Like many exhibit managers, I've been temporarily furloughed, which means I have plenty of free time on my hands. How can I make the most of this professional pause?

Free time is something that everyone has at some point but doesn't always know what to do with. The people that are unsure of how to handle this time may complain about its existence. The fact is, it's vital to our mental and physical health.

So what should you do with this valuable spare time now that you have it? The most frequent and popular option might be sports related – e.g., walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and skating. Such physical activity can refresh you after long hours of sitting at a desk or, in your case, around the house. If you aren't athletic or already have an exercise routine, you can always find hobbies that stimulate the brain instead of the body. Consider activities related to art, chess, cooking, theatre, and photography, to name a few.

One key in making the most of this free time is to challenge yourself with things you haven't tried before. For example, if you don't know anything about photography, Shakespeare, or art history but want to learn, you might try any of the hundreds of the free online classes at Khan Academy or Coursera, among others. Another advantage to learning a new skill or mastering an intellectual topic is that you can feel a sense of progress that assures you your free time has been anything but idle. E