We all have a surprising amount of free time every day, in fact Americans average a solid 5 hours of free time per day and most of that time is spend doing unfulfilling and non-engaging activities such as scrolling social media (2.06 hours) or watching TV (2.84 hours). I know I’ve spent hours scrolling through social media for hours on end without even realizing it and I know I’m not alone! There’s got to be some thing more productive to do with all this time, right? What if you knew how to invest your free time as effectively as possible?
Develop new skills with self-learning.
With the rise of internet and new technologies, access to information has never been easier. You might not know how to make apple pie, or how to do origami? But you can always Google it and after a few times, you will be an expert.
This goes the same way for learning new skill you used to have to go to college for (by the way, online college is a pretty cool thing now). Let me take explain further with the example of coding. If I wanted to learn how to code from scratch, I could use the following methods:
-YouTube, for example, with the channel LearnCode.academy you can learn instruction language as HTML 5 or CSS for free.
–w3schools.com, you can take free classes to learn HTML 5 or CSS. The certification costs $95.
–Udacity/Google certification, ($200 for the certification exam and $1077 for 3 months courses).
So how to pick between those 3 ways? YouTube and w3schools.com allow you to develop new skills for free where you have to pay for courses with Udacity and Google certification. The big difference is the certification. w3schools, google certification and Udacity allows to pay for certification and it’s a big asset for your resume.
Tech might not be your thing but what I just shared with you is applicable to design, business, investment, art… It is now easier than ever to develop new skills for free or cheaper than the alternative. All you need is dedication.
Boost your energy and your mind with sports and exercise.
As anyone knows, sports develop leadership, self-esteem, and teamwork. Working out also lowers the risk of health problems, reduces stress and has mental health benefits. But what is probably not that obvious, is that working out regularly also boosts your energy and your mind!
According to the Guardian and Germans studies, being physically active helps improve memory, concentration, as well as ignore distractions, multitasking.
Researches have not yet found the reason for this major benefit. They suspect the increased blood flow to the brain, the growth of hormone and the expression of brain’s network of vessels to improve our brain tonic.
However, if there is something all researchers agree about is that a lack of physical activity every day is dangerous. Mind and body are connected and neglecting one or the other has a negative impact on the other. So break out those old running shoes and start making a difference (or you can try selling them).
To conclude, investing your 20 minutes break to have jog or yoga is a healthy way to spend your free time for which your mind will be thankful.
Make these extra dollars.
What is a better way to invest your free time than by earning money? Embrace the hustle and make those extra dollars that will go long way at the end of the month.
With apps you can make cash anywhere or anytime and Uber is a perfect example. If you have less time you can also use apps that pay you to take surveys such as Zap Surveys. Do you have a 10min break? Take a survey and make those extra dollars (which I recommend you spend on that certification or those new running shoes).
Go to this link to download Zap Surveys and make $6.25 just by installing the app.
It’s time to act! Find your way to invest your free time and remember that these 20 minutes can be a game-changer.
Wants to know more about Zap Surveys? Click Here!
