It feels like you’re already busy all the time, so why would you want to be even busier? Well, while you might feel busy at the moment, you might not be as tied up as you believe. You work and put meals together, but you also spend plenty of time scrolling through your phone or wandering from room to room looking for something to do.
So why not turn your spare time into something productive? It might sound like the last thing you want, but it could be something that improves your home and happiness.
Why Is It Important to Stay Busy?
Even if you feel you’re always busy, several factors make having something to do so beneficial.
Energy
Staying busy is a great way to keep your energy levels up, which is vital if you want to stay healthy during the winter months when you might not get outside or exercise as much as you’d like. The more active you are, the easier it will be to maintain your energy levels, which makes it easier to get as much done as you need and helps you get to sleep easier because you’ll be exhausted by the time your head hits the pillow.
Productivity
Keeping busy naturally helps you feel more productive because you are more productive. While it can be tricky to get started on your errands or chores, simply doing them (and taking it one step at a time) helps you tick plenty of essentials off your to-do list. Every time you complete something, you will enjoy a motivational rush that encourages you to keep going and get more done. By the end of the day, you’ll have covered almost everything you needed, so you’ve earned a rest.
Creativity
The more you do, the more active your brain is, which is an excellent way to boost creativity if you write, make art, or practice music. It’s no good simply sitting around waiting for inspiration. You need to let your mind wander and find things that inspire you. By doing things and keeping busy, your mind will latch onto other ideas that you can use in your creative work and could spark the inspiration you need to complete your masterpiece.
Alertness
Similarly, your alertness will improve if you manage to stay busy. You’re likely to drink plenty of coffee and water to stay awake, and you also need food to keep fuelled during your busier day. These factors contribute to increased alertness that can keep you mentally sharp and even solve problems you’ve struggled to overcome at work or home. Being more alert is vital if you’re taking care of the kids or your pets because it means you can spot problems before they get out of hand.
Positive Mindset
While you can feel stressed doing things, especially if you’ve got too much on your plate, getting things done is an excellent way to encourage stress relief and feel better about yourself. It’s always hard to get started, so doing one or two small things to get the ball rolling is a massive help. You will feel satisfied in yourself when you finally get to sit down because you’ve earned it rather than treading water throughout the day and feeling like you’ve not accomplished your goals by the time you go to bed.
How to Stay Busy Around the House
There are plenty of things you can do around the house to stay busy, ranging from catching up with chores to enjoying some valuable me-time.
Chores
Everyone suffers from chore procrastination at some point. You know you have stuff to do, but you keep putting it off because there’s so much to do. Tackling the bigger chores, like vacuuming or cleaning the bathroom might feel too much right now, but approaching smaller chores like loading the dishwasher or putting the laundry away is much easier. Start small to build some momentum and then face the larger tasks around the house. You’ll quickly see that the hours have flown by and you’ve been productive.
Preparing Food
Making meals every night isn’t always something to look forward to, especially if you’ve only just gotten in from a long day at work. You can avoid this by prepping your meals at the start of the week. These meal prep tips can give you ideas for putting together healthy and delicious meals as well as some pointers on making the most of your leftovers. When you get home, all you need to do is take them out of the refrigerator or freezer and warm them up.
Home Workouts
Even if you aren’t able to go to the gym or feel it’s far too wet and windy to go for a run outside, you can still maintain your fitness with home workouts. These are a great way to stay busy at home and come with exceptional health benefits so you don’t feel like such a slob sitting on the sofa. Look for thirty-minute yoga classes on YouTube or do bodyweight training to work up a sweat. You’ll have plenty of time to relax once you’re finished.
Hobbies
Hobbies are another excellent chance for you to keep busy and have fun while you’re at home. You can play video games, read, or test yourself with online crossword puzzles to keep your brain active and make time for yourself. People need hobbies to take their minds off the rest of their lives, and they are an excellent way to indulge in downtime before going to bed. However, it might be worth saving these hobbies until after you’ve done all your chores.
Create Something
Likewise, you can create something. You can create anything. Whether you write, paint or do craftwork, you can indulge in your creativity. Many people use creativity to balance their mental health by doing something they enjoy, but you can also use it to generate some money on the side through a small business. Don’t feel pressured to turn your hobby into a side hustle, though, because it’s just as effective doing things for the sake of it.
Fix The Garden
If you’re blessed with a backyard, tackling an overgrown garden is a fun and rewarding idea that is bound to keep you busy. It is a long-term project that can take weeks–if not months–to get right. Start by trimming back bushes and mowing the lawn. From there, you can plant flowers or even try growing fruits and vegetables. When you’re finished, you’ll have a beautiful yard and a perfect place to entertain when you invite friends and family over. Maybe wait for the temperatures to rise first, though.
Plan Your Week
It can feel like you have so much to do, and it’s impossible to know where to start. However, if you sit down and plan your week, you’ll find it easier to keep busy throughout the week without letting things pile up. Write down your chores for each day, as well as any essential errands, such as grocery shopping or attending appointments. This approach compartmentalizes your to-do list and ensures you can stay on top of everything and keep busy, but not feel too overwhelmed.
Declutter
You will accumulate a lot of clutter throughout the years, and facing a spring cleaning is far from anyone’s definition of fun. So, try to declutter twice yearly to make things easier to manage. The best time to do this is spring and fall before you get swept up in the hectic winter and summer schedule. You can clear out the attic and garage and donate things you don’t need to thrift stores or charities. Take it one room at a time so it doesn’t feel insurmountable.
Challenge Yourself
If you don’t want to do the same things you always do to keep busy, why not take on a project to challenge yourself? Researching DIY projects for beginners can help you learn new skills and prove something to yourself. Even better, the home will look amazing once you’re finished. These projects could be something small like replacing a leaking faucet or realigning the bedroom door. But you might want to repaint a room or even repurpose items you were about to throw out, like using old curtains to upholster furniture.
Catch Up
Staying busy isn’t all about doing things around the house. You can also take the time to catch up with friends and family. Invite your best friends for a coffee and a catch-up or chat with your family over Skype or similar programs. This is a great way to find out what everyone’s up to, and the social element is ideal for maintaining mental health and grounding yourself. You might realize you haven’t seen anyone in a long time, so they are eager to tell you about their lives.
Busy
Staying busy doesn’t always need to be a stressful experience. Instead, it can help you find focus and balance while getting things done. This approach can free up more time later on and help you avoid that last-minute panic about making dinner or fixing household problems when you get home because you’ll have already covered them.
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