Here in the UK, climate change has been bringing us hotter, drier summers, with record temperatures. However, we can also still expect our fair share of traditional rainy days, with bleak skies and muddy puddles.
On those wet grey days, it can be difficult to find ways to enjoyably pass the time – particularly if you have young kids at home, or your budget is tight so you can’t afford to go out (a common problem for many of us these days).
Fortunately, with a little ingenuity and imagination, there are plenty of free or low-cost boredom-busting activities you can try, whether you live on your own, with friends, a partner, or with your family. Let’s explore some of the most enjoyable, stimulating or relaxing options, so the next time a day dawns with grey skies and pouring rain, you will know exactly what to do to have an amazing time, despite the weather!
Learn A Fun New Skill
If you like to spend some of your free time broadening your horizons and learning new things -whether for fun, or because you are keen to acquire some useful new talents – the virtual world is full of opportunities for self-improvement.
In many cases, you won’t even have to pay a single penny for the privilege of learning. Whether you want to brush up on your language skills, learn how to whip up delicious meals, perfect a new makeup technique, or take a free course on art, science, or even managing your money, there is a plethora of free online resources available.
Try Your Luck With Online Slots
Feeling particularly bored on a rainy day, and keen to add a sprinkling of adrenaline and excitement to proceedings? Why not set up a personal account on one of the many licensed and certified online casinos available and give these online slots a spin?
Live dealer games, in particular, can help you banish those rainy day blues, as they provide genuine interaction and the thrill and sense of managed risk of a brick-and-mortar casino. However, you can also find a wide range of video slots and other casino games, from blackjack to roulette and poker, that have the potential to keep you entertained for hours.
Treat Yourself To A DIY Pampering
While we may sometimes feel like we should be spending our free time doing something useful, active, or educational, sometimes a rainy day offers us the perfect excuse to slow down and dedicate some time to nurturing ourselves.
We all deserve a good pampering on a regular basis, even if we have to do it ourselves – so if you can’t get out and about, why not stay in and treat yourself? There are a variety of ways to nurture yourself at home – from running yourself a nice hot bubble bath, to making your own DIY face masks with ingredients you can find in your fridge or kitchen cupboards.
Of course, pampering doesn’t just have to mean spending time on your appearance. It can also involve indulging in a guilty pleasure, such as kicking back on the couch with a big bar of chocolate and a trashy magazine, or even having a cheeky mid-day nap.
You can also dedicate the time to doing something you enjoy but may not usually have time for – like scrapbooking, journalling, drawing, playing Candy Crush on your phone, or organising your makeup, tools, or wardrobe. Pampering can be whatever you make it; whatever helps you to relax and feel centred, nurtured and content, inside and out.
Destress With Some Mindfulness And Meditation
A recent survey commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation has revealed that rising numbers of UK adults are struggling with feelings of stress and anxiety – and, given the cost of living crisis, this news surely comes as no surprise to many of us. While these feelings are linked to personal finances, as explained by the survey, there are some budget-friendly things that we can do at home to help us cope with the negative mental and physical side effects of our worry.
In particular, mindfulness – a key part of meditation – can help you regain control over runaway thoughts, lower your blood pressure, and improve your sleep, which can be disrupted by anxiety. By developing a daily meditation practice (even if it’s only for five or ten minutes at a time) you can help to soothe your symptoms of stress and worry, and you will hopefully find it easier to stop negative thoughts and feelings from becoming a vicious spiral.
To get started with your mindfulness practice, it’s very simple: all you need to do is find a quiet room, sit comfortably, close your eyes, and begin focusing on your breath. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold it in for a count of five, and then give a long exhale. If you find it difficult to focus, there are mindfulness apps and tutorials that can help you, by providing soothing guided meditations that you can follow whenever you have free time. A rainy day, for instance, is the perfect opportunity to dedicate some time to restoring your mental health and hopefully regaining that all-important sense of equilibrium.
Get The Whole Family Involved
On a lighter note, if you have a family with young kids, and a rainy day hits, it can be the perfect excuse to have some indoor fun.
There is a whole host of fun-filled games and creative activities you and your kids can try, no matter how old they are – from playing ‘floor is lava’ and breaking out the board games, to having your own dance party in the lounge or creating an indoor garden using old egg cartons, some compost, and the seeds of your choice.
The kids are sure to have a ball, and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by how much you enjoy your rainy day spent at home with the family.
Final Thoughts
Grey rainy days are a fact of life if you live in the UK – but the great news is, they don’t have to be bleak or boring. With the right attitude and some great boredom-busting ideas, you will never find wet days tedious again!
