We all need a break from the stresses of life, but taking time for yourself doesn’t always come naturally. However, there are lots of ways to get away from it all — even if it’s just for an hour or two. Here are 15 ideas for how to take a break from your daily life and do something relaxing.
Read a book
Reading is a great way to take a break from your day. Reading can help you relax and unwind, or even let you nap for a few minutes! Reading can also be a fun way to learn new things about something you’re interested in (or something you might not have thought much about). Read an article on the subject, or read an entire book on it!
Watch a movie or a show
Watching a movie or show is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to take a break. You can watch it alone, as a family, with friends or even in another language! There are many options available including:
- The latest release on Netflix or Hulu
- A classic you’ve always wanted to see but haven’t gotten around to yet (think Casablanca)
- An oldie but goodie from your childhood (e.g., Jumanji)
Meditate
Meditation is a great way to relax, and you can do it anywhere. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a pillow, or music—you can still meditate. Meditation can be done with or without a mantra, which is the sound repeated in your head during meditation. For example: om (a Sanskrit word meaning “sound”). The same goes for listening to music while meditating; some like it while others don’t. The point is that you should find what works best for your needs!
Go outside
One of the simplest and most effective ways to break from your work routine is by going outside. Even if you live in a city, there are plenty of ways to get out and enjoy the outdoors in your area:
- Go on a walk through a park or alongside a river
- Visit an arboretum, botanical garden, or zoo
- Find the nearest beach (if you don’t live near one) and take some time off from work to just relax in nature
- If it’s warm enough where you live, go for a hike!
Stay inside
There are a number of ways you can be happy and productive, even if you’re not outside. One way to do this is by staying inside and enjoying the weather, your company and the silence that comes with it:
- Stay inside and enjoy the weather. If you’re sick of being chilly or hot all day long, then stay in! You might think this sounds boring or unproductive—but it’s actually quite relaxing and enjoyable to be out of the elements for a while (especially when your body needs it). This is especially true during winter months when temperatures are at their lowest—you’ll find yourself feeling grateful for any heat source available!
- Stay inside and enjoy being around others who want nothing more than to share in some good conversation over some tasty food together. Even if you don’t have friends nearby who would want an invitation over for dinner (or just so happen not being around people), that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other ways for two people could connect over something simple like eating something together at home instead of going out somewhere else where everyone else wants something different from what YOU want!
Host a game night with friends
Hosting a game night can be a fun way to take a break from your regular routine. It’s also a great way to make new friends, spend time with old ones, and make lasting memories. Choose some favorite games and invite a few people over for the evening.
Here are some tips for making sure it goes well:
- Make sure you have enough food and drinks—you’ll want something delicious on hand no matter how long (or short) the game stretches out!
- Make sure you have enough seating—this can be tricky if there are too many people playing at once. If possible, try using folding chairs so guests can move around easily during longer events; or set up small tables next to each other rather than one large table in the center of an open space (especially if there are kids around). This will allow them access to snacks easily without having someone’s elbow resting in their plate while they eat dinner off of paper plates instead of real ones!
Visit a relative you haven’t seen in awhile
Visiting a relative you haven’t seen in awhile is a great way to take a break.
It can be easy to get caught up in your own life and forget about the people who came before you, but there’s nothing better than connecting with older family members. They have so much wisdom and knowledge they can share with you, and they may even inspire ideas for new projects or hobbies that you’ll love! Plus it’s always lovely to spend time around someone who cares about you.
You don’t have to see these relatives very often; just try making plans once a month or so, depending on how far away their home is (or if they live close enough). You’ll be surprised at how refreshing it is!
Have a picnic
You don’t have to be a billionaire to enjoy the finer things in life. With just a little effort and forethought, you can take yourself on an afternoon or evening out—even if your budget is limited.
Here are some ideas:
- Have a picnic. Pack up your picnic basket with food, drinks and games (such as cards or dice) and head for the park or beach. You’ll get fresh air and sunlight while enjoying nature at its best—and it won’t cost you much more than what’s already in your kitchen!
