We all need downtime. In fact, it’s not too presumptive to say that if you don’t have downtime, it’s easier for you to suffer burnout and fray at the edges. You can’t be on constant go-go-go mode, even if you have major responsibilities. Most parents learn this quickly - catching sleep when they can outside of usual bedtime hours becomes a luxury, but one they try to keep up with.
However, if you’re the kind of person who always prefers to do something that feels useful, perhaps video games, watching Netflix or just laying on the sofa isn’t quite appealing to you. There’s nothing wrong with those activities of course, but not everyone adapts to them as comfortably as others do.
However, that doesn’t mean you deserve less downtime. You may just require a different type. Learning what works for you and also helps you relax can allow you to access greater reserves of energy, without assuming you’re worthless if you’re not contributing to someone or something.
So, how do you strike that balance? Well, you’re going to have to figure that one out yourself. What we can do is offer some warm guidance towards nourishing comforts you may find appealing. We really hope they help as you find your best approach to calm relaxation:
Calm Reading
We tend to think of reading as a super productive habit, and it can be, but you get to balance this approach how you like. Maybe you want to read into the history of your local area, or perhaps you’d prefer to read a calm coming of age novel that’s more introspective. Perhaps you want a fantasy or romance story, or a memoir of someone you admire.
Reading doesn’t always have to be about self-improvement or catching up on the latest bestsellers, in other words. It’s fine to just slow down and let your mind wander through someone else’s words. Calm reading is about finding a book that feels like a friend you can sit with in silence and picking it up again when you need five minutes of comfort.
Gentle Cooking & Meal Prep
For many people, cooking is therapeutic. A series of steps you know how to do but can have fun with the technical and kinetic aspects of it, filled with taste and texture and fragrances. For example, rhythmic chopping of vegetables or the soft bubbling of a sauce simmering on the stove can feel like ASMR in a way. When you take your time with it, cooking becomes more than just a task to deal with, especially if you have some chill classical or jazz music playing.
If you’d prefer to prepare meals for the week, that can be “productive” too, because you’ll have lunches you can reheat at work throughout the next seven days and rest in your routine, saving money and time. Either way, it’s less about following complex recipes and more about enjoying the process. You might even find that it becomes a ritual of self-care, a way to ground yourself after a busy day. This way you can also detach cooking from the constant drone of quickly whipping up meals in your free time, one batch will always be there for you when you need it, and you get to define when cooking is most enjoyed.
Listening To Audiobooks & Podcasts While Cleaning
It’s very true that cleaning might not be everyone’s idea of downtime, but when paired with a good audiobook or podcast, it can become surprisingly relaxing. Instead of focusing on the chore that you were dreading and couldn’t be bothered to do after a long week of work, you’re immersed in a story or interesting conversation, and before you know it, the task is done because you’re not really focused on it.
Audiobooks are great for when you want to dive into a novel but don’t have the time to sit down and read - the best are audio dramas which have awesome sound design and really sweep you up in the fun. Podcasts, on the other hand, can be about any topic you find interesting and keep you engaged you while you dust, sweep, or do that massive pile of laundry and ironing.
The best part is, that it turns something mundane into a small pleasure. You focus on the content, and your body just does the work. You might find yourself actually looking forward to cleaning up, just to get some time with your favorite narrator or podcast host catch the latest episode, and realize that all the chores are sorted before you know it.
Painting
Not all painters were the most relaxed characters around, but if you approach painting with a calm mind and don’t try to be the next Da Vinci, you can have a lovely time. Some people enjoy doing simple nature scenes and following along with a Bob Ross tutorial can be a wonderful way to enjoy that.
You might even go out and set up an easel and paint a local scene to have fun. You don’t have to be an expert at perspective and layering color, you might not even know how to mix colors well on your palette, but that’s totally fine. What matters is settling into it and having fun with tone and texture. You can see yourself improving the more you do, and better yet you get to define it on your own terms. Perhaps in your free time you can read up on particular techniques, or you can just enjoy abstract painting.
Painting is wonderful because it has a visceral texture to it, not unlike the means of cooking we discussed earlier. So why not give yourself some time and pick up a starter paint kit? This is productive because art is productive and part of the expression of the human soul. Or if you’d like to be less pretentious than we were there, it’s just good to get your stress out.
Meditation & Yoga
Meditation and yoga are two practices that many people swear by, even those who enjoy being productive, and for good reason. They both offer a way to connect your body and mind, which often means grounding yourself in the present moment.
That’s because even just a few minutes of deep breathing or stretching can help you unwind and reset. Yoga has a focus on gentle movement and mindful breathing, but it’s still movement, meaning you don’t feel stagnant at all. This process gives your brain a little break from the constant noise of daily life.
Moreover, anyone who tells you that yoga is a lazy exercise simply hasn’t done it. You can really burn some calories keeping up on yoga, to the point where if this is the main workout you do, that can be enough. Thankfully, you’ll feel more restored coming out of a session than going in, which can be ideal.
Word Games & Puzzles
If you’re someone who enjoys doing a crossword or playing Wordle, that can be a great escape because it’s training your brain while also relaxing you. Activities like this that keep us occupied, don’t make us want to fall asleep, but still won’t feel like you’re running a mental marathon are wonderful to keep up with, and can feel restorative in general.
We’d also recommend puzzles if you like them. Having a large jigsaw on the go can be quite relaxing, and can also be done at your own pace, you don’t have to finish one in an entire evening for example. They can also be done while doing something else, like watching TV, but at least you won’t be toe-tapping and restless as some people can be in that environment.
With this advice, we hope you can still enjoy your productivity, but at least with a little downtime and being able to relax.