Although I am a personal development blogger by profession, I am in no way a mental health professional. See my disclaimer for more info.
You’re bored out of your mind and want something to do. No worries — here are 19 things to do when bored!
You’re laying on your bed, staring at the ceiling. You sigh in boredom and wish you had something to do.
This is a common occurrence across us humans. I experience this feeling every now and then. It’s like I can’t think of a single activity to fill my time. As time has passed, I’ve come up with a list of things to do when I feel this way.
I know you feel bored sometimes, too. So, in this post, I’m giving you a list of 19 activities to fill your boredom.
Are you ready? Let’s get into it!
This post is all about things to do when bored.
What is boredom?
Boredom is that feeling when you have nothing to do but desparately want to find something to do. This can feel a little uncomfortable at times, so you might feel like you need to fill this boredom.
Does that always have to be the case? Let’s talk about that next.
Is boredom OK?
When you’re feeling bored, it can seem like a negative feeling. Since you’re not being productive in the moment, you might feel you could use your time a lot better.
But, boredom isn’t a bad thing — at all!
How can boredom benefit you?
You may not have thought this before, but boredom is a good feeling. You don’t spend every second of everyday doing something.
Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and feel, think, and reflect. Here are some benefits of boredom:
1. Creativity
When you feel bored, you probably have a lot going on in your head. Or the complete opposite!
When I’m bored, I get all kinds of ideas for outfits, decoration, events, my blog, and so much more.
It’s sort of hard to have these thoughts when you’re constantly on the go. You get a chance to sit down and tune in with your inner-creative self.
2. SELF-REFLECTION
Being bored also gives you time to reflect. Reflect on your life decisions, relationships, previous goals you’ve accomplished — anything!
Anytime I don’t have anything to do, I like to use this time to reflect on my life.
3. BEING PRESENT
You probably feel me on this one: I’m seemingly always living in the past or the future. It’s almost as if the present doesn’t exist.
But friend, let me tell you that this isn’t a healthy way of living. Yes, it’s good to think about the past and future, but living in the moment is most important.
Being bored allows you to sit and enjoy the present moment.
19 Things to Do When Bored:
1. Write a story
Writing fictions is one of my prime memories. As you can probably tell, I have a thing for writing.
I used to write stories and it was the most fun thing ever. I’d think of a plot, name my characters and give them personalities, and even let people read them.
The whole process is fun! But it doesn’t have to stop at childhood.
No matter how old you are, you can enjoy writing a story. It doesn’t have to be fictional either — you could try writing a non-fiction novel or even an autobiography!
You don’t have to be the best writer either. I definitely wasn’t the best as a child but I still loved writing these stories.
And writing improves your focus, writing skills, and creativity. So go start writing!
2. Make goals for future you
Making goals is essential for your self-growth journey. Like I said earlier, you have time to reflect on yourself when you’re bored.
Take this reflection and make some goals for future you. Make sure they align with your values and help you become a better version of yourself.
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3. Have some fun on Pinterest
I’m always going to talk about Pinterest! I use it for several things but I especially like to go on there and enjoy a good ‘ole scrolling session.
Whether I’m making a vision board, doing some marketing for my blog, or just scrolling through my home feed, it’s always a good time over on Pinterest.
And by now you probably know that Pinterest is the least toxic social media app. So if you’re looking to keep your peace, head over there and scroll for a bit!
4. Listen to a podcast
I definitely haven’t always been a podcast person. They weren’t exactly my favorite form of media.
And even though they still aren’t, there are a few podcasts that I thorougly enjoy indulging in. My taste in podcasts varies quite a bit from music, lifestyle, and even self-growth podcasts!
It might take you a while to find some you really enjoy, but I’d say it’s worth the effort.
Nowadays, podcasts have video versions, too. So if you need a visual, you should be good!
5. Take up a new hobby
If you’re chronically online like myself, you’ve probably been hearing people talk about little things called hobbies. Then again, though, I’m sure we all have an idea what a hobby is, haha.
But in case you don’t know, these are activities you can enjoy when you have some down time.
They’re even better when you’re bored! A few of my hobbies are:
- Playing badminton
- Designing things on Canva
- Learning new things
- Writing blog posts (technically my job but I digress)
You could totally steal one of mine! But, if they don’t seem fun enough, check out the list below of hobbies to try. They’re fun, productive, and some are completely free!
RELATED POST: 67 Stress-Free Hobbies for Adults to Enjoy During Your Free Time
6. Call a family member or friend
If you haven’t called a certain person in your life in a while, use this boredom to give them a call.
Ask them how they’ve been and maybe even schedule a day to hangout!
Someone could be going through the worst or best period in their life, and might want to share how they feel. Be the person to check on your loved ones.
I’m sure they’ll be happy you called and checked on them!
7. Look at houses on Zillow
You don’t have to be in the process of house-hunting to look at houses online.
When I was younger, I was obsessed with looking at houses in my area on Zillow. It was cool to see what homes we could move into next.
It was quite inspiring, too. Seeing things you don’t have yet can motivate you to work hard and get what you want/deserve.
8. Discover new music
I don’t know what I’d do without music. There’s different music for all moods and experiences.
But sometimes I get a little tired of the music I’m listening to at the moment. When this happens, I look for new artists and songs to add to my playlists.
