Are you one of those people that simply cannot sit still? You may feel as though whenever free time is available, you have to be working on yourself, on your life goals, on your projects, on your general sense of calm. Even efforts like meditation or relaxation can become essential for an “end goal,” be that bettering yourself or improving your concentration through mindfulness.
But the truth is that life isn’t necessarily a project, or at least it doesn’t have to be at all times. If you enjoy working on your life and getting things done, that’s wonderful, but perhaps it’s time to learn how to sincerely, deeply relax too. After all, without rest it’s impossible to truly be active and our most attentive selves.
If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends and feel ashamed to take a break, perhaps it could be your sincere duty to learn how to relax and enjoy yourself. Asking that much of yourself is never a bad idea, in fact, it willingly shows you’re open to challenging your assumptions, one that in order to be valid you have to be working in some way.
So, let’s discuss eight steps to overcome “overproductive syndrome!”
- Enjoy Reading Pulpy or Non-Serious Literature
If you really like reading, chances are you know the value of focusing on literature that’s enriching, meaningful, or challenges you to think. That in itself can be a nice way to keep the hobby interesting. Yet of course, while some books are amazing, especially classical literature, not every book you read has to be “serious” or enlightening. Sometimes, the best way to truly unwind is by reading something purely for fun – especially if it’s a pulpy novel on a topic or feeling you want to explore and enjoy.
Depending on who you are and what your tastes may be this can differ, but could include a fantasy novel, a sci-fi adventure, or a mystery thriller and that’s fine, there’s no shame in indulging in fiction that’s meant to entertain rather than educate you aand make you feel cultured. You’ll also be supporting authors that enjoy writing fun tales for the sake of it, and that’s quite a positive thing to do. A lovely novel you don’t need to think too much about can be a great way to escape from the pressures of constant self-improvement and tying up the reading hobby with that alone.
- Consider Calmly Writing In A Journal
Journaling is often described as the thinking person’s hobby, with a reputation of being a means for deep thoughts and emotional insights to present themselves, and while it can certainly serve that purpose, it doesn’t have to be so serious.
Looking at it from a different angle, journaling can be as lighthearted or silly as you want it to be. Write about your day, your random thoughts, or even sketch out some doodles, free association and stream of conversation while relaxing and perhaps listening to some calming music can be nice after a long day. We even have a great guide to journaling if you’re looking to get started.
The real beauty of journaling is that it’s just for you, you never have to show another soul, so feel free to just relax into it. Perhaps you’ll find yourself writing about a topic you’re thinking about lately or thinking through a problem more easily. It could make a major positive impact on your life.
- Have A Game You Enjoy Playing
There’s real value in engaging in an experience that doesn’t necessarily have a “purposeful” end result, but that feels enjoyable, calming and stimulating to do. Video games, board games, or even a simple puzzle can be fun ways to spend the time and relax, a perfect balance between keeping your brain active but also letting it rest because of the lesser demand placed on it.
For example, having a bookmark for a mahjong game can allow you to spend some time on yourself if you need to take a breather, but without feeling like you’re spending too much time on one session, or that you feel even more tired than when you first began.
Putting it simply, games can offer a nice escape and can help you focus on something lighthearted. They also remind you that not everything has to be productive or goal-oriented, except for in the game session itself.
- Set Up A Calm Space Outside To Drink Tea
If you have a balcony, backyard, or a sunny window ledge, take advantage of it and make it your happy place when you need to take a breather. This way, you’ll see that all you need to reset is a comfortable spot outside to enjoy a hot (or cold) beverage, perhaps to greet a cool autumn morning or to cool down after a long night in the summer heat.
This can also serve as a form of meditation. Of course, smoking is bad for you, but those who keep up the habit for years often say one of the reasons quitting is so hard is because they don’t want to give up those little pensive breaks enjoyed each day. Don’t do this of course, but replace such a habit with tea or another healthy alternative, and you’ll see the wisdom in having a daily break outside, even if it’s just outside your back door.
- Set Up A Chill-Out Playlist
Music can help improve any particular mood we wish to feel, from excited to sad to comfort, and the latter is what we’re looking for here. Putting together acarefully curated playlist can help you relax into yourself more easily, be that waking up with smooth jazz on the radio or going to sleep with an ambient playlist curated by another user on platforms like Spotify.
Better yet, calming music can help with almost every element on this list, as enjoying a morning coffee overlooking your garden with some classical morning music playing, or relaxing at night with some heartfelt meditation sounds can help prevent your mind from working at a million miles an hour. Having music as an optional toggle to set the ambiance of your space may seem like it would take a while to set up, but with modern tools you’ll be more than sorted.
- Spend Time With Friends You Can Be Yourself Around
Have you ever hung out with someone and felt like you were “on”? Like you have to be interesting, entertaining, or say the right thing all the time? That can be exhausting, and unfortunately, some people just bring that out of us. Yet friends who make you feel like you can be completely yourself – almost no matter what mood you’re in – are worth their weight in gold.
These are the people who don’t care if you show up in jogging bottoms, or if you aren’t feeling your best. They get it, and they make space for you to just be, of course, provided you do the same for them. Spending time with these friends is a great way to de-stress, and if you find someone like that, then investing your time and energy into them is almost never going to make you feel lesser when you come back to your own home.
- Consider Calming Hand Hobbies Like Knitting
A hobby you can focus on, as with our gaming example, can help you stay alert without feeling stressed. But what if you prefer something a little more tangible than screen time? Knitting, crocheting, painting by numbers, and coloring books (for adults of course) can provide a calming way to express your frustration. We tend to understand this as children but when growing up, we lose all those little hobbies we love. But do you have to? Of course not!
Knitting especially is a favorite for those who want to feel productive while actually unwinding, and it can also connect you to other people who enjoy your hobbies, like heading to a local wool or yarn festival and seeing different creations.
- Listen To An Audiobook
Anyone who has worked a job or is in the process of raising a family (some people even do both!) will know that at the end of a long week, falling down on the sofa and feeling half awake can feel like the kind of relief you’ve needed. But sometimes, watching television, a particular show or movie isn’t really what you feel like relaxing to.
Audiobooks are great for that. Here you get all the benefits of committing to reading but with a narrator who does the hard work for you, while also reading at your own pace. Better yet, if there’s a voice that soothes you, be it a particular author or celebrity, then relaxing into that can feel wonderful.
This can also be a fantastic way to relax before bed, again as children we have no qualms being read to at night, but that becomes something we “grow out of” as we grow. Well, maybe we should all grow into it again. Audiobooks are there for us all.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily overcome overproductive syndrome. We’ve specifically geared these steps to become little activities you can enjoy without investing as if they were a final task you need to submit for approval, as many of our responsibilities are. They can provide the nice counterbalance you deserve going forward.
