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Just 23 Low-Key Great Things To Do If You Need A Quick Break

If you're working from home, remember these.

Melissa Jameson
by Melissa Jameson

BuzzFeed Staff

1. Stretch out your neck, shoulders, and upper back with this 10-minute video.

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If you've been hunched over a computer all day, this will feel amazing.

Watch: Yoga For Neck, Shoulders, Upper Back - 10 Minute Yoga Quickie

2. Print this free activity pack — and do a few pages.

shop.adamjk.com

Author and illustrator Adam J. Kurtz crafted this 42-page activity pack — and it's equal parts entertaining, existential, and legit delightful.

3. Prep the world's easiest bread.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

Everyone's making bread right now. And this four-ingredient, no-knead recipe (which we tried) is basically impossible to mess up. It only takes five minutes to mix together, then you'll let it sit overnight and bake it the next day.

4. Learn the full backstory behind one of your favorite songs.

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NYT's Diary of a Song video series does quick (but super interesting!) deep dives on songs by Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, and more. The Song Exploder podcast does the same for even more artists — from The Roots to Dropkick Murphys to Arcade Fire.

5. Pretend you're on Jeopardy!

BuzzFeed

By way of this Jeopardy! quizpack, of course. 🤓

6. Do a crossword puzzle.

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There's a free crossword puzzle posted every day at the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times — and you can either print it out or fill it in online.

7. Try a 10-minute (no equipment!) micro-workout.

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Here's one focused on cardio. (And here's a whole list of more great at-home workouts that BuzzFeed readers swear by.)

8. Make a four-ingredient taco.

Lauren Zaser

To keep things fast and easy, almost all of these taco combos start with eggs. And several lean on nonperishables (like canned beans) you likely already have stocked.

Full recipes: 17 DIY Taco Combos That'll Fix Just About Anything

9. Or make four-ingredient toast.

Macey Foronda / BuzzFeed

These are boosted with protein and/or fiber to help you stay fuller longer during the workday.

Full recipes: 21 Ways to Make Energy-Boosting Toast

10. Pick three small things to clean around your house.

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In 10 minutes, you can knock out your Airpods, your car keys, and your microwave.

Read more: Just a Bunch of Things to Clean While You're Spending So Much Time at Home

11. Feeling anxious? Try this writing prompt.

12. If you have friends with little kids at home, FaceTime them using Animojis.

BuzzFeed

These are a great distractor (for adults too, lol). Just open the Effects tab while in FaceTime, then chose your Emoji or Animoji. 🙉

13. Give your computer a four-step refresh.

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Clean up the desktop, empty the trash, run updates, and wipe down the keyboard and screen. If you have time left over, toss in a new desktop background.

14. Dance!

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The Fitness Marshall has three-minute dance cardio videos set to just about every pop song you can imagine.

15. Drop in on a free art class.

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Illustrator Mo Willems streams a free art lesson every day at lunch. And though the classes are aimed at kids home from school, they're TBH pretty entertaining for adults too. Watch archived lessons here.

16. Watch or listen to a short TED Talk.

ted.com

Here are the most popular TED Talks under 12 minutes (including this ever-prescient one from Bill Gates back in 2015).

17. Sharing a small space? Plug in (and jam out) on these virtual instruments.

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This website lets you play guitar, piano, drums, or flute.

18. Do a 10-minute meditation.

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Both Calm and Headspace are offering free guided meditation sessions on their websites right now. (There's even sleep sessions if you'd rather do one before bed.)

19. Take a language lesson or two.

DuoLingo

Fire up Duolingo or Babbel and brush up on some long-forgotten basics — or learn something entirely new.

20. Learn more about your personality type.

16personalities.com

There are so many personality tests out there — but Myers–Briggs (aka 16 Personalities) is arguably the most popular, and can be completed in 10–12 minutes. Take it here.

21. Or run your birth chart.

22. Nail down your skincare routine — or try a new one.

dermstore.com, theduetglow.com

If there was ever a time to test-drive all those samples you've let stack up, it's now. Try a 10-step Korean skincare routine (we did!). Or just use those 10 minutes to look over your beauty products for anything that might have expired.

23. Make a quick (but seriously satisfying) dessert. 😋

BuzzFeed

Like break 'n' bake waffle iron cookies, or frozen berry soft serve.

Read more: 22 Five-Minute Desserts You Should Definitely Know About

What's your favorite way to take a quick but restorative break while working remotely? Share in the comments. 👇