6 Beneficial Ways To Spend Your Time
You are what you do, or at least that’s what they say.
While we all have the same 24 hours in a day, we don’t all use those hours equally as valuably. While it’s fine to spend some periods doing little more than binge-watching TV series on the couch, if those periods go on for too long, then at some point regret might settle in. When you only have one life on this planet, it’s important to use your time well.
If you’re not a massive fan of how you’ve been spending your free time, then check out some of our ideas below. Indeed, if you build all of the ideas into your routine, you’ll probably have a pretty wonderfully balanced life. Let’s check them out.
Move Your Body
The idea of getting up off the couch and exercising isn’t always appealing. In fact, it’s rarely appealing. However, while you might hate the idea before you start exercising, you’d likely have no regrets once you’re back home and showered. By pushing through and going for a run, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you did something that was good for you, plus you’ll have all those endorphins firing around your brain. Once you have a consistent exercise regime, you’ll likely find your life has improved in ways that you couldn’t have predicted.
Spend Time Meditating
It’s all too easy to lose an hour or so scrolling through social media. But the research on that is pretty clear: it’s not good for you. So instead, why not take a break from your Instagram feed, and instead do something that’ll have long-lasting benefits? Spending fifteen minutes meditating a day can have a profoundly positive impact on your mood, health, and general well-being. If you don’t know how to meditate, then look at downloading an app — there are plenty of good ones that’ll guide you through the basics.
Brain-Boosting Games
Many people love spending their evenings on the couch. Some people watch reality TV shows, while others play a few hours of FIFA or Call of Duty. While those activities are fun, you wouldn’t exactly call them brain-boosting. Engaging in brain-boosting activities can help preserve cognitive function, improve memory, and all-around keep your brain sharp and healthy. The easiest — and most fun — way to give your brain a workout is to play brain-boosting games. Chess, the most popular abstract strategy game of all time, is a recommended option, especially since these days it’s so easy to play online. You may also consider doing a daily crossword or Sudoku puzzle.
Documentaries
We don’t want to bash reality TV shows too much, since there are certainly plenty of good ones out there, but if you’re spending hours each night watching these shows then it can eventually begin to feel like a waste of time. But that doesn’t mean that you have to get off the couch. Instead, look at switching up the type of things you watch on the streaming services. For instance, what about watching one of those award-winning documentaries? You’ll be entertained, you’ll learn a thing or two, and it might just open your eyes to an entirely new way of thinking.
In the Outdoors
If you’re like most people, then you probably spend a pretty significant amount of time in an urban environment. Yet, while there are advantages to urban existence, it doesn’t tell the whole story of life. Spending time in nature has been shown to be good for just about everything, from connecting with friends to helping enhance physical and mental well-being. One study found that spending two hours in nature a week has a profoundly positive impact on anxiety, for instance, and given how anxiety-inducing these times are, we have to say that it’s certainly a good way to spend your time.
Reading
You have to feel a little sorry for books. It felt like everyone moved past them once the internet arrived. While it’s easier to scroll through Instagram than to read a book, there’s no doubt which one is better for you. If you’ve fallen out of the habit of reading, look at finding a book that’s accessible and in line with your interests. Alternatively, you could see which books the experts recommend you read. Once you’ve got back into the practice, you’ll find that you’ve always got a book on the go.
And there we have it! While you don’t have to optimize time all the time, it’s good to build good habits that pay off, and that’s just what the ideas above are.
