How to Fill Your Free Time With Useful Things

Sudden changes in your life can open up periods of free time that you didn't have previously. Filling in your free time with useful pursuits is a way to increase your creativity, energy, enthusiasm, and sense of fulfillment from life. Try spending your free time developing a new hobby, learning a new language, volunteering with a local group, or joining a religious organization!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Picking Up New Skills

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1
Take an adult-education or community college class. Use your free time as an opportunity to pick up knowledge that has no direct bearing on your job or career advancement. Immerse yourself into learning these things for the sake of learning them, without having the pressure to achieve beyond the goals you've set for yourself.^{[1]XResearch source}
- For example, maybe you've always fancied yourself getting involved in archaeology, ballroom dancing, jewelry making, wilderness first aid, or hang-gliding.
- Look for local clubs using the Meetup app or website to connect with other people.
2
Take up gardening. Gardening is a great way to pass your free time and to use your hands to make food for your family and friends. Cacti are amazing plants that grow gorgeous flowers, and they're almost impossible to kill. Or you could try herbs, which are easy to grow and fun to use in cooking or in crafts.^{[2]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source}
- If you're already an experienced gardener, redesign your garden or change your approach to what you grow in it. Try branching out and creating a meditation garden or a Persian garden
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3
Turn cooking into a fun activity instead of a chore. Cooking new recipes is a fun way to pass time when it's done for pleasure instead of necessity. Pull out a cookbook and try some new recipes. Or look in your fridge and cupboards, then search online for a recipe that uses those very ingredients (for example, search for "broccoli pineapple jalapeño recipes.")^{[3]XResearch source}
- Spend an afternoon baking and learning how to use new techniques that you've never tried before.
- Once you've honed a few tasty recipes, throw a casual dinner party for people you really care about.
4
Learn a new language. Picking up a new language is a great way to engage your mind during your free time.^{[4]XResearch source} It can help you understand foreign cultures and learn about different parts of the world. Pick up a copy of a language-acquisition book online or at your local library. You can also read magazines and books, or watch movies and TV in the language you’re learning to make learning the language more fun.
- Learning a new language will also enable you to communicate with people in your community who may not speak English.
5
Take up painting or drawing as a hobby. Making art is a great way to spend your free time: you can express yourself and pick up a new skill. Try out different types of painting, including acrylics, enamel, frescoes, inks, oils, water miscible oils, pastels and dry pastels, spray paint (graffiti), or watercolor. If you’re more interested in drawings, pick up a sketch pad and some charcoal.
- For example, art and craft is filled with ideas for possible hobby angles; within painting alone you could investigate.
- Visit your local art-supply store or hobby shop for supplies.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Helping Your Community

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Join a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple. This is a safe way to meet interesting people and to get involved in your community, in addition to developing your spiritual beliefs. Look online to find a variety of local churches in your area.
- You don't necessarily have to subscribe to a set of religious beliefs in order to spend free time in a religious organization.
- For instance, Unitarian Universalists, while coming from Christian roots, are known for welcoming and including people of other beliefs, including agnostics, atheists, pagans, free-thinkers, secular humanists, and liberals of all types.
2
Dedicate your free time to volunteering at a community cleanup. Volunteering is a great way to be active in your community and build friendships. Helping out at a community clean-up will improve the environment in your neighborhood, and help you pass your free time outdoors in the fresh air.^{[5]XTrustworthy SourceHelpGuideNonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.Go to source}
- See if you can recruit additional volunteers from local churches, youth groups (including the Boy and Girl Scouts), or community nonprofit organizations.
3
Volunteer at a food drive. Food drives are often hosted by nonprofit organizations, charities, and public libraries. If you’d like to spend your time giving back to your community, contact the organizers of a local food drive and ask how you can get involved. You may find yourself visiting grocery stores to ask for donations, or inviting passers-by outside a church to donate food.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Or if you’re not interested in helping out at a food drive, consider other ideas for volunteering. These include helping at a thrift store, fundraising for local nonprofits or working at soup kitchens.
- You’ll find that volunteering becomes an incredibly fulfilling experience that helps many others.
4
Volunteer to write for organizations online. If you live in a rural or remote location, or if you would rather engage with others online rather than in person, you can volunteer online. For example, volunteer to perform web work for nonprofit organizations or write newsletters for charities. Online volunteering can give you a sense of accomplishment and foster personal connections.
- For many more online (and in-person) volunteer opportunities, visit VolunteerMatch online at: https://www.volunteermatch.org/.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Building Your Career

