When was the last time you stayed at home doing nothing? No to-dos, not a sick leave and you didn’t work from home?
Can you remember?
What can you expect from a society where work culture celebrates diligence, 60+ hours a week and continuous improvement but raises an eyebrow at free time?
This article is more than a list of beautiful things to do with your free time, it’s also a reminder that although success is important, life is more than wealth, fun and properties.
Feeling guilty about your free time? Read this
Work-life balance is a tricky scale because sincerely, work gets 80% while life gets an unstable 20% because work keeps encroaching to steal an extra 5%.
So where’s the balance?
We can all agree that work-life balance is a farce and the best we can do is intentionally create free time for ourselves and relationships beyond work?
Quick question: When you’re working do you ever feel guilty for not resting enough? Or for not eating healthy?
No you don’t! So why should you feel guilty for taking time off work?
We hate to use this illustration but if you fall ill or get hurt, you would be replaced EASILY.
Dear business owner, entrepreneur, corporate 9-5 employee, please prioritise YOU. Work hard at work and rest hard for you and your loved ones- that’s the standard.
10 relaxing things to do with your free time on your day off
Don’t use your free time to work on your side hustle, you are still working. The idea is to give back to yourself on your free days – Chill, unwind and give yourself a well-deserved treat.
1.Talk to someone about nothing work-related
If you have family or friends in different countries, it’s time for a 1-2 hour conversation. Chat them on their socials and fix a call to catch up on everything you have missed.
The exciting fact about this is, you’re improving your family or friendship bonds while relaxing.
For the record, keep work out of the discussion with exceptions to funny events or office gossip.
2. Set an appointment with a therapist
Mental health is a priority and you don’t need to be prescribed antidepressant to visit a therapist.
If you have an overbearing boss or struggle with building relationships, if you can’t stand up to your colleagues and suffer from office bullying, it’s time to see a therapist.
Use your free time to book an appointment, get a professional opinion, talk to someone who would listen and not judge your feelings.
3. Try Yoga and meditation
Sometimes all you need is a quiet mind and you can’t do that at work.
You don’t need to register for Yoga classes or visit a monastery to practise meditation, you have access to everything on your phone. YouTube is a good option however, there are customised apps on Google play /app store.
If you ignore your mental health, it eventually affects your physical health as well. Pay close attention to your mind as you do to your body.
4. Go camping
Take a day away from civilization and spend it with nature. Enjoy the fresh breeze, the chirping of beds and croaking of frogs, the flowing sound of the river and the rushing sound of cool wind.
Go with friends or family to experience the immersive nature of nature.
5. Spend 24 hours with your family
When last did you spend the entire day with your family doing everything and nothing? Try this out.
Have breakfast without rushing out for work, talk about work colleagues, listen to your kids stories about their friends and the viral video on TikTok. Have a bake-off, go out for lunch or dinner, watch movies, window shop or have a karaoke day.
There’s no limit to what you can do as long as it’s legal.
6. Hangout with your friends
With so much to say, eat and do, spending your time off with your friends is always a memorable experience.
7. Binge watch series
If this doesn’t make the list what will?
Do you remember that TikTok video or YouTube shorts you saw while surfing the Internet? It’s time to binge watch the 6 seasons. Get popcorn, get a comfortable position and have a cinematic day.
8. Clean your house with your favourite playlist on replay
Plug in your airpods, start your playlist and get vacuuming. Spending your free time cleaning doesn’t sound relaxing but with music it goes beyond relaxing to therapeutic. Give it a try!
9. Play video or board games with your family
From Monopoly to chess, scrabble, puzzle and lots more there are so many board games to discover and play with your family.
Tired of board games? Switch it up with video games – you can go on and on that’s how addictive these games can be.
10. Improve your dancing skills
Dancing is exciting but it’s also an exercise! If you are not interested in planks and squats, dancing is the perfect option to burn calories and have fun at the same time.
Salsa, Waltz, hip hop or afro there are so many options to choose from, go to YouTube search for a dance routine, attempt, repeat and try again.
P.S Try to keep up with your instructor but if you can’t, improvise and have fun.
5 Interesting way to spend your time alone
If you’d rather spend your free time at home without friends, that’s okay. Here are 6 easy things you can do to enjoy the best of your free time alone.
- Read a book(s)
The genre does not matter, if you find it interesting, you should read it. A book on personal development, a romantic thriller, horror or mystery, the list is endless. You can also listen to audiobooks or 15 minute summaries of books in Blinkist.
- Tick your mini-vacation off your bucket list
Pack a bag and off you go on your way to a new location to experience food, people and culture. Don’t forget to research about your intended location, pack appropriate clothing and make lodging plans before you arrive.
- Binge watch movies with a calories feast
Home alone? That sounds like the perfect day for food, movies and drinks. What do you think?
Someone once said: Count the memories not the calories or you can prepare healthier snack options like fruits, parfait, yogurt, crackers or homemade cookies.
Whatever your choice is, just remember to take breaks, don’t sit at one spot for too long.
- Solo Spa date is a thing
Give your body a treat! Pedicure, a massage or facials. Look through your finances and if you have the budget, don’t overthink it.
- Declutter your house
Yes! You’ve had that bag for 5 years and you have never worn anything from it, give it out! Take 3-4 hours to walk through your house and remove things you don’t use.
How to do this: Get a trash bag and another for donation, move through the different rooms in your house, select things you don’t use, decide which goes into the trash or donation bag. Go through each room 3- 5 times.
Final thoughts
There is never a shortage of beautiful things to do with your time, the problem is most people barely have time to do anything other than work.
Hard work brings money and security but without Your efforts work cannot be done on its own therefore, you control work not the other way round.
