Here's an edited version of an as yet unpublished blog post I've written...
* Get up, stretch - a bit of stretching from head to toe. It’s amazing what a few minutes of stretching does for waking you up.
* Shower, breakfast - this sounds obvious, but it was all too easy for me to get down to work, and skip the freshen up and food!
* Take a short walk - a quick 20 minute walk clears my head. I use this time to think of anything else. Even thinking about work is fine, because it’s away from a keyboard and screen!
* Stop for lunch by 1:30 at the latest - or whatever time suits you, but the idea is not to get too far from breakfast and too close to dinner.
* Get up, walk around the block. Again, this is like the morning walk - something to let the brain step back.
* Once or twice a week, step out completely, just do any strenuous physical activity for a few hours, where you have to concentrate your mind and body, making it impossible to think of anything else. This to me is the best break, better than a holiday. It’s a bit like hitting the 'reboot' button!
* And finally, before going to bed, I read. It doesn’t matter what the book - it can be work related or not - the important thing is to let my brain wind down away from the screen, and especially away from the internet.
Let us know how you get on with the tips that I and other HNers post.