After Work Therapy

The Adult Life 

There are some things I just didn't get before entering the adult world. Things like, why do adults watch so much TV? (my junior high self thought they should read a book or go outside and play!) Why don't they work out more? Why do they seem tired all of the time? (Seriously. Why can't you jump on the trampoline for over an hour? Why does that seem so tiring? Weird.) Why don't they want to do anything in the evening? Why do they go to bed so early? 


Most of the questions can be answered with the work schedule of adults. Working from 8:00 - 5:00, (or 7:45- 6:00 seems more likely, unfortunately.) is exhausting. But it's a different kind of exhausting. You're meeting with people or staring at a computer screen- it shouldn't be that tiring, right? Wrong. It's a different kind of tired. It's the kind that comes from being "ON" and from thinking a lot. 

And while school might require you to think a lot, you have different classes throughout the day, so you get to walk around campus, think about different subjects, have some breaks, etc. Work does not typically operate that way. 

So, when adults are done working for the day- whether they are in sales, design, computer science, medicine, stay at home parents, communications, teaching, counseling, or accounting- they are tired in ways that my inexperienced self couldn't understand. 

I don't mean that negatively towards my younger self. It's okay that I didn't understand the demands of adult life. I wasn't an adult! I didn't need to understand them yet. And each stage of life prepares you for the next. (I think.) So while I didn't understand what being tired from a full day of work felt like, it's okay. 

And I know, those of you who are parents who are reading this, are thinking: "Ha. She hasn't had kids yet. She can't even begin to understand the meaning of tired." Probably true. Although like the previous paragraph stated, it's okay. Each stage prepares you for the next. (ideally.) 

So all of that to say, once I started working full time, I had to figure out had to manage my time after work. 

What is the most helpful to me after staring at my computer all day? 

I like to go for a run. Now, I use the term "run" loosely. I move. While wearing running shoes. 

After I've been staring at a screen all day, I am way over being on a computer. And after sitting all day, I feel like I need to move around. Sometimes I do Crossfit instead, which is also nice. Mostly I just like being active for a little bit. 

It's my own version of After Work Therapy. 

And it helps that I live close to downtown, and can run there. It's fun to see parents out with strollers, people leaving work, students going to class, etc. I also live near an awesome thing Bartlesville has called the Pathfinder. 

It is a trail that weaves all around the town. It is so lovely. It is shaded by trees, and there a great little mile markers throughout the trail like this one: 

Moving, and being outside is usually just what I need. Although I'll admit, I often collapse on the love sac when I first get home for about 10 minutes. It's just too fluffy and comfy to resist. And later in the evening, I love curling up with Jon on the couch and watch an episode of West Wing or Whitecollar on Netflix. 

What do you do to decompress after a long day? Do you go for a run too? Do you have a certain show you watch? 

Whatever you like to do, I hope you find some time for it! Work is great, but making time for hobbies and for rest is important too. 

Much Love, 
xo The Attic