How to spend your free time at home: It's something many of us don't spend a ton of time thinking about, especially when we have a family or other responsibilities at home. But time at home can be productive time, and it can also be leisure time—it really comes down to how you want to your precious free hours.
As the holidays approach and temperatures continue to dip, it's safe to say most of us will be home a lot more in the coming months. With that in mind, here are eight ideas for how to spend your spare time.
How to Spend Your Free Time at Home
1. Do some creative writing
When was the last time you considered doing a little creative writing? High school English class? Maybe a college course? If it's been a while, consider tapping into your creative side. No one actually has to see whatever piece of creative writing you churn out, whether it's a short story or something longer—although you can share it if you want to. So open up a Word doc, a Google doc, or whip out a pad of paper and pen and get those creative juices flowing.
2. Take an online course
There were a lot of great online courses available before the pandemic hit. But when so many things were forced to go virtual in 2020, this amount increased quite a bit. Whether you want to learn a new language, learn to code, knit, garden, or anything else, there's a course out there for you. Check out platforms like Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, or ALISON.
Take an online course on whatever you're interested in.
3. Roll out your yoga mat
As long as you've got space for a yoga mat in your home, an online yoga class is an excellent, healthy way to spend your free time. Check out online yoga platforms like Yoga with Adriene, Sky Ting TV, and YogaGlo.
4. Play board games
If you have a family that needs to be entertained, why not ditch the screens and take out an old fashioned board game? With enough snacks, you'll be having a blast in no time. Consider Monopoly, Charades, Clue, or Catan.
Board games are a great way to spend quality time with family or friends.
5. Have a Netflix party
Why watch Netflix on your own when you can invite a bunch of friends over—or cozy up with your family—and make a day or night of it? Bake something deliciously sweet and decadent, light candles, load up your kitchen with savory snacks, and get ready to binge an entire season of a series or a few favorite movies.
6. Listen to a new podcast
Let's be honest: Most of us have to spend a good chunk of our free time at home doing household chores. It's just he way life works. That's where podcasts come in: A podcast can be an excellent companion for just about anything, whether you're cooking, cleaning, gardening, reorganizing your closet, or anything else.
Podcasts can be excellent companions during household chores.
7. Call your loved ones
In our virtual world, many of us resort to digital modes of communication like texting, emailing, or DMing. In your free time at home, try calling or FaceTiming your loves ones instead. While it may feel "scary," talking to them in real time and getting to pick up on intonation and see facial expressions is so much more rewarding.
8. Host a book club
If a Netflix party isn't really your thing, host a book cook club at your house. Book clubs are a great excuse to get people you love together, make new friends, eat great food, and chat about something you all have in common—the book you just read.
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