Go to a museum. If you’re interested in art, history or science, there’s probably a museum nearby that will make you feel like a kid again. And most museums are free!
Call an old friend
The next time you’re feeling stressed or burned out, call an old friend that you haven’t talked to in a long time.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae of life and lose touch with some of your oldest friends. Take this time to reconnect with them, whether it’s over coffee or through video chat. It will be so nice to hear their voice after all this time and catch up with what they’ve been doing! Use this opportunity to ask them about their life now: how are they doing at work? How are their kids? What new hobbies have they explored since the last time we talked?
Try to write in a journal three times this week
Try to write in a journal three times this week. You can have a lot of fun with this! Do you have something you want to do? Write down your thoughts on that. Are you feeling grateful? Take a moment to reflect on that and write it down. What did your day look like, and what were some of the highlights? Use this time as an opportunity to get clear on what’s important to you, then transfer those thoughts onto paper so they’re always there for reference when times get tough—or even just when life gets busy!
Try to save up for something you want
Saving up for something is a great way to take a break.
Simply save money until you have enough to buy what you want.
For example, you could save up for a vacation in the tropics or you could save up for a new car. You could even save up for your wedding or house!
Take the bus or the train somewhere instead of driving
Don’t use your car to get around when you go out with friends. Get their help in arranging for a ride—you’ll save money on gas and probably have a more memorable time.
Have you ever been stuck in traffic? It’s not fun! Driving is one of my least favorite parts about living in a big city—and it would be even worse if I didn’t have reliable public transportation options available to me. If you live somewhere where getting around isn’t convenient, consider taking advantage of public transportation as much as possible while you take some time off from work (or just during happy hour).
Start working toward something new
Whether you’re an entrepreneur trying to build a business, or a stay-at-home parent looking for ways to help your child learn and grow, taking time off can be an amazing way to get refreshed and motivated about the work you do. In fact, every time I’ve taken a vacation from my job as an English teacher at a high school in Chicago (which is lucky enough to have paid time off), I’ve returned recharged and able to focus on my passions with greater intensity than ever before.
If you’re ready to take some time off but aren’t sure where to start, try thinking about one thing that has been on your mind lately—whether it’s figuring out how best to deal with stress or improving your social life—and think of ways that applying this one idea could help improve other areas of your life as well. For example: if stress reduction is what’s missing from your life right now, consider going through all of the things that cause stress in your daily routine and then seeing if there are any solutions (like setting up automated bills payments) that would make those tasks less stressful overall
Consider writing letters to someone
Letters are a great way to take a break. They allow you to connect with others and find new ways of expressing yourself. Letters can be sent either through snail mail, email or other forms of communication—including face-to-face conversations!
You might choose to write letters to anyone from friends and family members to people you’ve never met before but share something in common with (such as an interest). If you don’t have anyone specific in mind, consider writing “general” letters for someone who might need them at some point.
There are many reasons why letter writing is beneficial: it’s old-fashioned; it’s personal; it gives time for your thoughts and feelings to develop; and there’s no way of knowing what will happen when they reach their intended recipient—which makes writing a letter all the more exciting!
Writing an effective letter means taking into account what you want out of the experience. It also means being open about yourself so that your recipient feels connected with you on some level by understanding what motivates them through reading about how others think about similar topics too.”
Organize all your files
Imagine how great it would feel to know exactly where all your files are, and to be able to find them immediately whenever you need them. Think of the time saved, the stress relieved!
If you’re not already organized and keeping track of your files, there’s no better time than now to get started. Organizing digital files is not very different from organizing physical ones—the key is to create a system that works for you.
Conclusion
While most of these tips are easy enough to do, they’re designed to give you something to work toward. The point is not just to take a break, but also to do something that will enrich your life and help you grow as a person. That might mean taking on a new hobby or exploring an old one; it could be organizing all those files on your computer or planning for retirement; it could even be calling an old friend who lives far away from you now but still has so much left unsaid between them both. Whatever it is, don’t let yourself get too caught up in all the pressures around us today—try taking some time out for yourself instead!
