Although certainly not at the extraordinary levels of the Covid-era world, people are still finding themselves with a large amount of free time. Reading your favourite books and consuming yet another flavour-of-the-month Netflix series is good and fun, but let’s explore some of the more unconventional ways that people have been spending their free time.
1. Brain games: Huh?
Whether it’s video games or basketball, games have been known to stimulate your brain, where getting better relies on improving coordination and decision-making. But what about a game that is specifically meant to train your cranium? Where there is a question, there is often an answer, and in this case, many.
Brain games have long been designed for both humans and animals to attempt to measure our memory, reflex and motor skills. A wave of brain games has been rocking the market recently, with fan favourites like sudoku and new apps like Elevate and Lumosity aiming to improve our cognitive abilities with targeted practice.
2. Gambling, but online!
Although certainly not the most family-friendly choice, online gambling has allowed the masses to hit the slots without having to venture to the nearest casino. With the explosion in popularity of the iGaming industry, examples such as neospin casino, players can wager and add some much-needed excitement to a lazy afternoon.
Whether preferring the staples card games of blackjack and poker or hitting the pokies, online casinos allow a multitude of options for how and when to play your favourites. One advantage of online vs. regular casinos is the creativity that the infinite digital canvas allows, whether this is a statistical overlay to your poker hand or a colourful display and interesting sound effects.
3. Gone fishin’: See you later world!
Relaxation. Although packed with excitement when a good catch comes in and the eyes of the pier are glued to you in anticipation of the big reel-in, fishing is generally a sit-back sport. As old as time itself and still rising in popularity, fishing has become synonymous with a cold beer, a cut cigar and a good time with your buddies.
Definitely not as exciting as wakeboarding, fishing can be the right choice for those who don’t necessarily want to be running around in their free time. An interesting dichotomy is always at play between the anticipation of the fish being caught and the stillness of the water, just waiting for some action to start playing out. The only real difficulty is finding yourself a clear day, some fish-laden water, a good rod and the free time to combine all of these together, often being difficult to come across at one time.
4. The Oldtimer’s Choice: Crochet
Now, I see what you’re thinking: ‘isn’t crochet best left to my grandma?’ I used to think much the same until I gave it a try. Crochet can be a surprisingly mentally stimulating activity when down to the nitty-gritty of it, and after you have yourself a freshly woven sweater to keep you warm in this energy crisis, you’ll be thankful.
Crochet is, arguably, the easier version of knitting with a fantastic support network across all of the most popular social media, especially TikTok. Tutorials are usually user-friendly and the hobby is low-cost, only needing a needle and a bit of yarn. All this and more has caused the market to skyrocket to $2.79B.
Ok great, but how do I choose?
Free time is free for a reason, so don’t stress about what new hobby you going to fill it with. Above are simply a few suggestions for some creative and interesting ways to give yourself a new flavour of life. Despite the list, sometimes all you need to do after a long day is hang around and flip through a few TikToks or pages of Reddit.
