10 Practical and Fine Activities to Do in Your Free Time

Have you ever found yourself muttering ‘there just aren’t enough hours in the day’ at any point during your workday? Thanks to our constant responsibilities, meetings, emails and text messages we need to answer, free time simply seems to be a scarce commodity. Everyone works differently, so in the end how we choose to use our free time depends on our working style, what’s on our to-do list, and most importantly, what we like to do in order to relax.

The best way to spend your free time is when you have fun, spend it with your closest ones or do something to decompress from a stressful day. That’s why we gathered a list of practical and fun things you can do in your free time, depending on your mood and interests.

Why is our ‘free time’ so important?

1. Feel more in control of your life.

When you spend your free time by doing something you truly love and enjoy, appreciate every second of it. By learning how to spend it productively, try to think about your life and what your priorities are and should be. Sometimes all the house chores and work responsibilities we feel we have to go through during the day can feel a bit overwhelming. So spending your free time as you prefer will indeed make you feel more in control of your own life and allow you to realize that there are other important parts of your life that you shouldn’t neglect.

2. You have something to look forward to after work or at weekends

Whether you do something you have scheduled beforehand or not, after-work free time always sounds appealing! No matter how crazy our day gets, we (almost) always have something great to look forward to afterwards.

3. Be more productive at work 

It might sound counterintuitive, but it’s an amazing mental productivity trick. You invest yourself twice as much during the work day and ‘claim’ your fun free time activity later in order to reward yourself for the productive day or week. Besides, knowing that you will get to dedicate some time to yourself after work or at a particular time during the weekend will keep you focused on getting things done at work, especially if you have something scheduled immediately after work.

4. It’s simply good for your wellbeing

It’s okay to get some time off and spend it the way you want. Unlike robots, we humans need free time to relax squeezed in our busy schedules in order to avoid burnout. Like we said above, those who take time off, get more work done! 

10 practical ways to spend your free time productively!

1. Write or blog

Are you a wordsmith? Use this talent and create your own blog, or even start writing a journal. In today’s age of technology there are a lot of people around the world who spend their free time writing or blogging. It could be basically about anything that interests you. Cooking, travelling, sports, movies – the variety of topics is limitless. Who knows, perhaps you might end up loving this new hobby and start thinking about pursuing it as a career.

Tip: If you have a talent for writing, and you could use some extra income, you should even consider doing it as a freelance job. 

2. Start volunteering

There are many benefits of adopting volunteer work as a ‘new hobby’ in your free time. You must be thinking: why would I serve others in my free time, when I do the same all day at work? Trust us, you would be amazed by how different people treat you when you ‘work’ by your own volition as opposed to when they pay you to. The appreciation you receive by volunteering will give you a lot of emotional benefits and it can give you a new view on how to work with others. Volunteering will not only make you stay more physically active and be fulfilled, but will also help you acquire new skills. Learn the importance of teamwork, socializing and enjoy making new friends with your new free time activity!

3. Sign up for a dance class or take up a new sport

No matter if you have two left feet or you are an amazing dancer, you should definitely consider signing up for a dance class. You could do it alone, or with some of your close friends or a partner. Dancing is the perfect way to spend your free time. You would be surprised by how often people are truly unable to express through words what they can express through the movements of their body. A popular misconception is that everyone has to be a perfect dancer in order to attend dancing lessons. It’s quite the opposite, actually, because in the end everyone is there to have fun, and nobody is going to make fun of you.

Were you an athlete in the past, but eventually decided to quit practicing because of the responsibilities that everyday life brought? Well, it’s time to get back on the wagon. Even if you weren’t interested in sports in the past years, you should be aware that there are both physical and mental benefits of sports. Who doesn’t like winning from time to time?

Tip: For some people the best type of sports is a team sport. It’s simply more fun to be winning, and easier to be losing with others.

4. Cook!

It doesn’t only make your taste buds perfectly happy, but it’s an excellent socializing activity as well. Cooking doesn’t have to be a dull chore. Even if you consider yourself to be a bad cook, the internet is full of easy recipes you could start trying out as the winter season is approaching. You can only get better with time and before you know it you can become the person whose meals everyone would like to try. 

5. Gardening

Want to create your own green oasis? Yes, it’s possible! We have dedicated a few articles to the art of gardening, including what plants, pots and containers you could use to make a green fairytale of your own. You could redecorate your balcony or turn your outdoor area into the garden you’ve only seen in movies. It has its own benefits too. You would be surprised by how relaxing and yet rewarding gardening can be. Spend your free time productively, and enjoy the outcome of your invested energy and creativity.

6. Bird watching

You don’t have to live in the country to enjoy this extraordinary activity in your free time. Birds are wonderful creatures, and attracting them to your home or going out in open nature to watch them can have its own benefits. This activity can give a person the unique chance of learning about their local wildlife. They come in so many varieties, and observing them can teach you a lot about their way of life.

7. Meditate

Depending on the amount of free time, sometimes the best thing one can do is use it to meditate. Meditation is one of the best ways to relax, improve your focus and release the stress tension, especially when you have a busy day. It really does make a difference when you take a 15-minute break just to re-group yourself even if you are ‘drowning’ in a ton of tasks at work or at home.

8. Sign up for an online course?

 Have you ever wanted to learn the basics of digital marketing? Or try calligraphy? There are a variety of options as far as online courses are concerned, and most of them are pretty affordable. So why not spend some of your free time investing in yourself? You might turn out to really like it and eventually use the knowledge into pursuing a new career. And the best thing about online courses is that you can basically do it from the comfort of your own home, whenever you like.

9. Clear out your inbox, office area or spend some time cleaning at home

We’re not talking about the thorough cleaning that your home deserves every once in a while here. Got 10 minutes? Use it to load the laundry or quickly dust the coffee table in your living room. If you’re at work, you can use the free time to reduce your inbox pile, since having an empty inbox is a truly wonderful feeling. Or organize your office desk. Be careful not to get rid of important files, though.

10.  Spend time with your family and friends 

In the rush of using our free time productively, we sometimes seem to forget the importance of spending time with our dearest. It is something we can never get tired of, whether it’s by watching a movie together, playing a game, doing an outdoor activity etc. Make sure that not a day goes by without a bit of interaction with your closest ones.

Got some free time? Spend it productively!

The importance of spending some free time just relaxing and enjoying your usual hobby is priceless for your well being. Everyone has a different working style, so the best way to spend your free time is a very personal matter. However, it’s handy to have a list of ideas in order to quickly figure out how to use that spare time productively. So, whether you choose to share it with your friends or family, or spend it by yourself, there is a variety of practical activities to relieve the stress from a busy day!