Quite often, you get a bit of free time, and you end up sitting on the couch scrolling through Netflix trying to find something to watch, only to realize you’ve binged an entire series and your time off is almost over. The realization only hits that you wasted your precious time when you get asked what you did on your day off and your answer is nothing, watched Netflix. While it is important to relax, wind-down and take some time to do nothing, staying in and sitting on the couch isn’t exactly fulfilling or exciting. Life is for living, so put one foot in front of the other and start using your free time to enrich your life instead.
Learn a Language
Being able to speak another language is a very useful skill. Not only is it convenient when you’re away on holiday and you can communicate with the locals, but it is also very satisfying and impressive. Learning a language may sound like it’s going to be a slog, and you will have to put in some effort, but with the right teacher, the experience is enjoyable and fulfilling. El español es feliz, le français est romantique, and l’italiano è emotive. Make a commitment to whichever language takes your fancy and book in some lessons!
Explore Somewhere New
You see the same places day in day out, and you drive the same roads, walk the same streets, and eat at the same places. It all gets a bit boring, right? Instead of sticking around when you have free time, go on a little adventure, and explore somewhere new. You don’t have to venture far unless you want to or have the time. Hop in the car, on a train or even on a plane and discover a new city, town, national park, or country. Make friends with the people that live there, try some local food, learn about the history of the place; enrich your life with new people, experiences, and places.
Volunteer
Giving your time to an organization or person that needs help is a satisfying and enriching experience. Charities and non-profit organizations rely on people volunteering their time to support their cause. You can do anything from helping out at fundraisers, to collecting donations or increasing awareness. You could walk dogs for the elderly, help them with their shopping or clean at the local animal shelter. Discover the answer to why is volunteering important in Givebutter’s article, and check out their free fundraising tools and progress trackers. If you want to successfully fundraise and connect with other supporters for a cause close to your heart, Givebutter will point you in the right direction.
Spend Time with Your Loved Ones
When was the last time you spent an entire day with your mom, doing all the things you love to do together and not having to think about anything else? Or your father, grandma, grandad, sister, best friend? It can be easy to start to take your loved ones for granted and just assume that they will always be around. But later down the line, you may regret not prioritizing them every now and again. Schedule in quality time with all your loved ones to really appreciate them and show them how much you care and love them. Nothing fills your heart full of warmth and happiness like quality time with the people that mean the most to you.
Catch Up with Old Friends
It can feel like life is speeding off down the motorway and suddenly you’re working nine to five every day and wasting away the weekends over and over and over again. It can be hard to arrange times to catch up with your friends when you both have such busy lives but make the effort and the time to see the people that were once such a huge part of your life. Have a bit of fun, reminisce about old times, and reconnect with your old friends.
Find a New Hobby
Just because you’re an adult now, doesn’t mean you don’t have time for activities and interests. Whether you’ve been thinking about joining a local yoga class, want to try your hand at pottery or have seen people wild swimming and think it could be kind of fun, find something new that you enjoy doing, and make sure you have time to do it. Hobbies and interests enrich your life, make you who you are and give you a break from the normalcy of everyday life.
Go Outside
Spending time out and about in nature is relaxing, refreshing, and enriching. Appreciate the beauty of the natural world and all its wonders, even the ones right outside your doorstep. Remember when you were a child and everything outside was fascinating and amazing? Rediscover that inner-child and let the natural world enchant you again. Being outside is not only great for your mental health, but it means you are staying active and healthy at the same time.
Don’t waste your free time rotting away at home; engage in fulfilling and enriching activities to bring back your sense of purpose.