How to Make the Best Use of Your Free Time

You might have noticed that free time is hard to find and quick to spend. So whether you find a small period of free time (from unexpected changes in your schedule) or a long one (from sudden changes in your life), you need to spend it wisely and with intention. Using your free time for useful pursuits can increase your energy, creativity, enthusiasm, and a sense of fulfilment from life. So here are some great ways to make the best use of your free time, whenever you come across it.

Pick Up New Skills

Extended periods of free time are a great opportunity if you’ve been meaning to try something that has no direct bearing on your job or career. You might have wished to try skydiving or learn more about insects. You might have wanted to learn the ropes of archaeology, dancing, roulette games or rapping. Now is the time to pursue these interests. You can simply use an app to find local clubs or simply ask around.

Other long-term pursuits that may interest you are gardening and learning a new language. You can plant a badass cactus or grow herbs that’ll help you in cooking. A new language, on the other hand, will teach you about foreign culture and may come handy during a trip abroad.

Finally, if you want to get your creative artistic juices flowing, consider making art. If you want to create a character, start drawing. Or if you prefer to go more traditional, pick up a sketch pad and some charcoal. You can even get a canvas and start painting. Even if you already paint, there are a variety of paintings you can try, like acrylics, frescoes, oils, inks, water-miscible oils, watercolour, spray paint, pastels and dry pastels, and enamel.

Build Your Career

You may be off the clock, but you can still advance your career. At the office, most of your time is eaten up by work, meetings, professional obligations, and more. So use a few minutes of your free time and organize the dates and times of your obligations. This will reduce stress in the long term and help you stick to your appointments.

You can also use free time to network for professional purposes. Call up your colleagues for a brunch or invite them for a cocktail after work. Whether you don’t wish to waste your time networking or don’t want to rely only on free time to connect with others, you should build a small amount of time for networking in your schedule anyway.

Contribute to Your Community

Free time also presents a great opportunity to give back to your community. One of the ways you can do is by volunteering at a community cleanup. You may build some friendships along the way, but, more importantly, you’ll be able to help out in improving the environment in your neighbourhood and spend time in the fresh air outdoors.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you prefer engaging with others online rather than in person, you can volunteer online. You can volunteer to write newsletters for charities or do web work for nonprofit organizations. Doing this will give you an incredible sense of fulfilment that comes from helping others.

Focus on Your Health and Wellness

Reading is probably the most suggested way of spending your free time, and for good reason. It’ll broaden your perspectives, improve your vocabulary, and make your free time feel more meaningful. So pick up a book in a genre that you prefer —  fiction, nonfiction, poetry, philosophy, or biography — lie down, and start reading.

Arguably the best way to spend your free time is by focusing your mental and physical wellness. Stay fit in an easy and healthy way by either exercising at home, going to the gym, or engaging in other physical activities like running, swimming, and cycling. Or improve your mental fitness by meditating for a while. Practice focused meditation to improve memory and focus. You can even use an app to guide you along the way.