Whether you have an extra day off because it’s an official holiday like Martin Luther King Jr. Day (this year it falls on Monday, January 15) or you claim some form of paid time off, there’s no reason to be bored — unless you want to be. But if you don’t like having nothing to do, read on for some suggestions on how to enjoy youreself on a day off.
Movies and Videos
You don’t have to set foot outside to watch good movies — since the options for renting or watching on continue to proliferate.
There’s also good-old cable television and the binge-watching craze, in which people watch entire seasons of series via online video streaming services.
Sporting Events
If you enjoy watching sports, you can probably find your favorite teams playing over the holiday weekend.
Of course, it’s far cheaper to watch on cable TV than get tickets to see any of it in person. If you’re the betting type and happen to be within reach of casinos, you might find the camaraderie of a sports book rather fun.
Hit the Library
Books aren’t the only thing at the library; you can peruse magazines, borrow movies and audio recordings, and attend lectures or classes — the full range of activities depends on the specific location, but you can find out more by heading to your nearest library’s website.
Go Touring
Perhaps there are local sights of interest that you haven’t been to since you’re caught up in the day-to-day grind — well, now you have a chance to check out these destinations. Tour your home town or go on a day trip somewhere interesting, either on your own or even as part of a tour group. Find them on sites like ToursByLocals, Showaround and Vayable.
Take Online Classes
You don’t have to (re-)enroll in college to take classes, let alone pay (much) tuition for them if you’re willing to participate in continuing education programs. A growing number of websites and apps offer courses on a stunning array of topics. Check out Coursera, Udacity and Lynda to see what you might be able to learn in as little as an hour or two. You might end up with a new hobby as a result.
Volunteer
If you haven’t tried volunteering to help the needy, it can change your life. Going to a soup kitchen will make you appreciate what you have and get into the spirit of gratitude. If you’re already involved with a nonprofit organization, look into whether the group has anything planned on the holiday.
Play Games
If other members of your family are home for the day, playing cards or board games can provide a fun bonding experience and even laughter, depending on your game of choice; even multiplayer videogames can foaster that sense of community when your opponents are loved ones.
Go for a Stroll
If weather conditions permit, you might want to go on a hike — or at least a walk. If it’s too cold for a proper stroll, you could try to make it brief.
Update Your Resume
If you’ve been at your current job for at least a year and are beginning to feel stir crazy, there’s nothing like a day off to update your resume and online career profiles — on LinkedIn and other jobs websites — to be ready for recruiters.
Read
A day off from work gives you a chance to put in a lot of quality time reading a good book — or even catching up on the periodicals you enjoy. No need to buy that book or other reading material if you have a library card or a membership in any of the growing number of “all-you-can-read” services, including Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited for books and Prime Reading for magazines.
Collect, Curate, or Scrapbook
A day off gives you the chance to organize any collections you might already have or get started on one. If you don’t collect anything yet, it’s never too late to start a collection — and it doesn’t even have to cost you money. It could be as simple as collecting images to post on Pinterest, pasting things in an offline scrapbook, or amassing physical memorabilia or antiques you find on Etsy or eBay. Let what you’re already interested in serve as the gravitational pull toward starting a collection.
Reconnect with Friends
Social media, and Facebook in particular, makes it easier than ever to reconnect with people from the past — you can see who else is online when you are and chat in real time. From there you might even schedule a time to engage with them in any of the other activities mentioned in this article.
Have Fun on the Next Holiday
Hopefully the ideas mentioned above give you some inspiration for your next day off of work — but by all means, please let us know if we missed a good idea. Readers, what do you plan to do on your next holiday?
Jackie Cohen is an award winning financial journalist turned turned financial advisor obsessed with climate change risk, data and business. Jackie holds a B.A. Degree from Macalester College and an M.A. in English from Claremont Graduate University.
