How to Make the Most of Your Spare Time

When you’ve been working hard all week, it’s important to schedule some time for relaxation; this allows the brain to re-energize and opens the floodgates for creative expression. A day that is entirely dedicated to work is dull.

Taking time off does not have to mean vegging out on the couch every weekend (unless that is your preference). Instead, use this time to complete those pesky housework tasks or to begin a new hobby that you’ve always wanted to try. One of the many benefits is that you have complete control over how you spend your downtime.

Find a new hobby to pursue

Begin a new hobby, but not just any hobby; rather, try out a new and interesting hobby. You should conduct some research on Google, make some notes, and bookmark some websites that will be useful to you as you begin.

How about making designs out of soap? Hand-carved soap flowers are a common sight in Thailand and Indonesia, where they are sold at markets. Soap carving is a popular hobby for many people, and they frequently sell their creations online. If you can turn this hobby into a business, there is a huge market for your products.

Make some adjustments to your closet

It is perfectly acceptable to update your wardrobe without completely reorganizing your closet. It entails going through your closet, which provides another opportunity to earn some extra money. You can then use that money to buy some new clothes or accessories, making this a win-win situation for everyone.

Your first task will be to go through your closet, remove all of the clothing and footwear, and lay it all out on the ground. Make four piles of items: pile one for items to sell, pile two for items to keep, lot three for high-quality clothing and shoes to donate to a charity shop, and pile four for items that can be recycled ethically.

Ethical recycling centers will take any old clothing in any condition and disassemble it into its primary components, allowing the materials to be reused in other contexts.

When using the Marie Kondo method, the expert on decluttering suggests picking up each item, taking a good look at it, and then asking yourself, “How does it make you feel?” You should keep the item only if it makes you happy. Although it may appear extreme, using this method can help you make a decision.

Do not keep the item if it has rips, broken zippers, or appears worn; instead, toss it in the recycling bin because you will never get around to repairing it, and these items will just sit in the bottom of the closet, attracting negative energy.

The following piece of advice is to only keep items that you currently wear or have worn within the last year. If you haven’t worn the clothes or shoes in question during that time, chances are you won’t wear them again. Keep in mind that you should only keep things that you love and that make you happy.

You won’t be able to “slim down” into anything that doesn’t fit, and you’ll feel bad about yourself every time you look in your closet and see that pair of jeans that don’t fit. Don’t feel bad about getting rid of them; life is too short to wear jeans that are too tight or too loose for you.

You will be able to determine what you already own as well as what you need to modernize your appearance once you have sorted all of your items into their respective categories.

Category 1: Sell your gently used clothing. There are numerous websites on the internet, including eBay, Vestiaire Collective, and even Facebook Marketplace. Consider it an example of upcycling: here you can sell pre-loved and vintage items that no longer appeal to you. You decide to sell an item that you no longer require and use the proceeds to buy a new piece of clothing that you adore to update your look. You can get to the point where you never spend any real money on anything if you are astute and can read the trends. As a result, we have completed the organization of your closet. What about the furniture you once had?

Repurposing Furniture for Pleasure or Profit

Have you had enough of staring at that boring bedside chest or those tattered bookcases? Why not give it a new lease on life by repainting it, replacing the handles, or decoupaging it? Consider it in the same way that you would sell your old wardrobe or shoes.

You only have three options when it comes to upcycling furniture: refresh the item, keep it, or sell it on an online auction site. Make some extra money so you can buy new furniture or donate it to a worthy cause.

Consider how many enjoyable hours you could spend scouring the next for an antique washstand or Rococo mirror; additionally, you never know when a new hobby could lead to a new line of work for you. It’s possible that if you don’t even try, you’ll never find out.

If you decide that upcycling isn’t for you, how about taking a class?

Thanks to online resources like Skillshare and Future Learn from the Open University, learning something new has never been easier. Signing up for these sites is completely free, and you can begin learning right away.

You can learn how to defend yourself from cybercriminals or become a community champion. You could also learn to cook or study Italian by yourself.

It’s amazing how simply thinking differently can help you detach yourself from the typical 9 to 5 routine. Enrolling in a course is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your professional development. You could also simply learn a new skill for the sake of learning. Education of any kind will never go to waste.