It’s that time of the year when our ill-conceived New Years resolutions start to hurt and we wonder if we really are capable of giving up snacks, booze or smoking. In order to assist our will power, it’s helpful to have a distraction, something that takes the place of the thing we’ve vowed not to touch. These distractions can prove very valuable as cravings are said to only last a few minutes, so if you’re trying to quit something or simply want to exterminate a few minutes, here are some top time killers to engage in.
Rubik’s Cube
You may remember these from way back when and been surprised to see them come back to become all the rage again recently. This classic 3D puzzle was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and architect Erno Rubik and these days isn’t just a plaything for pretentious hipsters trying to look astute. Celebrities such as Will Smith (55 seconds) and Ryan Gosling (169 seconds) have proved to be particularly competent in solving this puzzler, so why not try to beat their time? Those of you feeling particularly in need of a challenge could watch the video below and try to emulate the feats of Michel Gondry and his peculiar style of solving this classic puzzle.
Slots
The humble slot machine has come a long way and has now been transformed to encompass an assortment of different themes and great game mechanics including loads of bonuses, mini-games and progressive jackpots. By investing in the latest technological innovations, online casinos allow you to play mobile slots optimised to work on your smartphone or tablet and they have developed convenient payment methods, such as pay by phone, that make it easy to deposit some dough and start spinning the wheels. Nowadays, slot games such as Bake me a Winner and Cash in the Antiques are much more than what the uninitiated may think, as they often involve minigames, many paylines and require different strategies.
Meditate
This might not be for everyone, but meditation isn’t “doing nothing”, it’s training your mind in the same way you might train your body through exercise. There are various forms and techniques of meditation you might like to look into, but all should have benefits in terms of feelings of well-being and physical uses such as improved blood circulation. Simply sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes and focus on your body as you breathe with a controlled pace for around four to five minutes and you should start to feel the benefits after your first session.
Help Somebody
Thankfully this can be achieved without leaving your desk or sofa as there are lots of people in need of help online. This doesn’t mean endlessly posting inspirational pictures or quotes as these are often more annoying than encouraging. With sites such as Yahoo Answers and Wikihow, you can take a little time out to use your knowledge and do some good in the world by helping people with a genuine problem or dilemma. Or you could turn to real life and see how your extended family is doing. If there’s a cause you strongly believe in, consider volunteering to help your local community.
Whatever your reason for needing a time killer there are some interesting, enjoyable and occasionally beneficial ways you could massacre time without staring at Facebook or cat pictures endlessly. Try something new and you might actually keep the cravings at bay and produce a new you.