You can find new music all sorts of ways:
- Ask your friends for some recommendations
- Look on TikTok for recommendations
- Watch music reaction videos on YouTube
- Look through curated playlists on apps like Spotify and Apple Music
- Go to a festival concert with multiple different performers
- Search Reddit for others’ recommendations
THINK: What’s one song you recently discovered and fell in love with? Tell me in the comments!
9. Make a niche playlist
I’m sure you know what a regular playlist is, but have you heard of a niche playlist?
It’s similar to a regular playlist, but it has a specific mood to it. For example, I have a playlist named:
…songs that i can’t listen 2 bc they sadden me but it sucks bc i love them + want to listen 2 them
As the lengthy name implies, this playlist is full of songs that I love but try not to listen to very often since they’re on the moodier side.
You can either make a similar playlist or curate something totally different. It’s all up to you and the options are limitless. Consider adding some new songs you discovered, too!
10. Update your TBR
You know that little thing called a TBR (to be read)? Yeah, I know you have one — what does it look like? When was the last time you finished a book from it?
Don’t worry; I’m targeting myself too because I haven’t even LOOKED at mine in months.
Spend some time looking through your TBR and do some well-needed maintenance.
Since you last looked at it, you’ve probably found new books and authors. And the current books on there might not be as interesting either.
Make sure you do this so you’ll have a nice, fresh list of books to choose from the next time you want to read.
11. Do something you’ve been procrastinating
Boredom is the perfect excuse to finally take care of some important tasks. If you’ve been putting something off, now’s the time to get to it!
This could be:
- Cleaning
- Going grocery shopping
- Scheduling/attending appointments
RELATED POST: How to Stop Procrastinating: 15 Must-Know Tips to Get Things Done
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12. Draw or paint
Whether you’re artistic or not, drawing and painting can help fill your boredom.
I’m definitely not the most artistic person — it’s more about the experience and feeling. Anytime I’m creating a visual, I try not to frustrate myself. I remind myself that this is purely for enjoyment.
You should do the same. Download a drawing or painting app and get to creating!
13. Read
If all else fails, reading is one of the best things to do when you’re bored. There are so many genres and authors to choose from — your options are unlimited!
If you need some recommendations, I love The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and I really enjoyed Verity by Colleen Hoover.
Both of these books are serious page-turners. So much to where I’ve re-read The Hate U Give multiple times and I’m considering reading Verity again.
If these don’t sound interesting, though, there are tons of ways to find a book that you’ll want to indulge in.
Similar to finding new music, you can look for books in these ways (and more):
- Read Reddit posts
- Watch book reviews on TikTok or YouTube
- Visit a nearby bookstore and look around
- Ask a friend or family member for their recommendations
- Re-read a book you’ve enjoyed in the past
14. Exercise
Yes, you can exercise when you’re bored! Wild, right?
It’s great because you’re doing something good for both your physical and mental health. You’re using your time pretty well!
When thinking of exercising, you might imagine going to the gym and doing a 40-minute hardcore workout. That doesn’t have to be the case (at least not all the time).
There are so many types of workouts out there, from yoga to dancing, and even more.
If you’re just starting out (like myself), you can download a fitness app or go on YouTube for some beginner workouts.
I used to follow an exercise with the 30 Day Fitness at Home app and it was so easy to follow!
15. Admire pets at your local pet store
Before I got my 2 Goldendoodles, I loved going in PetSmart and admiring the pets. I eventually got my first pet fish, Scarlett!
16. Give your phone a makeover
When I tell you I used to do this all the time! I get bored of things pretty quickly — especially my phone setup.
It’s wild how many times I change my wallpaper each month. I just need something fresh to look at, ya’ know?
But every few months I like to take it the extreme and I’ll do a factory reset on my phone. This allows me to get rid of unused apps and data, and look for new apps to try.
17. Sort through your junk mail
We all have tons of junk mail. Most of it is probably just paper bills and credit card offers.
But, what about if you actually looked at everything instead of mindlessly tossing it to the side?
You might find some important or interesting stuff! So don’t be so quick to toss mail to the side. Plus, you can declutter it and make room for more important mail or other things.
18. Take an everything shower
Ah yes, the hour-long shower that results in heavy breathing, unreal thirst, and squeaky-clean skin.
Even if I already took a shower earlier in the day, I sometimes get the urge to take an infamous “everything shower.”
I definitely have to mentally prepare myself for how tired I’ll be afterwards. BUT it’s so worth the time and energy it takes because I feel revived after the whole process.
19. Do a concert in your room
I love watching live performances, and I love doing them almost as much.
I’m serious about it, too — I’ll make a setlist, rehearse, find outfits, and everything.
This is probably the #1 thing I do during my free time and it’s so fun! If you like performances, you should do your own. And no, you’re never too old for that!
Let’s recap!
We made it to the end of the post!
Today, we talked about things to do when bored.
It can be a little frustrating when you’re bored and don’t have a single thing to do. I hope this post gave you some good ideas to help fill that boredom!
Please remember to take time to take care of yourself!
I know, in this economy, it can be hard to find free things to do that are fun. That’s why I put together a list of 7 free self care activities to enjoy today!
In the midst of chaos, don’t forget to smile,
DeMarcus – your self care buddy
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This post was all about things to do when bored.
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