When the weather isn’t great, it can put a dampener on your mood and potentially even thwart your plans. With the amount of responsibilities on your plate, it may be a rare occurrence to have some much-needed ‘me time’ to recharge and focus on what matters most to you. 

Even when your plans have been impeded by the gloomy weather, there are many fun activities you can do from the comfort of your own home. Next time you’re stuck for ways to spend your time while cooped up inside, these activities below are sure to make your day more interesting: 

When rain is pattering down on the windows, and you want nothing more than to snuggle down and have a cozy day inside, why not transport yourself to an entirely different world with a good book?

If you’ve managed to get through every single cover on your shelf and you want to try something new, you could make the trip to your local bookstore and see what interesting novels await. However, if you’re not keen on venturing out in the damp weather, you don’t have to leave your sofa to check out books of all genres – the online Blurb Bookstore offers an abundance of non-fiction and fiction covers to suit all tastes. 

If you rarely have the time to focus on your health and wellbeing, devoting part of the day to working out gives you the chance to regenerate the body and mind. It’s easy to get into the habit of sitting around while at home, but challenging yourself to some gentle activity can make a remarkable difference to your physical and mental health. If you’re a novice to exercise regimes, there are an abundance of videos to follow on YouTube in all manner of classes, including Yoga, Pilates, and cardio. 

If lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that there is no better way to spend your downtime than enjoying your favorite hobby. If your hobby cannot be carried out indoors or nothing springs to mind, you could challenge yourself to try out a new skill or finish a personal project you’ve been working on. Research has discovered that giving yourself the space and time enjoy your hobby can significantly improve mental health, reduce stress levels, and may even have the power to advance your career.

With the everyday rush of life, you may not have time to polish up your cooking skills at mealtimes. A simple oven or microwave meal may be the quickest and most convenient option on a day-to-day basis. However, while cooped up indoors, there’s no better time to try your hand at new dishes for family mealtimes or an upcoming dinner party. There are thousands of easy recipes online to cover a three-course meal. Most of the time, all you need are basic ingredients that will likely be already hidden away in your cupboards.