Some people wish they could do something productive with their spare time when they have a few minutes or at most half an hour on their hands—not enough to go anyplace or do anything big, but just a few minutes or at most half an hour—and they do not want to just waste it by doing nothing. In the time you are waiting to leave the house, on hold for a phone call or an email, or simply when you have a few minutes to kill and do not want them to go to waste, here are some activities you can do.
Spend a few minutes reading.
It does not matter if it is a book, a newspaper, a blog, or a magazine. You could even use the best comic book torrent sites to find your favourite comic books. You can see a shift in how you digest information with just ten minutes of reading per day. Use and preserve this incredible ability we have been given, because it is easy to become used to not reading.
Reconnect with an old friend
Send a text message or an email to someone who is important in your life but with whom you have not communicated in a long period of time. Meeting up will make both of you feel better, and you will benefit from the time spent together because we all need the company of old friends in our lives.
Tidy up old paperwork
Files, envelopes, and opened letters piled up on your desk or sideboard are most likely a sign that you do not have time to complete the entire desk-cleaning process or that you are overwhelmed by the prospect of doing so. Begin by simply practising it in five- to twenty-minute chunks while you are waiting for something to happen. This will help to keep your desk more organized.
Empty out a drawer of junk
Most of us have at least one of these in our house, probably more! When we pick something up and do not know what to do with it, we quite often shove it in the nearest drawer. Spend those weird few spare minutes you have cleaning one out – you may be surprised about what you find in there!
Do some journaling
Journaling is an excellent method of releasing and processing your feelings. Making time to look after your mental well-being is extremely important. Perhaps writing poetry or short stories might be more your style than standard journaling, even if you do not enjoy it. There are also a variety of diaries available for purchase that include prompts and questions to get you thinking.
Listen to an audiobook or a podcast
You can download a podcast, your favorite standup comedy routine, or an audio book to listen to while you are waiting for the doctor if you have a smartphone. Just make sure you have your headphones with you!
Organize your cellphone
Go through your photos and delete any old or blurry ones, update the cloud, delete or update any apps, reorganize your apps into folders, close down all your tabs and generally give your cellphone a tidy up.
Catch up on some news
The fact is that staying up to speed with what is going on in the world is quite important, and it will almost certainly help you have more engaging conversations Visit the BBC News webpage or launch a news app to ensure that you are up to date on current events.
Get in some exercise
Jumping or running on the spot, lunges, stretches or even a spot of yoga or pilates, there is plenty of exercise that you can do in a short space of time in a small space. Remember, every moment of exercise can make a huge difference to your health and fitness levels, so make the most of those few minutes.
Plan your day or week
Grab your diary and a pen and make your plans for the week ahead. Look on the school calendar and add those all important dates to the diary ensure nothing is clashing and perhaps even schedule in some coffees or dinners with friends. You could also use the time to get in some meal planning – there are some great meal planning tips here.
Waiting around doesn’t have to be boring and unproductive. If you are organized and motivated, you can fit so much into a short space of time.
