What helps you quickly switch over after a hard-working day, and how to plan a weekend to start a new week full of energy? We asked our teammates about recipes for fighting against stress, if any. And maybe those ideas will inspire you to find something new.

Kseniia Zarubina, HR Specialist

I practice SUP yoga; it’s yoga on the water. It helps relax and get rid of negative thoughts. In addition, it fosters the burning of unwanted calories as the muscles are tensed all the time to keep balance though the head has a break during the exercise. As a result, we get a stretch, lean body, and clear mind.

Sometimes, I also do jogging, but it’s only for the sake of pleasure.

Olesia Kochmar, Operations Assistants

I like landscape design. I live in a detached house and often spend my spare time in the garden trimming trees and bushes, planting, and simply watching the results of my work.

I am also fond of creating handmade items and different decorations for home. For example, in the photos, you can see how the three-piece mirror set has been transformed into a modern cabinet.

Maksym Pasynkov, Project Manager

I practice sensory walks during lunch breaks. You have to take a slow walk in a forest or park and concentrate on different sensory canals: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and even taste if you take along something to have a bite. It helps unfocus and break the tension after the first part of the day.

Healthy sleep is also essential. For this, I work on circadian rhythms: tune up light, use black-out curtains to have no light at night, do not use any gadgets 30 minutes before going to bed. I also do breathing exercises to fall asleep faster. 15-20 minutes’ walk in the evening facilitates sound sleep as well.

I also practice forest ‘plunging’ once per 2-3 weeks. You gather a small company and make it out to a forest, preferably the pine forest. You pin a start point, switch on the airplane mode on your smartphones, and go off in contrary directions. So, you walk alone for 2-3-4 hours, concentrating on the surrounding nature. I advise taking a thermos with tea and something to eat. It is incredible reload!

Dmytro Vlasov, Software Development Engineer

I often play the guitar during breaks. I have a regular acoustic. I mostly choose something from rock-ballads, from my favorite Aquarium, Venya D’rkin, Punkmovies, Oleksii Vdovin. But the guitar is more likely a secondary instrument; I prefer singing. I often practice new things, and sometimes, I even compose something by myself.

And if the day was hard, I go for a run in the evening. It helps to get rid of stress quickly and effectively.

Yevheniia Kramarenko, Quality Assurance Engineer

In the morning, before the working day start, I do yoga outdoors and swim in the river. And I have a plan to start going to some canteen or café during a lunch break.

After work, I go in for dancing (bachata), go out with friends, attend massage sessions, have workouts in the gym with a coach, go cycling, or attend concerts.

An ideal weekend would include a camp-out in the countryside, canoes, and guitar or a visit to some festival.

For a vacation, I would recommend trying to travel with a group of strangers. It gives a chance to see something new in people and also to reveal new facets of yourself.

Dmytro Riezchik, Business Analyst

Searching for old photos and videos of the XIX-XX centuries helps switch attention after a working day. I usually look for materials about Dnipro city on the Internet; sometimes, I also find interesting historical artifacts about the oblast or Ukraine.

I arrange the family archive materials as well. Currently, I am fond of watching films from the 50-60s about post-war society. I’ve even found movies shot in Dnipro of that period. It’s interesting to watch how locations and people change as time passes and to compare them.