Pull pottery out of the kiln too early and it cracks from the shock. Cooling down is part of making it.

The ending of a process is part of the process. Coming down from something intense at the right rate is not optional recovery tacked on afterwards, it is what prevents the thing you made from breaking. Going straight from heat to open air is where the damage happens.

After anything demanding, a hard week, an exam, a big event, give yourself a real descent instead of an immediate next thing. A slow day, an ordinary evening, nothing scheduled. It will feel like wasted time, and it is the part that keeps the work intact.