“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”

— Maya Angelou

A woman of many talents, Maya Angelou had an incredibly prolific and wildly successful career in the arts that would not have been possible without hard work and perseverance. Angelou stuck to a brutal writing regimen, holing up in a hotel room with nothing but a notepad, thesaurus, her personal bible, and a bottle of sherry until the work was done. But she also knew how revitalizing a little downtime could be. So, the next time you say “I can’t take time off”, consider this: if an author/playwright/poet/screenwriter/dancer/protester could find the time to relax, what’s your excuse?

Time to relax

• “If you combine the serene time-killing of coloring books with the tense uneasiness of horror, would you get something that’s an average level of relaxing, or at one of the two extremes? ” – This horror coloring book is equally creepy and relaxing
• “It has three segments: you get on a train, guide the train to various stations, get off the train. People (cats, actually) get on the train, people get off, but there’s no point system or punishment for missing anyone. It’s not a hyperrealistic insight into how trains function, but a calming visual that moves through gorgeous hand drawn illustrations.” – All Train Rides Should Be as Relaxing as This Cool Animated Game
• “Watching someone slowly turn on a light switch seems like an excruciatingly boring way to spend 30 seconds. But when the action is paired with a real-time graph charting the movement it turns soothing.” – Somehow Everything Is More Soothing and Exciting With Graphs
• “…when stress is prolonged or chronic—meaning it sticks around for weeks, months, or even years—it can lead to a “dysregulation” or negative changes to your immune system and other biological functions, Dhabhar says. What kinds of changes? Chronic stress suppresses your protective immunity—your body’s ability to defend itself against diseases and pathogens.” – 8 Signs Stress Is Making You Sick—And How To Get Healthier, Starting Today
• “If you’ve ever wondered about what would happen if our world suddenly saw all people vanish, the YouTube channel Cloth Map can give you something of an idea.” – Listen to the Soothing and Eerie Sounds of Chernobyl

Enjoy your weekend 🙂