3 Ways to Squeeze in a Post-Work Meditation

A post-work meditation will help you ease the transition between work and home life. For many of us, we play very different roles at work and at home—meditating between the two is great way to transition from one chapter of your day to the next. Think of post-work meditation like a reset button to create some separation from your different roles in life.

If you’re looking for greater work-life balance, taking time to consciously let go of whatever may have happened during the day and refocus your energy on family, friends, and evening activities is a productive first step. Post-work meditation will help you take control of your personal time—and will generally benefit you and your loved ones tremendously.

How Can I Possibly Fit This Into My Crazy Evening Schedule?

It’s common for excuses to enter the picture here, with full force. You might be thinking that you’re usually running late to get the kids, make dinner for your spouse, go to yoga, or meet up with your friends for happy hour . . . how will this possibly work?

All you need is:

• 5 minutes to get organized for the next workday
• 5 minutes of quiet to let go of your busy day and de-stress

Here’s how: About five or ten minutes before you need to leave the office, wrap up your work and create a list of to-dos for the next day. Make any notes you don’t want to forget about, problems that will need to be solved, and items that will be your high-priority to-dos the next time you return to work.

Then, you need to find the five minutes of quiet so you can detach from the to-do list of tomorrow and start your evening with a fresh slate. Here are some possibilities of when and where you can squeeze in that post-work meditation:

Before You Leave Work

If you have a commute from work, meditating before you hop in the car or on the train will take the edge off of the commute. Once you get organized for the next day, turn off your computer, and sit quietly at your desk with your eyes closed so you can hit the inner reset button before you head home.

If you don’t feel comfortable meditating at your desk, if it’s too distracting for you, or if you just don’t want to associate your meditation with work, try taking five minutes in your car before you drive home. Of course make sure this happens before you start your car.

On Your Commute

If you’re not the one driving on the commute, try a short meditation on the bus, train, or subway.

If you are driving—and meditating at work or home don’t sound appealing—find a park or quiet space on your way home to break up the commute, connect with nature, and let go of the worries from your day.

When You Get Home

If you find that your commute is particularly stress inducing—and some of the stress you are bringing home is actually coming FROM your commute—you can take some time to meditate as soon as you get home from work.

If you know you can’t find a quiet place inside, try a short meditation in your car outside your house. Park and turn your car off, then take a few minutes to sit quietly in meditation before walking into the house. This is especially helpful if you have young kids or social roommates.

If you can walk in the door and meditate right away in a quiet spot, waiting until you get home is a great option. But make sure you do it as soon as you walk in the door and before you do anything else. Your significant other, family, and roommates will support you—and thank you—when they realize that it will help you become more present with them.

It’s important to highlight that after work is a far better time than later in the night to meditate. Some people find that their meditations energize, so practicing too close to bedtime may disrupt sleep patterns. Others find that if they meditate too close to bed, they will just fall asleep. The window between work and home is your best bet.