11 New Me-Time Activities to Try After You’ve Done All the 1,000-Piece Puzzles

Incorporating me time into our days has been a necessary survival tactic in 2020—but it’s easy to blow it off, especially nowadays. As the world slowly reopens, you may find yourself bogged down with the responsibilities you had pre-pandemic, and me time can fall to the wayside. But it’s important to remember we’re not totally back to normal yet. Those feelings of anxiety and hopelessness from March can still pop up, and it’s important to combat them.

So think back to how you originally dealt with the stress of 2020. Did you go on walks? Bake banana bread? Put together 1,000-piece puzzles? Integrating me time into your schedule again is key to ensuring you can handle what’s left of the pandemic—and what’s coming in our “new normal.” If you can’t bear to do another puzzle, though, I hear ya. Try these 11 me-time activities instead. I’m already starting to feel more relaxed.

Have a dance party for one.

This is more than just turning your Spotify on shuffle and jumping around. Make a curated playlist for the vibe you want. All Taylor Swift songs, maybe? Or Taylor Swift remixes? The possibilities are endless. Then dim the lights for a club aesthetic and get your blood pumping. I recommend spinning your perfectly crafted playlist all the way through—no shuffling! You’re a DJ now.

Binge-watch a new series.

You’ve probably watched a million shows this year, so switch up your queue by playing a little Roku Roulette. Peruse the Netflix titles you haven’t seen yet that look intriguing, write the names on slips of paper, and drop them into a hat. Then draw one—and only one. Whatever you select, you have to watch from start to finish. And don't cheat! That ruins the fun.

Plan a super-luxurious bath (or shower).

If you haven’t been able to go to a spa this year, turn your bathroom into one. You don’t need much to take bath/shower time to the next level. Adding a yummy new bottle of bubble bath, some Epsom salts, or a fresh body wash will do the trick. I’m a sucker for lavender scents, and Kneipp has a very affordable bubble bath I adore. See some of my other recs, below:

Lavender Bubble Bath

$15.00, Kneipp

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Epsom Salt Soak

$5.00, Solimo

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Body Clear Body Wash

$10.00, Neutrogena

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Decorate cookies.

You’ve baked dozens of cookies this year, but did you ever decorate them? That’s where the joy really lies, people. Rustle out that chocolate-chip cookie recipe you swore by in March and April, then order a huge bottle of icing—with a nozzle—and go to town. Picasso is shaking.

Green Cookie Icing

$5.00, Wilton

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Try an adult coloring book.

You laugh, but it’s incredibly soothing. Just blocking off 30 minutes a day for some paint-by-numbers crayon action will do wonders for your mental health. You can even buy a coloring book that’s perfectly tailored to your interests. There’s truly something for everyone, I promise. (See, below, a coloring book of celebrity mugshots. Yup.)

Keeping Up With The Incarcerated, An Adult Coloring Book

$8.00, Celebrity Mugshots

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Explore your favorite actor’s filmography.

If you stan someone new, like Lili Reinhart, this activity won’t take long. But if you’re a Julianne Moore or Viola Davis or Meryl Streep buff, there are so many hidden gems to discover. Pick a seasoned actor you admire and start watching their movies and shows in chronological order. Not only will you get to revisit some of your favorites, you may even find new ones.

Revisit a reality show from the 2000s.

This is the perfect cure for end-of-2020 burnout. After a long day of work, make it a point to pop open a bottle of wine and settle in on an old season of America’s Next Top Model, The Hills, or The Bachelor. You can find many of these titles on Hulu, but pro tip: Don’t jump around. Pick one season of a show and see it through. Habitual activities like this are way more calming than TV shuffle.

Cook yourself an elaborate meal.

I’m talking something decadent. Something extensive. Something that will distract you for a few hours on a cold Saturday afternoon. Completely dedicating your mind to something outside of yourself does wonders—and the end result of this challenge is food. A win-win! If you want to share your grub with friends or family, that’s your prerogative, but I recommend doing it just for you. Your roommate can cook her own five-course meal, thank you very much.

Food newbies should start with Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings cookbook. It’s a great place to find recipes you’ll actually want to make—and eat.

Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat: A Cookbook

$17.00, Cravings

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Do your very own paint-and-sip.

A paint-and-sip is exactly what it sounds like: You paint while drinking wine. This is typically something you do with friends at an event space on Tuesday nights, but why not bring the party home? All you need is a canvas, a paint set, and a bottle of your favorite wine. Then pick an iconic piece of art—or just something you like—and try to recreate it. Like following a recipe, the mental focus this takes will dissolve your problems for a few hours and supply some calm.

Complete Acrylic Paint Set

$16.00, BonanzaR

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Stretched Canvas for Painting

$24.00, FSTSLK

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Start a Zoom book club.

As with binge-watching, you’ve probably read a lot this year, so let’s shake up your lit time with a Zoom book club. Even if it’s just once a week for 30 minutes, meeting with friends to discuss something other than the horrors of 2020 will do wonders for your soul. Plus, you may end up discovering a book you otherwise wouldn't have read.

Elevate your nap game.

If you’re not napping in 2020, then what are you doing? Staying rested is key to keeping your stress levels down, but many of us—myself included—have had trouble sleeping this year for obvious reasons. Buying a weighted blanket or a silk eye mask may be just the thing you need to get excited about crawling into bed. A third of your life is spent sleeping, after all. You deserve an oasis—yes, even for a 20-minute nap.

Washable Silk Sleep Mask

$48.00, Lunya

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Weighted Blanket

$161.00, Casper

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Originally Appeared on Glamour