28 Ways to Unwind when You Need a Break from Writing

activities to help you unwind

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When you need a break from writing, here are some great activities to help you unwind.

Take a hot bath with bath salts or a bath bomb.
Go on a scenic walk.
Read a book.
Journal about your day, but only if it doesn’t become another to-do item—you want to unwind, not get stressed out!
Roast marshmallows and make s’mores. If you can’t get to a fire to roast the marshmallows, make the s’more, wrap it in tinfoil, and toast it in the oven.
Do yoga.
Do some light exercise to warm up your muscles, followed by a long stretching session.
Try meditation.
Do a breathing session. You can try the Wim Hof method: take 30 deep, quick breaths with forceful exhales (you’ll feel a bit light headed at the end), then breathe in deeply before releasing the air and holding it until you feel the urge to breathe in. Then breathe in slowly and as deeply as you can and hold your breath until you need to breathe out. This can quickly oxygenate your blood. Finish off with a humming breath, where you take a final deep breath, then release it while humming loudly. The vibrations from humming are believed to soothe your body and help release stress.
Get a massage.
Go for a run, if you like running.
Go on a bike ride, preferably in a more scenic area.
Go on a hike if you live near the mountains.
Go to the beach if you live near the ocean.
If you find cooking relaxing, make a delicious meal. If you don’t like to cook, go out to eat.
Get creative—try finger painting, coloring, or sculpting with Play-Doh.
Try your hand at gardening.
Rock out to some of your favorite music. Bonus points for singing along loudly!
Play Frisbee with family and friends.
Give yourself a facial.
Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
Try visualizing yourself in your favorite spot or in a tranquil setting. Focus on what is there, what you smell, what you hear, what you see, and so on.
Sunbathe for a couple minutes and soak in that vitamin D (but don’t get burned!).
Take a hot/cold shower. First shower in hot water before turning the water as cold as you can bear it.
Swing on a swing.
Drive away from the city and go stargazing—you can make it a family activity!
Watch a comedic movie or TV episode or listen to stand-up comedy.
Create a dream board—find pictures that represent your dreams, even the wild ones, whether that is a future house, a nice kitchen, an awesome library, a private beach, a personal castle . . . Get crazy!