Making the most of your time off is a life skill. You want to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to feel good and enjoy yourself.
But what does that look like, exactly?
That’s where this post can help. We explore how you can fulfill yourself in a more mindful way during your time off, so you avoid wasting the time and use it the best you can.
Do Nothing
Controversial!
But our first piece of advice is to do nothing. In today’s world, there’s an expectation that we should always be doing something, whether self-imposed or something we’re told by others. We’re meant to be constantly on the go, always looking for opportunities to expand our lives and experience new things.
But, of course, if you’re like most people, this approach to life is inherently stressful. Even during your down time, you should be productive, or thinking about how to make yourself even more productive.
But, of course, that’s no way to live, which is why giving yourself permission to do nothing is so critical. Allowing yourself to enjoy the experience of having no responsibilities and nothing to do is freeing and liberating.
Attend A Workshop
Another idea is to attend a workshop (if the idea of being at home and unproductive doesn’t appeal to you). This session could be on a skill that you’ve always wanted to learn, like pottery or cookery.
Attending a workshop is a lot of fun because you get to meet new people while learning new skills at the same time. When you become friends, you can expand your network and feel more connected to others, giving you something else to do that isn’t regular paid work.
Learning a new skill can be fulfilling at the same time. Once you master something new, you can take that with you for the rest of your life. For example, getting to grips with cooking means you can wine and dine guests at your home or cook yourself delicious snacks during the week.
Go Stargazing
Another option is to go stargazing from time to time. During your free slots in the week, you could drive out of the city and find a patch of dark sky where the Milky Way is visible.
Most people don’t really know what the night sky should look like because of the sheer amount of light pollution in the area. As such, a lot of individuals have no idea what the sky even looks like on a clear night (which is something that our ancestors could scarcely imagine).
If you don’t want to take a trip just for that, combine it with camping. Sleeping under the stars is a wonderful experience and something that people should try more often.
Create A Vision Board
If you’re the sort of person who’s always thinking about what’s next in life, you could create a vision board. These let you map out what you want to do with your time, or how you’ll plan your next adventure.
Vision boards usually have photos, magazine clippings, and quotes to help you make your goals a reality. They allow you to extract all your most important thoughts on a topic and represent them in the real world, instead of containing them all in your mind.
Vision boards can be a lot of fun to make, too. They allow you to ideate as you construct them, possibly providing you with even more creative spark.
Connect With Friends
At the same time, you also want to connect with friends during your downtime. These gatherings can lift you up and make you feel good.
Of course, it’s best to see people in person if you can. However, you could also connect with them online.
Another approach is to plan a date outside of the house at a coffee shop or the park. Meeting up with friends in these locations allows you to have real conversations while enjoying the environment.
Play Some Games
Playing some games is another fun and often fulfilling way to pass the time when you have a day off from work. You have more space and freedom to enjoy yourself and relax.
The number of free games available these days is extensive. Examples include Freecell, Minesweeper, card games, chess, and many others.
Free games are great because there’s no commitment. You don’t have to sign up or pay anything to start playing.
You can also benefit from updates and new sections when playing these games. Often, developers will add new content just to keep players interested and add to their revenue.
Explore Local Markets
If you don’t know your local area well, you could also take time out to explore the local markets. These offer fresh produce, crafts, vintage jewellery, antiques, and many other items that aren’t available from the big box stores.
Exploring local markets is also a fun way to get exercise. You’re walking, but you’re not concentrating on the number of steps you’ve taken, which isn’t always the case when you try to do the same thing at the gym.
If you can support local vendors, that’s even better. Paying them helps to circulate money in the community and prevent it from going to the big brands.
Go To An Exercise Class
Another option is to go to an exercise class. These are ideal if you want to get in shape or improve your fitness for an event.
Fitness classes can occur anywhere, including the local yoga or dance studio, gym, or school. Instructors provide you with directions on what to do and how to approach exercise, keeping you safe while providing you with a solid workout at the same time.
Read A Book
Reading a book is also a fulfilling way to spend your free time. Usually, during the week, you don’t have many spare moments to read, so many people relegate it. However, many of the most successful people in the world love reading and always make time for it, no matter what.
What you read is up to you. You could get stuck into a historical work or read a memoir. You could also go to book clubs and talk to members about what you’ve learned during your adventures peeling through 19th-century novels.
Visit A Museum
When was the last time you went to a museum? If you’re like the majority of people, it was a long time ago. However, museums are great places to learn more about history and a range of other topics, making you feel like you were really there.
Science exhibits are perhaps the most fun. These allow you to explore the discovery process, the researchers who had the biggest impact, and see examples of science in action.
Attend A Live Event
Attending a live event is another option to try. Again, these are something you could do with friends if you wanted it to be even more fun.
Live events have a certain atmosphere about them that makes them different from watching the same thing on a screen. Often, you get caught up in the energy, which is a remarkable and fulfilling experience for a lot of people.
Live entertainment is also a way for you to soak up the culture of specific performances or shows. You could go to a pantomime at one end, and the opera at another. Once you go through these experiences, they become a part of you and who you are.
Organise Your Space
Coming back down to earth, you could also use your time off to organize your space. Decluttering rooms and closets helps you relax and feel better about your living arrangements.
Living in a mess during the week is okay, because you’re usually out at work for most of the time. But it isn’t fun at the weekend when you want to relax and unwind in front of the TV. Ideally, things should be clean.
Go Hiking
You could also try a hiking excursion. These trips get the blood flowing and allow you to spend time in nature, instead of feeling like you’re trapped indoors or in the city.
For hiking, you’ll need a decent pair of boots, various clothing layers, and some other items, like a first-aid kit. The main danger when hiking is the weather, so always go prepared, even if you think it is going to be a pleasant, sunny day.
Also, if you’re hiking at elevation, bring an emergency communication device with you. Weather can behave strangely the higher on the mountain you go.
Plan A Day Trip
Lastly, you might want to plan a day trip on your day off. These are ideal when you want to explore a new area or try something different.
Day trips are fun because they get you out of the house and force you to plan. You could visit a beach, a national park, or an ancient site or monument – it’s entirely up to you. That’s what makes it so special. You can enjoy the scenery without worrying about the cost of long-distance trips.
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