This is also better than indoor exercise because of the long sun and fresh air exposure.
I have been doing this (cycle every day) for 24 years now. And nothing else does it for me better than this.
It does require some upfront investment in learning to navigate your city and region on bicycle as opposed to on car, but I think it's well worth it.
Depending on my mood, I'll either be one-on-one/two/three with a few close friends and lay it all out, or go out with a larger group and just use the alcohol to take my mind off things.
Healthy? Jury's still out. Effective? Yup.
...but I think most people would consider your lifestyle to be quite reasonable and balanced. :)
Certainly not exercising though.
Switch lightbulbs, clean drains, vacuum the attic, etc. 2 hours of this and I'm happy because:
a) I took my mind off work.
b) I fixed up my house something fierce.
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I would love to buy and ride a bike but I would get run over by a car or stabbed here in Bolivia.
But then again, I'm not the kind of person who adjusts my playlists according to my mood (sad, energized, happy, melancholic, ...).
When I can't go to the gym, pullups are a good substitute and I highly recommend everyone get a pullup bar. I do a set or three every time I go to the bathroom and it helps clear my mind and restore my self-confidence.
When I was about 16 my dad walked into my room and said, "No one's going to be listening to this garbage in 20 years. It's just noise." He wasn't upset or anything, he just couldn't hear any music in metal. Sorry dad, pretty sure you were wrong about that!
Longer term: I'll just take a day off, email cow-orkers that I'm out that day, and go motorcycling in the mountains. I started doing this 25 years ago; having a hobby that has nothing to do with computers helps a lot. (I'm not a crazy rider, I wear all the safety gear, have a bike with ABS and so on).
Vacations: I like to go somewhere and read books for a week. I seldom get to have this kind of vacation, but it's my ideal one.
(in fairness I find it entirely possible to wake up and spend a few moments weeding out the real from a dream)
In the middle of all this I was waking up and falling back asleep so I knew it was a dream and then I saw my kid running and thought I had to chase after him and some women said, "Just go do what you want" and instead of chasing after him I went and did what I wanted.
When i was very young i would act out the stories to distract myself from fear of the dark at night before i slept. It had utility in college and high school because i sometimes got tied up in knots of regret if i thought too much at late late hours. In industry, it made a great way to force my brain away from stress and thoughts of work. I just pick up roughly where i left off and play out the story until i am asleep.
Playing music later in the day or when stuck. Electric guitar 12 bar power chord blues with amp set on raunch or viola aiming for tones of delicate beauty, depending on mood.
A good route to the flow state. Still spend altogether too much time staring at computers though. Bouldering is fun.
Nothing beats shouting your ass off for few hours then smashing the guitar on a peak of an adrenaline surge.
Genre matters.
And drinking with friends, but not in ridiculous excess.
3 hour run on a Sunday evening gets you ready for the Monday morning
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while drinking a nice bourbon
I learned it years ago and teached it for a few years. Even if I don't practice as much as I should, the moves come back very naturally. An one-hour training makes me happy whatever are the circonstances.
Edit: Downvotes? You judge on how you blow off steam too?