unwind
v.v. to relax and stop worrying after you have been working hard or feeling stressed. It is like letting a tight spring go loose so you can feel calm again.
v. to relax after a period of work or tension; to release oneself from inhibition or stress. Often used figuratively to describe the transition from a high-pressure state to a restful one.
I like to unwind by reading a book after work.
After a long week of meetings and deadlines, she needed the weekend to unwind and clear her head.
The resort is designed for those who need to unwind completely, offering a serene environment far removed from the relentless pace of modern corporate life.
From Middle English unwinden, from Old English unwindan (“to unwind; unwrap”), from Proto-Germanic *andawindaną (“to unwind”); equivalent to un- + wind (“to coil”). Cognate with Dutch ontwinden (“to unwind”).
Intransitive when meaning to relax; transitive when meaning to undo something that is wound or coiled.