Many of us will find ourselves at a loss at some point in our lives. There is no denying that this lockdown period can be testing our mental health and wellbeing. All we have ever wanted is time, and now a lot of us have it in abundance. Having a hobby or filling up that spare time with things we enjoy doing or gain something from can be great for your mindset. We can’t function empty, so giving ourselves something that we enjoy and feel passionate about can actually help us to feel happier and content in other aspects of our lives and right now this is useful. So if you are struggling for some ideas then don’t despair, here are our suggestions to inspire you.
Image source – Pixabay – CC0 License
Train Your Pet
If you have a pet, now is a great time to be out walking them and training them. Of course this is something that you should be doing anyway but when you have extra time in the house, its a good way to utilise your time and to keep them occupied. Pets can be great for you in terms of mental health and wellbeing as well as giving you something to enjoy during your spare time. We got our puppy Lola just before the lockdown and she’s brought so much joy to our lives, as I hope we have to hers.
READ A BOOK
Not everyone enjoys reading, but that might be because you feel you just don’t have the time to dedicate to it. Now might be the ideal time to start. Why not create a mini reading list to get you going? You can then work your way through titles and genuinely remain interested in what your next book is going to be. Reading is a very relaxing thing to do but you can also learn a great deal in terms of language as well as knowledge, so you are gaining something from it as well as the enjoyment.
EXERCISE
Many of us can take advantage of the daily exercise time we have to get outside, so use it to exercise properly and head out for a walk or a run. However, the exercise doesn’t need to be just that. You could try things like online yoga training or YouTube workout videos to get the blood pumping. The more we stay active, the better it will be for our mindset. Spikesandheels.com has a tonne of friendly and helpful tips to give you some ideas of what kind of exercise would work for you best.
Consider things like creative writing or photography
Maybe you are a creative person, so why not let that part of you shine by using your
time to work on creative writing or your photography skills. You could also combine this with other hobbies like blogs or creating social media accounts where you can share the things that you create.
Cook or learn to cook
Using your spare time to learn things can actually be a great thing for you, and one of the things people always say they would like to improve on, but feel they don’t have the time to do it, is cooking or baking. Getting yourself a new recipe book to feel inspired, as well as trying out different meals or bakes can reignite a passion for cooking and have you creating culinary classics or even working on your own recipes.
Let’s hope that this has given you some inspiration on what you could be doing in your spare time.
