21 Ways to Take a Screen Break

If you feel stir crazy or that working at home feels never ending, take a break, but don’t just open a new browser window or pick up your phone. Take a break from your screen, too! 

Screen breaks give our eyes a chance to rest, our minds time to relax, and our bodies an opportunity to move. 

Here’s a list of 21 ways you can take a screen break throughout your day while working from home: 

Water your houseplants

Plants bring color and life to our home and can even help filter the air. Next time you take a break, check on all of your houseplants, admire them, and hydrate them.

Listen to a podcast or audio book

Podcasts and audible books can be a great way to give your eyes a much needed break and have your ears do the work. From a ten minute motivational, to a lengthy murder mystery, podcasts and audio books are available in whichever catergory you’re interested in.

Play an instrument

Music is good for the soul. Bring that dusty guitar out of the basement, and take a musical break. Not a musician? That’s okay. This is the perfect opportunity to try something new.

Put on a face mask

Miss the spa? Put on calming music, light a candle or oil diffuser, put on a face mask, and set your timer for a ten minute visit to your home spa!

Take a bubble bath

Bubble baths are an easy way to relax. Put your favorite body wash at the bottom of the faucet as the water pours into the tub and let the bubbles rise.You might want to add epsom salt to soothe sore muscles from all the virtual workouts you’ve been doing!

Do a load of laundry

Loads of laundry can get the best of us. Doing a load of laundry while working is a great way to get moving. Let the break from work remind you to put the load in the dryer, and the load remind you to take a break!

Color or paint something

You don’t have to consider yourself an artist to have fun painting or coloring. Bring some color into your life through art. Start with a blank canvas, or use a coloring book.

Put lotion on your hands

We are washing our hands, a lot! Which is a good thing, but our skin can suffer from dryness. Give your hands some love and moisturize. While you’re at it, gently message them for some tension release, too.

Have an impromptu dance party

Do you have a specific song or songs that make you just want to get out of your chair and dance? Perfect! Make a playlist of these songs. When you’re ready for a dance pick me up, just press play.

Write notes to friends

When is the last time, if ever, that you wrote a friend a letter? Take a break with some snail mail. Write a letter to a friend/friends, and take a walk to your closest mailbox. Signed, sealed, delivered!

Find a recipe in a cookbook

New recipes can bring excitement to your kitchen. Grab one of those printed books, and find a recipe you’ve never done before. You know, the one you’ve read and said you’d try “someday”. Today can be the day!

Read a printed book or magazine

We are constantly reading from screens. When is the last time you picked up a book or magazine and took in the whole experience. Smell that book smell, feel the paper on your fingertips, and enjoy.

Open the windows

We are in our houses more than ever and could really use some fresh air. When it’s time for a break, take a walk around your house and weather permitting, open the windows and let that air in. Then on a later break in the day, you can go back around to close them!

Make a vision board

Vision boards are a creative way to bring our goals from our thoughts to paper. You can use markers, magazine cut outs, and stickers to create a vision masterpiece! Work on it during breaks over the course of a week or two.

Meditate

Meditation is the ultimate relaxer of the mind, body, and soul. Find a quiet place and try focusing on your breath. Use the 4 count rule. Count to 4 while taking a deep breath in, holding for four counts, exhaling for four counts, and holding again for four counts.

Do a puzzle

Puzzles are not only fun, but relaxing. Start a puzzle in an area of your house where it doesn’t need to be moved or cleaned up and work on it in increments when you take a break.

Sing along to an album

We all have one album (or maybe more) that we know from start to finish. Find that album that you love singing to, press play, and belt it out!

Knit or crochet

Whether you are a master knitter or new to crocheting, learning to create something from scratch can relieve stress and boost the feeling of productivity.

Clean out your closet or a drawer

Remember that closet you’ve been wanting to clean out for weeks? Well a break is an opportunity to finally get it done. Start small, maybe just with one side or just one drawer.

Go for a walk

Every step counts. Sometimes all your body really needs is some fresh air and movement. Walking also has many health benefits, from helping us with weight management to helping with our mood.

Blow bubbles

Come on. You know you have that bottle of bubbles somewhere. Let your inner kid out and blow some bubbles, then see how many you can pop before they dissolve on their own.

Which one will you try? Or leave a comment with other screen break ideas!

**Need some simple reminders during the week to keep good posture and take those screen breaks? Fitstyle Mindful Motivations are text messages that do just that! Learn more>>