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1
Network for professional purposes during free time. Just because you’re off the clock doesn’t mean that you can’t advance your career or build up professional connections.^{[7]XResearch source} Call up friends-of-friends and invite a couple of co-workers along for a late-morning brunch, or stick around late after an evening meeting and invite a couple people you don’t know very well out for a cocktail.
- Even if you're not keen on spending a lot of time networking, build at least a small amount of it into your week to ensure that you're connecting with others in ways that are free of the constraints of time, obligations, and work/self-imposed deadlines.
- Look into joining the Small Business Administration (SBA), an organization that allows you to connect with others in your field and mentor others.^{[8]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source}
2
Organize your planner or calendar. Between work, meetings, professional obligations, social meet-ups, and the other parts of life, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with obligations. Use 10 minutes of your free time to organize your calendar or day planner. Writing down and organizing the dates and times that you have certain obligations will reduce stress and help you keep appointments.^{[9]XResearch source}
- If you don’t already have a planner, try noting your plans on your smartphone's calendar. This will help you to stay better organized and forget fewer plans.
3
Make friends with people in your school, office, church, or community. Don't hide yourself away during all of your free time. Reach out to others and spend time with people you care about. Schedule weekly or monthly get-togethers with friends, hang out spontaneously now and then, and catch up with family members you haven't seen for a while.^{[10]XResearch source}
- This will give you a chance to share ideas, have fun, and be re-energized through your connections.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Addressing Health and Wellness

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1
Spend time catching up on your reading. Whether you’re most interested in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, philosophy, or biography, reading will engage your mind and help your free time feel more meaningful. Reading will broaden your perspectives and improve your vocabulary. The books you read can open your mind to perspectives and cultures you may not already be familiar with.^{[11]XResearch source}
- For fun reading suggestions, visit your local library or spend an hour browsing a nearby bookstore.
2
Spend time with a pet. If you don’t already have a pet, now might be a good time to get one. Pets require regular care, and can help you to fill your free time by playing, taking a walk, or preparing food for the animal.^{[12]XResearch source} If you're in the market for a pet, check a local animal shelter.
- Dogs and cats are popular options, for good reason. They have fun personalities, are affectionate and loving, and can be left on their own for hours at a time.
- If you have little time to spend with pets, or are looking for a more hands-off animal, try fish.
3
Focus on your spirituality. Free time is the perfect time for all things spiritual because you give yourself the space to unwind, reflect, and think about the bigger picture and life's purpose. Whether or not you're religious, spiritual time is an essential part of being human, and tending to this side of yourself is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.^{[13]XResearch source}
- After several weeks of daily prayer or prayer, you may begin to notice positive results in your life: more calmness, better concentration, and more focus.
- Centering prayer uses similar methods in a Christian context.
4
Learn to meditate. Sit quietly for 20 minutes and breathe naturally. Count your breaths up to 10, then start over again. The idea behind meditation is to have something on which to focus, so that you stay holistically present and don't drift off mentally. Meditation can calm you down and help you avoid negative thoughts and feelings.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Look for apps that will offer guided or self-guided meditations.
5
Exercise to stay in good physical shape. Using your free time to stay physically fit is an easy and healthy way to pass an hour. Free time provides a good opportunity to keep up your fitness levels, whether it's by lifting weights in your garage or doing push-ups in your living room. If you have relatively little free time, spend 15-30 minutes exercising at home.^{[15]XTrustworthy SourceFamilyDoctor.orgFamily-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family DoctorsGo to source}
- Tailor your exercise program to fit the amount of free time you have. If you have many free hours per day, spend them working out at home or run several miles.
- If you’d like to get out of the house to exercise, join a local gym to lift weights and bulk up, or to run on cardio-enhancing machines. You could also run in a public park near your house or workplace. Or look into joining a local rock-climbing group.

Useful Skills to Learn and Ways to Help Your Community

Useful Skills to Learn

Ways to Help Your Community

Expert Q&A

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How can I be more productive during my free time?
Sydney Axelrod
Certified Life Coach
Sydney Axelrod is a certified life coach and the owner of Sydney Axelrod LLC, a life coaching business focused on professional and personal development. Through one-on-one coaching, digital courses, and group workshops, Sydney works with clients to discover their purpose, navigate life transitions, and set and accomplish goals. Sydney has over 1,000 hours of relevant coaching certifications and holds a BBA in Marketing and Finance from Emory University.
Sydney Axelrod
Certified Life Coach
Expert Answer
Try to figure out what helps you be most productive. When do you work best? What do you need to be your most productive self? Then, find a way to put some of those boundaries in place so that you can be in your element.
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Tips

If you’d like to pick up a hobby, consider some of the following: teaching yourself a new computer programming language, writing a short story or play, making jewelry, graphic designing, amateur photography, or learning a new type of dancing. You could also take up woodworking, golfing, or picking up a musical instrument.
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Don't over-commit to filling your free time with activities. You don't want to ruin the fun by piling on too many things to do. Free time should be enjoyable, not frantic.
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Take your time trying out new experiences. Something that initially seems hard may start to grow on you and it's more rewarding when you've stuck with it.
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Warnings

Check with your doctor before you start any fitness program or strenuous physical activities. By the same token, don't let you put this off; your doctor will be pleased to learn you want to start something new and will only prevent you if there is a good reason to do so.
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