So, I tried to come up with activities that do not include a screen. And here is the list of things I could think of and have actually quite enjoyed during the past couples months when I had a couple minutes in between studying. Most of them might probably be pretty obvious. But I'm the type of person that when I try to think of something to do, I usually completely blank.
1. Going for a walk or riding a bike: Getting outside of my apartment usually clears up my head pretty quickly. Going for a walk in the woods nearby or even just in our neighborhood is actually really relaxing for me. I enjoy looking around and seeing other people just going along with their day to get my mind off of all the studying. Plus, walking doesn't require anything but yourself, so you can do this option for free.
2. Reading a book or magazine: Something that really got me thinking this last exam season was, that I really just didn't enjoy watching TV after a long day of work and a study session in front of a computer screen. So I decided I would try reading a book in the evening. Since books aren't super cheap when you buy them at the book store, I decided to get myself a library pass. They are usually quite inexpensive and the library in my town actually has quite a high number of currently popular books.
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| This is the book I am currently reading. In the library in my hometown you have to pay 1€ each month and you can basically get as many books as you'd like for the month. There is a complimentary TV-series based on this book called "The Handmaid's Tail". |
3. Going to the gym: This one is probably fairly obvious. For me sports have always been the time in my day where I can just completely shut off my brain and not think. When I'm exercising I can just focus on the work I'm doing right at that time and for an hour or so I can simply forget about all the exam or work stress. A lot of gyms usually have a discount for students, so you won't have to spend as much money to do this option.
4. Doing something creative: Focusing on actually creating something from scratch really gets my mind off all the homework, assignments, or work. My creative outlet for the past couple weeks has been knitting. My mom taught me how to knit when I was younger but I never really finished any projects. On a recent trip a friend of mine was knitting socks during her spare time. When we got home I immediately went on YouTube and searched for a tutorial on how to knit socks. It's actually not super hard, so it doesn't frustrate me. This activity keeps my mind off of stressing over uni and at the end of the day, I actually have some fluffy socks for the upcoming colder seasons that I made myself. As I've come to realize knitting is kind of on the more expensive side, as wool can be a bit pricy. But there is a lot more creative things to do - baking, journaling, cooking, drawing. And if the activity isn't enough to keep your mind off of uni, school or work, you can always listen to a podcast or music while you do these things.
These are just a couple of things that I do to relax after a long day of work or uni. If you can think of many more, I would love to hear about them in the comments as I'm always looking for new ways to relax after studying.
Love,
Svenja