate.

Red wine has an incredible list of health benefits. This may be why Jesus converted water to wine as his first miracle. I’m thinking it was red wine.

Studies have proven that red wine (in moderation) can prevent or reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, depression, dementia, anti-aging damage, colon cancer, breast cancer (reduce estrogen levels), control blood sugar, and many others. This is an impressive list of benefits.

Red wine is simply fermented grapes. Red wine contains antioxidants from the skin of grapes, anthocyanins and resveratrol, which reduce oxidation in the body and responsible for hearth health related to increasing good cholesterol. It is the component that is associated with longevity, cancer prevention, and reducing both hearing loss and cognitive decline.

Red wine also contains a certain kind of antioxidant, catechins, which are known to fight inflammation and burn fat. There are rumors that drinking a glass of wine is equivalent to spending an hour at the gym. I don’t know if that is true or false, but I’d rather think it is true.

Keep in mind that wine is only a treat when it is done in moderation. All the health benefits are reversed and could lead to chronic illness or death if one overindulges. Roughly, a glass of wine is 4 – 5 oz. A great rule of thumb for those who enjoy a glass of wine every night is to make sure the bottle of wine (750ml) lasts at least five nights. The guideline for low risk moderation is

•     Up to 2 drink units a day for women.
•     Up to 3 drink units a day for men
•     No more than 4 drink units on any one occasion.
•     Alcohol should be avoided in certain situations such as pregnancy, when taking certain medication or operating machinery.

Visit Wine in Moderation if you want to learn more about drinking wine responsibly.

Spa Time – A Permissible Escape

Quiet time is a precious commodity. Quiet time in a hot bubble bath, with oils or scented candles and soft music is a treat.

Try to take time to draw a hot bath to meditate by thinking of nothing. You should hang a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. I suggest you set a timer before getting in the tub just in case you fall asleep. This is your nap time on steroids.  It can be relaxing, sensual, recharging and fun. You’ll be amazed how much more enjoyable your day will end if you just schedule this ritual and consider this time as a treat.

Go the extra mile here. Add some soft music and essential oils. Make this a healthy moment also. Adding bath salts and bath oils and using exfoliating body scrub with herbal properties can be calming, uplifting and healing. Incorporating essential oils can be absorbed through the skin to promote brain function and whole body healing. Most essential oils not be applied directly to skin, but could be used in bath tub with other oil carriers. It is best to fill the tub first then add 5 – 10 drops of oil to a cup of milk, vinegar, oatmeal, honey or liquid soap then mix in the water just before getting in the tub. The most popular essential oils are peppermint, which is a mood lifter and lavender which is a calming agent. Click here to search for certified organic essential oils and other aromatherapy products, or check out Bathorium Inc for gift sets to make your spa time fabulous and to get a variety of samples without spending a lot of time figuring out what to get. I know your time is precious.

Finally, I’ve given you three healthy ways to treat yourself better. Incorporate all of them as often as you can to create balance in your life. I am advocating a mindset of treating yourself often, not just once or twice a year. I know working hard is important, but taking care of yourself is most important.

I hope this article inspires you to habitually treat yourself. I’d like to know what do you do to treat yourself? Leave a comment below or email me at coachclaudette@youworktoomuch.com