Sudden changes in our lives can free up periods of free time we didn't have before. Filling this free time with useful things is a way to increase your creativity, your energy, your enthusiasm and your sense of accomplishment. Try to spend your free time developing a new hobby, learning another language, volunteering with a local group, or joining a religious organization.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Learning New Skills
Step 1. Take free or extension courses at colleges
Use free time as an opportunity to learn things that are not directly linked to your job or career advancement. Try to strive to learn these things just for the sake of learning, without the pressure to meet or exceed goals you set for yourself.
For example, you may have an age-old desire to get involved in archeology, ballroom dancing, jewelry making, first aid, or hang gliding
Step 2. Practice gardening
This is a great way to spend your free time and use your hands to make food for your family and friends. Cacti are great plants that give beautiful flowers and are almost impossible to kill. Or you can experiment with herbs and spices, which are easy to grow and fun to use in cooking and crafts.
If you already have experience with gardening, redesign your garden or change the plants you grow in it. Try expanding the variety and creating a meditation or Persian garden
Step 3. Make cooking a distraction rather than a chore
Preparing new recipes is a fun way to pass the time when it's something done for pleasure rather than necessity. Grab a cookbook and try some new dishes, or see what's in the fridge and cupboards and search the internet for a recipe that uses these ingredients. For example, look for recipes with broccoli, pepper and pineapple.
- Spend an afternoon baking cookies and cakes and learning to use new techniques you've never tried before.
- Once you've mastered some delicious recipes, make a casual dinner for loved ones.
Step 4. Learn a new language
Learning a new language is a great way to make your mind work during your free time. This can help you understand foreign cultures and learn about other parts of the world. Download a language teaching book from the Internet or look for a copy at your nearest library. You can also read magazines and books in that language or watch movies and TV shows in the language you are learning.
Learning a new language will make it possible to communicate with people who live near you but who may not speak Portuguese
Step 5. Choose painting or drawing as hobbies
Producing art is an excellent way to spend your free time. With it, you can express yourself while learning a new skill. Experiment with different techniques and materials, including acrylics, enamel, frescoes, oil paint, water-soluble oil paint, dry and oil pastels, graphite and watercolor. If you are more interested in drawing, buy a sketch pad and charcoal.
- Within the arts and crafts, there are several ideas for possible hobbies, with several possibilities for you to try.
- Go to a local art supply store to purchase the materials you need.
Method 2 of 4: Helping the Community
Step 1. Attend a church, synagogue, mosque or temple
This is a sure-fire way to meet interesting people and get involved in the community while developing your spiritual beliefs. Take a look at the internet to find different places of worship in your area.
- You don't necessarily have to follow a set of religious beliefs to spend your free time in such an organization.
- For example, Unitarians, although coming from a Christian root, are known to embrace and include people of other faiths, including agnostics, atheists, pagans, freethinkers, secular humanists, and liberals of all kinds.
Step 2. Dedicate your free time to community cleanup
Volunteering is a great way to become participative in your neighborhood and make friends. Helping with a community cleanup will improve the environment and help you spend time outdoors, getting some fresh air.
See if you can recruit more volunteers from churches, youth groups (including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts) or non-profit organizations in your area
Step 3. volunteer at a food store.
These events are often organized by non-profit organizations and charities. If you'd like to spend your free time contributing to the community, contact your local fundraiser and ask how you can get involved. You may have to go to supermarkets to ask for donations or invite people leaving a church to donate food.
- Or, if you're not interested in helping with a food fundraiser, look for other ways to volunteer. These include helping at a community bazaar, raising money for local NGOs or working on food distribution.
- You will find that volunteering is a very rewarding experience that helps many people.
Step 4. Offer to write for organizations on the Internet
If you live in a rural area or in a remote location, or if you prefer to get involved virtually rather than face to face, there are many opportunities to volunteer online. For example, apply to do web work for NGOs or write newsletters for charities. Volunteering online can give you a sense of accomplishment and foster personal connections.
