GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK

Between work and school it is very important to me to give myself time to debrief at the end of the day. Some days I do much better at this than others, just depending on what I have on my to-do list. There are several ways I like to take a break from life and work:

1. Netflix/Hulu. I exhausted almost all of my Netflix supplies over winter break between American Horror Story and Parks & Recreation. It also didn't help that there wasn't a lot of new shows to watch on Hulu. Now that school has started back I find myself having plenty to catch up on because of the different shows I watch throughout the week. I am really excited to have Smash come back next month!

2. Read a book. I really try to get in some reading every night before I go to sleep. I can usually get in a couple of chapters, but last night I was only able to get in half of one. This is how I know I am tired and in need of a break. Right now I am reading The Opposite of Me. It is an easy read and pretty entertaining so far!

3. Cook or bake. This is easily my favorite way to take a break. I love to cook so much that while I am cooking, I forget everything and simply pour all of my efforts into whatever I am making. No judgement if you choose to make something indulgent over something healthy.

4. Browse the blogs. I have tried to get better about checking my Google Reader in the mornings, but I have not worked it 100% into my routine. I love looking at other people's blogs. I always find something inspirational as I go through them or some piece of knowledge I didn't know I needed.

5. YouTube. There is absolutely nothing productive about browsing YouTube, but it can be helpful when it comes to your next gathering with friends. Who doesn't like to share a new funny video? A friend and I send each other all of the best Hunger Games videos we can find. It is a little ridiculous, but it keeps us laughing and we never know what will pop up in our inboxes.

*BONUS* Do not spend your free time browsing new furniture you need to buy. This will only result in getting off of your couch, and heading to the furniture store and buying it on the spot. Yes... That did happen. That's not the bad part though. You then have to assemble said furniture and there is no "break time" in that process. However, two hours later you might have a nice new desk.

How do you give yourself a break?