Recently, we talked about how physical activity at certain times can be helpful in increasing your focus at work. We also know some activity during the workday can help your work-life balance. What else can physical activity do? Today, we dive into one more benefit of physical activity as recovery after work.
Activity Helps You Feel Good and Detach
Research shows that some sort of movement or exercise can help you at the end of the work day. We’ve talked about the importance of recovery and psychological detachment in the past. As employees, we need to ensure we are detaching from work each evening. It is important for our well-being. Researchers have determined that physical activity can be a great way to detach after a long work day. That detachment actually leads to a better mood at the end of the day too.
It’s important to note that this can be any type of physical activity. It can be walking your dog or an intense spin class – whatever works for you! If you need help forgetting about your work day, exercise is a good way to go. If you want to boost your mood after a rough day in the office, think about doing something active. Basically, activity can really help you feel good!
Activity as Recovery Boosts Energy
Not only does activity help you feel good at the end of the day, it can help the next day too! Researchers found that using physical activity as recovery can help you feel more energetic the next day. It can also help you be more engaged at work too. If you are feeling tired each morning, it might be something to try to help boost your energy.
We do want to caveat all of this though with an acknowledgement that employee wellness programs should not just include a focus on exercise. Employees cannot fix their own workplace wellness challenges as those are mostly rooted in broader organizational problems. However, if you are an employee that is struggling, physical activity can be something to try to help yourself as much as you can. If you are a leader, help your employees have time to recover in whatever way they need. Make sure they aren’t overworked and that they can fully detach from work!
