The life of an instructor seems to be jammed packed. Starting in September, you hit the ground running and don't stop until the final marks are entered. I tried taking a weekend off once and I fell horribly behind my marking. Taking time off didn't seem to be worth the stress!
That being said, I stress to my nursing students the importance of mental health days.
Even if you don't have a full day to devote to rest and relaxation, you can at least take an afternoon to yourself. One of my favourite forms of escapism is reading. When I actually get a chance to read FICTION, it is glorious.
One of the other things I love to do in my free time is to take courses with The Khan Academy. The Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that provides free classes in various topics. The classes are extensive, well-researched and fun! I am currently taking a math course (not so fun) to prepare myself for a class I have to take in January. The other course I am taking is in Cosmology and Astronomy. Yes. I am a huge space nerd and I dream of a day when I can study astrophysics full time. Until that day, I will continue to sit on my balcony and look at the stars... And take some fun courses with the Khan Academy!
Here is a quick video explaining their philosophy:
