What are some activities besides chess which help improve chess play? What activities, be they physical or mental, do you use to improve your chess? Have you recently taken up something and noticed a positive change in your game?  One thing I can think of is exercising such as walking or swimming. Are there any others?
There's probably no better way to improve chess than to study chess.  I did seem to make an improvement by getting obsessed with Shogi, however.  But this is a close relative of chess.

Actually, I would recommend a more physical hobby (rugby, rodeo clown, being a double-naught spy) to give yourself a break from the game.  If you don't get burned out, you'll probably enjoy the game more and improve naturally.