Smarter Living: What to do with a day off

January 18, 2021

Rose Wong

By Tim Herrera

On holidays, I usually like to send a version of this same newsletter: ideas for how to spend a day off, whether you want to get your financial life in order, go shopping, think about your career or just chill all day watching TV on the couch. But what does a day off even mean now? It’s tough to go anywhere, because, generally speaking, we really shouldn’t leave the house for nonessential errands. It’s hard to fix your finances with so much uncertainty, and a recovery isn’t really a recovery for everyone. And how can we relax with all of this *gestures broadly* going on?

Still, if you’re fortunate enough to have the day off, maybe use it as a chance to take care of some of those things that have been hanging over your head. We all have them, and time away from work is as good an excuse as any to knock that one thing off your to-do list. Or not! Maybe today is just a stay-in-bed-and-binge-“Veep”-again kind of day. That sounds absolutely wonderful to me.

Whatever kind of day you have in store, here are some ideas that might be helpful.

First, reflect on what today means

“Despite his youth, or perhaps because of it, Dr. King understood the long view of history,” writes Rich Benjamin in an article from Opinion about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. “He could not have foreseen a crowd brandishing guns and ransacking the Capitol, abetted by a failed president and right-wing digital media networks peddling debunked conspiracy theories. But he might have foreseen the Senate election victories of two youthful Southerners, Jon Ossoff, 33, and Raphael Warnock, 51, the latter a charismatic preacher and a successor to his pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church.” Read more »

And while you’re at it, here are ways to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday, whether you want to commit to a day of service or learn about the history of the civil rights movement.

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Do that one thing you’ve been putting off

Yeah, yeah, you’ll get to it sometime — it’s the little fib we all tell ourselves to get out of doing that one thing. But today is a great day to just get it done! Send that email, finish up that task at home, send that holiday thank-you note you still haven’t gotten around to. Whatever it is, just do it. You’ll feel so much better, I promise. Read more »

Embrace laziness

Yes, yes, you’re busy, I’m busy, we’re busying ourselves to exhaustion. But if you have today off, take a conscious stand against all of this busyness. Being busy — if we even are busy — is rarely the status indicator we’ve come to believe it is. Read more »

Do some tiny chores

Being home all the time has been hard on your house, too.

Consider investing your time in small projects that have big-gratification appeal. None of the five chores mentioned in this article take more than an hour, and each ends with a satisfying thought: Why didn’t I do that sooner? Best of all, unlike the dishes and the bottomless laundry pile, these chores won’t need to be done again for many months. Read more »

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De-stress

This year has already proved to be the emotional equivalent of an ultramarathon. To help you hit the reset button, it’s crucial to know some quick, efficient, stress-reducing strategies, so here are a few ideas from an assistant clinical professor in psychiatry (and friend of Smarter Living). Read more »

Make some soup

How does a spicy white bean soup sound? Tough to beat! Melissa Clark has the recipe, and she calls it a “poem in a pot.” Read more »

Do absolutely nothing

Not much more to say here! Give yourself permission to plant in front of the TV today, recharge your batteries and get a good night’s sleep. It might even make you more productive at work this week: Letting your brain rest and recover “literally makes us more creative, better at problem-solving, better at coming up with creative ideas.” Read more »

Tweet me @timherrera and let me know what you get up to, and have a great week!

— Tim

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What We’re Reading

It’s been more than a year since the official Smarter Living book came out — do you have your copy yet?! We pulled together the best of S.L., plus loads of new advice and guidance, to give you smart, actionable life tips on how to improve your career, your home, your finances, your relationships and your health — all wrapped up in a truly gorgeous book. Get your copy here!

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