I’ve always been the type who has way too much on her plate and feels guilty when nothing gets done…so I love the Holidays, because they give me an excuse to just flake out.

But the new year is here with lots to accomplish. I’ve found it’s much harder to get back on the horse after theHolidaybreak these past five years or so: it goes from standstill to hyper-speed in what seems like one day; it’s like there’s no “easing back in” anymore. And as fast as our world these days expects us to move, experts agree downtime lowers stress levels and helps a person not only stay healthy, but be more productive.

So, here are my top ten ways (in no particular order) to relax—and procrastinate doing just about anything—even if you’re the type who feels guilty doing nothing.

First, spend an hour making a list of all the things you want to accomplish that day. Then, do one or more of the following:

Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, and do not multi-task during the conversation.

Drink just one more glass of wine/beer/soda/coffee.

Tune in to a marathon of a favorite show or podcast. That way, you can say, ‘I’m just going to watch/listen to one more episode and then I’m going to do xxx.’

Next time you’re in the bathroom, open that magazine you keep on the back of the john and instead of just looking at the photos, read one full article.

Get on the great time-suck called Google Earth. Look at your old neighborhoods, your friend’s houses, your favorite vacation spots, et cetera.

Pick up a novel/anthology you’ve been meaning to read, and tell yourself you’ll read one more chapter or story before you go do xxx.

Google your favorite topic to see if there are any new articles since the last time you were obsessed—or, if you’ve set up a Google alert for that particular topic, head on over to your e-mail and catch up.

Surf Youtube for whatever floats your boat, such as music videos from a favorite band. Then watch them all.

Take a long hot bath/shower.

Play Solitaire until you win (I still do it with real cards, but you can also do it on the computer). Or, play your favorite game (system or hosting social site doesn’t matter) until you reach the next level.

These keep the mind engaged, so I find they usually work. In case they don’t?

Well…there’s always Facebook.