Maximising your free time
LIFE is full of changes that can open voids of free time in your life: retirement; career changes, having your kids leave the nest; graduating from school. Or just taking time out to find yourself. Here are ways to maximise your free time:
1 . Keep a journal about your life and how you’d like it to be. Be sure to describe the activities you are trying out in your free time so you can evaluate whether they are worth continuing to do. One way to appreciate life more is, at the end of the day, write five things from that day that you are grateful before you go to sleep. It may be hard to think of five things at first, but it is okay to repeat things from previous days, and you will find yourself looking for good things throughout the day to write down at night. This will improve your outlook on life.
2 . Get yourself in shape. Consult your doctor about starting an exercise programme. A good starting point would be to walk for 30 minutes each day around your neighbourhood for three days each week.
3 . Join (or return to) a place of worship. This is a safe way to meet interesting people and get involved in your community.
4 . Volunteer your time and expertise. Search the Internet or the Yellow Pages for volunteer organisations in your area. Anyone, however inexperienced, can contribute. You can work as little or as much as you want to.
5 . Take up a hobby. Remember what brought you the most fun in childhood and try variation on it. Some kids liked caring for animals, some liked tinkering with tools, some liked playing board games. You get the idea. There’s a hobby for everyone.
6 . Turn off the TV and read more books. Describe in a book journal what you have
read, and what your reactions were. Join a book club.
7 . Get a pet from an animal shelter. You will save a life and become the centre of the little critter’s world.
8 . Try gardening. Cacti are amazing, grow gorgeous flowers, and are almost impossible to kill. Or you could try herbs, which are easier to grow and fun to use (in cooking or in crafts).
9 . Declutter your home. This could take months, but it is essential to clear space for your new life. Get rid of anything you haven’t used in more than a year: have a garage sale, donate to charity, or just recycle it.
10 . Go back to school either for fun or to broaden your skill base, or both. Continuing-education courses can be lowpriced.
11 . Try painting or something crafty. Some types of painting are acrylics, enamel, encaustic (wax), frescos, gouache, inks, oils, heat-set oils, water miscible oils, pastels and dry pastels, oil pastels, pastel pencils, spray paint (graffiti), tempera, watercolour and sketching.
12 . Pull out a cookbook and try new recipes. Look into your fridge and cupboards, then Google a recipe using those ingredients.
13 . Learn to meditate. Sit quietly for 20 minutes and breathe. Count your
breaths up to 10, then start over again. The idea is to have something on which to focus, so that you stay present and don’t drift off mentally. After several weeks, you may begin to notice positive results in your life: more calmness, better concentration, more focus, more understanding of how negative the usual mental chatter can be.
Take your time trying stuff out. Something that seems hard may start to grow on you. Remember, it is your life, so make the most of it!