Leisure Time: What You Can Do When You’ve Run Out of Ideas to Take a Break

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic.

With work getting a bit stressful and my husband being at the office so much, things are getting to be too much these days. When I was talking to my mother the other day, she suggested that Jake (my husband) and I set aside some time to take it easy one day. “Go to the beach for a sunset, meet up with your friends or just do dinner and a movie. I’m sure he’s ready for a little break based on the craziness at his work, too.” I thought about it for a second and realized that it’d been a while since we had some leisure time due to us just running out of ideas of things to do. I took her advice and my husband and I spent a day on the town doing various community activities. It was great! We felt so reenergized after. We need to do this more often!

Leisure time, or simply getting away from whatever it is that’s stressing or making you feel beat to do something that relaxes you, can be a great way to reset your mind and body. Have you ever set some time aside to just unwind and relax to do something that makes you feel better when life’s issues are getting to be too much?

There’s no denying that spending time doing something we enjoy makes us feel better. Click To Tweet

The question is, how much better? And how often should we do it? According to a study conducted by Matthew J. Zawadzki, Ph.D., Joshua M. Smyth, Ph.D. and Heather J. Costigan, B.S., moments of leisure have a positive impact on our moods, interests, stress levels and even heart rates.

The results of the study, which assessed leisure, mood and heart rate in subjects six times a day for three days straight, even demonstrated the “potential for using leisure as an intervention to improve health and well-being in daily life.”

Consider Your Own Experiences

When was the last time you were dealing with a lot of pressure or problems in life that just became so much that you decided to get away from it all? Of course, you’ve taken vacations, and it’s easy to assume that many families take these trips to either spend time together or get away from their problems – or both. But what if vacationing isn’t an option?

If you haven’t indulged in leisure from time to time, how has it affected your life? Click To Tweet

We suspect that things got rougher for you at work or home. If you did it often but not so much anymore, is it because it’s gotten to the point where you’ve run out of ideas and don’t know what to do in your free time? If so, let’s go over a few tips.

A Few Ideas

Many of us enjoy sitting at home reading, watching TV, conversing with friends and so on, but if these ideas have become too routine or boring for you to the point that it’s no longer fun and isn’t helping you destress, then there’s no reason at all to explore other options to help you fill in your leisure time. Here are some friendly suggestions:

• Meet new people – If you’re looking to meet new people and form new friendships, then check out online websites like com. You can find others who share the same interests you have, and it can potentially open up new opportunities for leisure time in the future with friends!
• Community events – Browse your city’s community events calendar for fun things to do around town. This can include art gallery viewings, celebrations, fairs, parades, etc.
• Religious events – If you’d rather do something on a spiritual level, then churches, Jewish temples and other houses of worship are sure to have canned food drives, clothing drives, religious excursions and more that can pique your interest. Even better, you’ll feel great knowing that you’re helping those less fortunate.
• Learn a skill – Leisure time is a great opportunity to learn a new skill like playing an instrument, gardening, dancing, sewing, etc. Keep in mind that by learning something new, you’ll be stimulating your brain and learning more about yourself!

The bottom line is that there are an endless amount of things you can do for leisure. Just because you’ve run clear of ideas doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to do. Reach out to a friend and brainstorm some ideas or get together with your spouse or family and hear out what they’d like to do for fun. The possibilities are endless!

Helping You Feel Better

We understand that life comes with plenty of stresses at times, whether it’s to do with work, school or family. Whatever the reason, we want to help you feel better. Our licensed psychologists in Tampa can provide a comfortable and supportive environment where you can talk about anything that’s bothering you. If you’re having trouble coming up with new ideas for leisure time, then we want to help. Reach out to us today to schedule your appointment.