At times, things can get pretty hectic at work. There are a dozen important emails to answer, a project to finalise and send to the customer before moving on to the next one, bills to pay, invoices to write… you name it. I don’t know about you but no matter how well I plan my days and prioritise my tasks, I sometimes feel like my brain is melting when I get back home from work.

Sometimes it’s tempting to simply stay at home and do nothing after a busy day at work. Maybe get some delicious food and a glass of wine to be enjoyed with a good book…

While this does often work for me and I love reading books, I feel that sometimes when I try to read or watch TV after a busy day, I can’t concentrate on the book or programme but instead, my brain keeps working on the things I did earlier that day. What works really well for me in these situations is photography. Maybe get some delicious food and a glass of wine, then take a few photos of them with different setups before enjoying them. Or even better, pack my camera, macro lens or telezoom in my backpack and go out to see if there are any birds, flowers or mushrooms out there to shoot.

When walking outside, my brain may still keep working on the day’s tasks but it does that on the background, so to speak. Because what my eyes immediately start doing is they spot all kinds of interesting details around me, allowing me to forget about any worries. What could be more interesting than a bird taking a bath in a puddle, or a squirrel scooting from a tree to tree. Or fresh new leaves in the spring, and some lovely red toadstools hiding in the woods just off the footpath!

To me, going out with my camera is a perfect way of relaxation. Almost like meditation, to be honest. It allows me to be present in the moment and concentrate on the things that I see around me at that particular moment, instead of worrying about all the things I didn’t have time to finish at work.