Does your day-to-day life feel dull? Does it seem like your free time is full of mindless social media scrolling and pointless online content? In case you’re no longer enjoying your leisure, it’s time for change. Let’s try and use your free time for personal growth and self-improvement!

Read

Reading is a great way to entertain yourself. Whether you choose a romantic novel or a sci-fi drama, the story will engulf you, transforming you into one of the main characters. The reader can live through thousands of lives thanks to books.

On the other hand, reading can expand your knowledge and motivate you to become a better person. Scientific studies, philosophy, and health literature will show you many sides of life you’ve never thought of before. You’ll be able to accept other people’s experiences, adapting their ideas as your own. Who knows, maybe you’ll oppose a few authors, too! Either way, books will stimulate your growth.

Moreover, reading has been proven to reduce depression and improve empathy and social skills. Do you need any more reasons to start reading daily?

Utilize Your Skills

Of course, self-improvement is not all about your way of thinking. Sometimes, you should also practice things you’ve learned. If you have enough free time on your hands, try utilizing your skills and earn some extra cash.

• Good with IT? Have a knack for visual design? You can become a freelancer and expand your skill set. Register on a freelance platform, create a portfolio, and find your first clients to ear with your skills.
• Sell art and prints. Granted you are more artistic, you probably have works stuck at home. Well, you have a chance to sell your paintings and other creations online! Not everyone will be able to afford a unique piece, though. Selling prints of your works is a perfect solution.
• Complete small tasks. There’s no need to have an array of impressive skills like coding or web design because you can easily complete other microtasks. Whether you’re going to play games, take surveys, or do random handy work, you can get paid for that. In addition, it will help you explore your hidden talents!

Take Up New Hobbies

Your free time can be extremely dull without hobbies. If all you do is scroll the social media, think about taking up new activities and learning new skills.

Some skills can influence both your free time and your professional life. This could include marketing, informational technology, writing, and so on. Others will enrich your knowledge and entertain you on a daily. Remember: you will grow by pushing your boundaries. You’ll have to come out of your comfort zone to see a real improvement.

Meditate

Practicing mindfulness through meditation is a huge part of self-improvement. While it generally helps you relax and reduce stress and anxiety, it can also help you disconnect from emotional triggers in real-time.

Sit or lay down comfortably, close your eyes, and start breathing deeply. Focus on your breath and try to scan your whole body, starting with your head down to your toes. You can meditate in complete silence or find tutorials online. Some will find it hard to start meditating right away. With time, you’ll learn to adapt meditative practices to your liking.

What About Motivation?

Even when you have time for growth, it’s not always doable. You’ll find yourself unmotivated and procrastinating sometimes, and that’s okay! Here are a few tips to feel more motivated for self-development.

• Prioritize self-improvement. And no, we don’t mean that you should focus on self-improvement at all times. Yet, some individuals just can’t stop thinking about work or things they can learn in their free time. Schedule weekly time for self-improvement to know when precisely you should concentrate on that.
• Give yourself time off. Utilize all your free time when you can, but don’t forget to give yourself a break. Start creating new boundaries between work and personal growth. Working on self-improvement too much can be overwhelming and lead to a serious burn-out.
• Don’t compare yourself to others. Some people will always appear happier, smarter, and better than you. Truth be told, it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Your growth matters! Don’t delve into self-doubt and comparison, or you’ll lose all of your motivation. You’re only allowed to compare yourself to your past self.

All in all, there are quite a few ways to grow as a person. Fill your free hours with self-improvement methods like reading, taking up new hobbies and learning new skills, and meditating. You’ll notice a change in no time!