21 Things To Do By Yourself

A few years ago, this time of year was crazy busy for me. It is now too, but for different reasons.

Back then, I had three kids living at home, and I was neck-deep in all of the holiday hoopla that goes with having school-aged children. Lots of driving. Lots of school events, ballet performances, holiday parties, shopping, wrapping, cooking, etc.

Now my kids are in college, and I’ve directed more of my time and energy into my work. At the moment, I’m under a deadline to complete a self-publishing course in early January. I’m working particularly long hours under some stress to get everything done in time.I’m not complaining — I love my work, but I can tell I’m feeling overwhelmed and depleted. I know myself well enough to recognize when it’s time to step back and recharge.You may be feeling the same way.

Maybe it’s not work or kids or the demands of the holidays, but whatever it is, you also need to refill your emotional and mental tank.If you’re an introvert like me, you may find all of the extra stimulation from the holiday season overwhelming.

More crowds. More traffic. More demands on your time. More ads and offers hitting your inbox or mailbox.

But even extroverts need to pay attention to their internal world to make sure they stay balanced, focused, and calm. It’s easy to get pulled into all of the excitement and festivities, only to find yourself crashing unexpectedly with illness, exhaustion, or anxiety.

During hectic or stressful times, the best thing you can do for yourself is to pull back and spend some time alone.

Consider these 21 things to do by yourself to help you relax and recharge:

1. Read.Reading is always my go-to form of relaxation. For me, the book needs to be a novel that allows me to escape rather than something that requires my concentration or makes me think about work.

Right now, I’m reading Shantaram, which is one of the most beautiful, engaging books I’ve read in a long time. You can see more of my book recommendations here.

2. Take a hike.

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