12 Ways to Chill Out

I recently emailed a friend and told her I was feeling a bit robotic lately: Get up. Put on clothes. Type at computer. Put on boots. Go outside. Come back home. Sit at computer. Watch TV. Take off clothes. Go to bed. 
Busy with stuff and no time for fun, I found things becoming a bit routine and lifeless. Not good. When I went through the same kind of zombie-like stage last year, I started planning and saving, and I took a big inspiring seven-week trip to S.E. Asia. The Vitamin D alone did me a world of good. But there's obviously not always enough time and resources for the big getaway, so I try to recharge by changing things up in cheap and cheerful ways. One of my big ones is taking a couple hours and meeting a friend for a coffee or tea break and a chat. 

I wanted to know what other people do for a quick pick-me-up, so I posed the question: You're busy, you're feeling a bit burned out, and you have a limited amount of time. What do you do or what helps you de-stress and recharge? 

Here's the fun stuff people had to say (and thank you to you all!):

• "A cup of tea, feet up and, *gasp* (should I admit it?), trashy reality TV on the PVR!" — Erin Feasby Ventresca
• "If I can get to a hot yoga session, that helps instantly, especially being reminded to keep slowly breathing. If I only have a few minutes, I like to turn off all devices, like TV, music, phone, and just do my nails or have a bath in silence!" — Sandi Tower
• "I always like to have the ingredients for an Emergency Hot Fudge Sundae on hand." — Arren Williams
• "A cup of tea." — David Pimentel
• "Hot hot bath with dimmed lights." — Emily Norris
• "Getting my makeup done at Bobbi Brown." — Jaimie Nathan
• "What I should do: yoga. What I usually do: eat a cookie." — Virginia Macdonald
• "I drink red wine." — Sheila Tutty
• "Crank the tunes." — Ian Cobb
• "Sit in front of a Tissot at the AGO." — William MacDonald
• "Hunker down and read a book (currently the fourth installment of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie 'trilogy')." — Katie Hayden.
• "Eat." — Lynda Harrison

Photos by Laura Muir