For more opportunities to volunteer online and in person, visit the Atados website:
Method 3 of 4: Advancing Your Career
Step 1. Make contact for professional purposes during your free time
Just because you're not working doesn't mean you can't advance your career or invest in professional connections. Call friends of friends and invite some co-workers for happy hour.
Even if you don't really enjoy spending time networking, leave at least a little space in your schedule for this activity, as it ensures you're connecting with others without the constraints of time, obligations, and imposed or self-imposed deadlines
Step 2. Organize your schedule or calendar
Between work, meetings, personal obligations, social gatherings, and other parts of life, it's easy to get overwhelmed with obligations. Use ten minutes of your free time to organize your calendar or schedule. Writing down and organizing the dates and times you have certain obligations will ease your stress and help you keep your commitments.
If you don't have an agenda yet, try writing down your plans on your cell phone calendar. This will help you stay organized and make you forget less
Step 3. Make friends with people from your school, office, church or neighborhood
Don't spend your free time hiding. Chat with others and spend time with those you care about. Schedule weekly or monthly meetings with friends, spontaneously hang out with them from time to time, and chat with family members you haven't seen in a while to see how they are doing.
This way, you will have the chance to share ideas, have fun and re-energize through your connections
Method 4 of 4: Taking care of health and well-being
Step 1. Spend time reading
It doesn't matter if you like fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biographies or another genre better, reading will engage your mind and help make your free time more meaningful. This hobby will broaden your perspectives and improve your vocabulary. Reading can open your mind to views and cultures you may not be familiar with.
For interesting reading suggestions, visit your local library or spend an hour leafing through books at a nearby bookstore
Step 2. Spend time with a pet
If you don't have one yet, this might be a good time to adopt. Pets need regular care and can help fill your free time with play, walks and food. If you're looking for a pet, go to a local animal shelter.
- Dogs and cats are popular options for good reason. They are fun, affectionate and loving, and can be alone for a long time if necessary.
- If you have little time to spend with pets or want a more independent animal, consider a fish.
Step 3. Focus on your spirituality
Free time is perfect for all things spiritual, as it gives you the space you need to relax, reflect and think about the meaning of life and the big picture. Whether you are religious or not, spiritual time is an essential part of humanity. and serving that side of you is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.
- After several weeks of daily prayers or prayers, you may begin to notice positive results in your life, such as calmer, better concentration, and more focus.
- Centering prayer uses similar methods in a Christian context.
Step 4. Learn to meditate
Sit quietly for 20 minutes and breathe naturally. Count your breath to 10 and start again. The idea behind meditation is to have something to focus on to stay present holistically and not mentally wander. Practice can calm you down and help you avoid negative feelings and thoughts.
Step 5. Exercise to maintain fitness
Using free time to stay physically fit is an easy and healthy way to spend an hour. Free time gives you a good opportunity to maintain your fitness level, whether it's lifting weights in the garage or doing push-ups in the living room. How to stay in shape is up to you. If you're short on free time, spend 15 to 30 minutes exercising at home.
- Adapt your workout to fit the amount of free time you have. If you have several free hours a day, spend them working out at home or running for miles.
- If you want to get out of the house for a workout, join a local gym to lift weights and build muscle, or to run on cardiovascular training machines. You can also run in a public park near your home or work, or look for a local rock climbing group.
Tips
- If you want a hobby, consider the following options: learning a new programming language on your own, writing a short story or a play, making jewelry, doing graphic design, becoming an amateur photographer, or learning a new kind of dance. You can also learn carpentry or playing a musical instrument.
- Don't over-commit yourself to filling your free time with activities. If you accumulate too much to do, you'll end the fun. Free time should be enjoyable, not frantic.
- Take it slow when trying out new activities. Something that seems difficult at first may start to interest you, and will be more rewarding when you get the hang of it.
- Free time is yours; do what you want with it. If you decide to leave a church or volunteer group or stop with a hobby, that's fine.
- Try to relax while you are unoccupied.