Social Decompression

Canadian Rambler's, I learned something very interesting during my recent travels….in other countries, Monday to Friday isn't all about work. 

This may come as a surprise to the other fifty countries that read this blog because they seem to idolize us in some parts, especially among teenagers, but we're not terribly active socially. Where I'm from, people don't usually do a whole lot after the work day is through. Chores? Yes. Going to the gym, maybe. But socializing? Not terribly common. We've become so exhausted as a society, that a lot of us simply shut down after work. We are physically tired, mentally tired, emotionally tired, and most definitely socially tired.

In Europe however, it didn't seem to matter what day of the week it was, something was happening outside or down the street. Live concerts in the street, friends meeting up for drinks in the local pub, people hanging out outside their homes just chatting the night away, you name it! What a culture shock it was for my new friend from Bulgaria who works here, to discover that no one was inviting him out after work!

So what's the difference? How do they find such energy after work? Aside from the potent coffee that is. What can we learn from them to make our own lives better? Well, near as I could tell, they simply know how to take better care of themselves and disconnect from work. Their lunch breaks are spent enjoying a meal, not scarfing it down worrying about work or having people interrupt their break. Not thinking about all of the things they have left to do, or staring at the clock to see how much time they have left. Sometimes you'll even see labour workers stopping what they are doing, pulling out a table and tablecloth, and sitting down with a nice setup to actually enjoy their food beside the road. They go out and decompress with friends after work, drinking and laughing instead of letting the work exhaustion sit and fester. Work is work, and then it's done. Period. 

What a concept.

I think it's safe to say that when most of the people I know (myself included) get home from work, Netflix is the go to, but what is that actually doing about the work stress? It's not going anywhere. 

Tonight, I took a page out of my buddy's book. A couple friends and I went directly to a restaurant after work for all you can eat chicken wings, and good conversation. We ate, we laughed, we enjoyed ourselves… and even though I just got in and I'm usually getting ready for bed right about now, I'm feeling much more rested and stress free than I would have had I came straight home after work.

So there you have it, maybe they're onto something! It's certainly food for thought anyway, especially with today being the International Day of Self Care. Perhaps we can find a better balance between alone time and socializing where recharging in the name of self care is concerned. I mean, what is right for one person might not be right for another but again, it certainly merits exploring.

So your mission this week Rambler's, is to contemplate what you do to decompress from work, or from stress in general, and to consider whether it is actually working for you, fixing the problem, or simply distracting you from it while the stress remains. And for the ones who are among those who socialize after work, what are some other trade secrets you can share? What do you recommend we Canadians do to seize life instead of being ruled by the Monday-to-Friday blues? How can we free ourselves from the 9-5 exhaustion? 

Let us know in the comments below!

Remember folks, if you're not taking care of yourself and you're living to work instead of working to live, what's it all really for? 

Cheers!

The Bra Street Rambler