All of us will have experienced some awkward spare time. It’s those ten minutes you have between getting in from work and having to leave again to catch a train to meet some friends. The periods where we only have a few spare minutes before we can go somewhere or start something are often spent twiddling our thumbs. But you don’t have to waste your time waiting for this spare time to be up. Not if you use some of the following tips and ideas on how to fill the time.
Catch Up On Celebrity Gossip
Are you currently hooked by the latest Twitter spat between your two favorite celebs? Or are you glued to the tabloids watching the latest celebrity romance unfold? Whatever’s got you hooked, there will be plenty more juicy gossip waiting for you to find out. Celebrity heights and other important measurements are also up online. So why not spend your free time checking the latest gossip or seeing how you measure up compared to your favorite Hollywood starlet? You can get all the latest news on your phone. Twitter is the best place to look if you want the gossip straight from the horse’s mouth. But there are also plenty of tabloid and gossip sites filled with juicy rumors and whispers.
Puzzles
You probably already work hard to keep your body fit and healthy. So why not start training your brain to help keep it youthful too. The best way to do this is by regularly working on crosswords, word searches, and sudoku. You can buy lots of different puzzle books from corner shops and newsagents. Most of which are small enough to keep in your handbag so you can do them whenever you're waiting at a bus stop or on a train. And if you ever forget your puzzle book, simply pick up one of the daily newspapers. Most have a puzzles section. If you’d rather do all your puzzling on your phone, there are plenty of apps to choose from. When you get good, you could even start winning prizes. Most newspapers and online sites offer cash prizes for completed puzzles.
Learn A Language
Another great way to fill a few spare minutes and keep your brain fit is to learn a language. Thanks to modern technology, you don’t need to spend hours poring over textbooks and dictionaries to become fluent. All you need to do is download an app such as Duolingo. These new language learning apps make it ever so easy to learn new vocabulary and grammar. They break learning up into short games and tests. Each one only takes a couple of minutes. So you don’t ever have the excuse that you don’t have much time to learn a new language!
Catch Up With Family
You don’t have to spend hours on the phone to catch up with other family members. Sometimes a quick text or email will do the job. They may appreciate the quick note to say that you were thinking of them! So next time you are sitting in the dentist’s waiting room, scroll through your phone’s contact list and see who you haven’t spoken to in a while. Drop them a quick message to say that you should have a catch up soon. I’m sure you’ll put a big smile on their face!
Answer Emails
You don’t even have to be sitting at your laptop to reply to personal and work emails these days. Simply connect your email accounts to your smartphone, and you can check them wherever you may be! So if you’re sitting at home waiting for a lift, or on the bus to work, pull out your phone and shoot off any quick replies you need to send. But don’t feel obliged to answer any work emails during your spare time. Personal emails are fine, but try only to look at your work emails while you’re at work. Otherwise, you might feel like you never switch off!
Mindfulness
It only takes a couple of minutes to practice your mindful thought techniques. This is a form of meditation that focuses on your breathing and how you deal with your thoughts and emotions. If you practice it regularly, you will find that you are less stressed and can concentrate on tasks much better. Got five minutes before you need to leave the house? Sit back and close your eyes and focus on relaxing!
If you use these ideas, you will never find yourself twiddling your thumbs again!
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