I know that work can feel like it’s taking over your life. That’s why it’s important to remember that you have a whole other life outside of the office. You might think that you don’t have any free timeābut everyone has at least some! You should use this time wisely, though. Here are some ideas for how you can use your free time to improve your work life:
Learn a new skill
- Learn a new skill.
- Learning a new skill is one of the best ways to improve your work life, but it can be intimidating if you don’t know where to start. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to learn almost anything–even something as difficult as programming or knitting–and they’re all available at your fingertips. You can take classes, read books or articles online, watch YouTube videos (or even just listen to podcasts), try out apps like Duolingo or Memrise that offer courses on specific topics in bite-sized chunks over time (this one’s great for learning Spanish!). You might even find yourself enjoying yourself so much that you end up becoming an expert in something no one else around here knows how to do yet!
Get fit to improve your work life
- Exercise can help your mood. Research shows that exercise can improve your mental health and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.
- Exercise can help you sleep better. A good night’s sleep is important for overall health, so if you’re having trouble sleeping at night it might be worth giving a workout a try!
- Exercise helps focus at work–and improves productivity too! If you find yourself feeling distracted and unproductive at work, try spending some time on the treadmill during lunch or after work; this may help clear your mind so that when 5 p.m rolls around (or earlier), all those tasks will be done!
Read more
Reading is a great way to relax and unwind. It can help you learn more about your industry, get ideas for your next project and develop your skills.
Reading is also an important part of being well-rounded as a person. Reading helps us understand other cultures and mindsets, which helps us when we’re working with other people from different backgrounds or countries.
Find a way to improve your productivity
If you’re looking for ways to be more productive, there are plenty of ways you can use your free time to improve your work life. For example, if you’re a designer who works remotely and has a lot of down time in between projects, try finding some new skills that can help make the most out of those gaps. Maybe it’s learning how to code or starting an online course on something that interests you! There are so many options out there–it doesn’t even have to cost anything (if we’re talking about free).
Another option would be finding ways for companies themselves (or individuals) who want their employees’ full attention when they’re working so that they don’t get distracted by other things like social media sites/apps or other forms of entertainment during work hours but aren’t necessarily able because these platforms are so addictive and hard .
Learn new skills to improve your work life
Learning new skills is one of the best ways to use your free time. It’s also a great way to expand your knowledge base and improve your career options, so it’s not just about having fun.
When it comes down to it, learning something new is always good for you–even if you don’t think so at first. So if you’re looking for something specific or just want some ideas of what kinds of skills people learn in their spare time, here are some things we’ve tried:
- Learn how code! There are tons of resources out there that teach coding languages like HTML/CSS, Python or Ruby on Rails (RoR). We even did an article on this very topic last year! The more familiar with these languages you become, the better prepared for any opportunities that come up later in life where those skills might be useful–like creating websites from scratch or building mobile apps for fun projects like websites!
Take a class
Taking a class is an excellent way to learn something new, whether you’re interested in taking up a hobby or improving your skills at work.
- Take a class at your local community college. Community colleges often offer classes for free or very low cost that cover topics like art, music and theater arts–and they’re usually taught by professionals who have real-world experience with their subject matter. If you’re looking for something specific (like how to play the guitar), this is where you’ll find it!
- Take a class in something you are interested in learning more about but don’t know where to start from yet. For example: if there’s one thing on everyone’s mind right now it would probably be cryptocurrency trading because everyone wants their piece of pie when Bitcoin goes mainstream again after another bubble burst due its volatility nature as seen throughout history so far.. You might think “I’m not going anywhere near cryptocurrencies until 2020.” That might be true but why not try reading some books or watching videos online? The information age has made everything available so there’s no excuse not knowing anything anymore; especially since most people don’t even bother trying anymore anyway…
Do some research for your next big project
Research is one of the most important parts of any project. It’s how you learn about the industry, understand what other people are doing and get ideas for your own work. You can use your free time to do research on a project that’s coming up or one that you’re already working on.
Researching doesn’t have to be boring; there are plenty of ways to make it fun! For example:
- Find out what other people in your field are doing by reading blogs or magazines related to your industry (e.g., if you’re an accountant, read up on financial news).
- Look at job listings for similar companies so that when someone asks about why they should hire from this company instead of another one (or even before they ask), you’ll have something interesting and relevant prepared ahead of time–plus it gives them something else besides “because I’m awesome” as an answer!
Learn something about your industry or job. Maybe even write a blog post.
A blog post is a great way to share something you have learned, created or thought about. You can use it as an opportunity to show off your knowledge or skills in your industry and build up your reputation as someone who knows their stuff.
Take up yoga or meditation or another activity that makes you feel good.
- Yoga and meditation are great for your mental health. They can help with stress, anxiety, and depression.
- You can practice yoga at home or go to classes if you want to learn more about it.
- You can also meditate at home by sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing for 5-10 minutes a day (or longer if you want).
You can use your free time to learn how to improve your work life.
The best way to spend your free time is by doing things that make you feel good. It can be tempting to spend all your free time watching TV, but it’s important to make sure that you’re also doing things that improve yourself.
If there are any skills or knowledge gaps in your career, take this opportunity to learn something new and become better at what you do. Even if there aren’t any specific skills or knowledge gaps in your current job, there will likely be some areas where a little extra effort could help improve the quality of work product produced by yourself and others around you at work (e.g., improving communication skills).
It’s really important to take a moment for yourself.
In your busy life, it’s easy to forget about taking care of yourself. But it’s important not to get caught up in the busyness of life and let your free time go to waste. It’s also important that you don’t feel guilty about taking time for yourself–you need it! Your body and mind will thank you later when they’re not exhausted from work stress or other things going on in your life.
You might find that some days are better than others when it comes to finding ways to take care of yourself during free time at home or elsewhere (e.g., going out with friends). If so, then give yourself permission not only for those days but also for any future ones where things may not go according to plan either due to unexpected circumstances like weather changes which can impact plans made weeks beforehand or just because life happens sometimes unexpectedly (like getting sick).
When making plans with others who might have different ideas about what constitutes “fun,” try being diplomatic without compromising what works best for YOU as someone who needs regular breaks from working hard every day just like anyone else does too!
Conclusion
If you feel like you need a break from work, take one! It’s important to take care of yourself and your mind. You can use your free time to learn something new or improve yourself. This will not only make you better at work but also happier in general.
Horizon CPD helps you organise and plan your learning, development and support your personal and professional aspirations. Whether you are simply looking to develop your skills, or looking for a new career direction we have the perfect resource for you.