Boredom often strikes in the home. I’ve been there many times before where I feel like I’ve got nothing to do and the time is dragging. Over the years as a blogger, I’ve found my time has certainly become more limited because I’ve been more conscious about what I can do to elevate my blog and social media presence further.
As a result, I rarely get bored! However, I think it’s important to keep your days varied and to do something a little different every so often. If you find yourself bored regularly and you need a bit of inspiration on what to do, then this list should help.
1. Try learning a new skill or instrument
It’s one of the hardest things to do when you’re an adult but if you fancy learning a new language or instrument, now is the time to do it. When you’ve got hours to kill, learning a new skill or instrument of any kind is useful to have. Learning anything that’s new and unfamiliar often takes a lot of time and dedication. While it might be something shortlived, for those few hours of boredom, it can be a relief worth giving a go. You may even surprise yourself by continuing with the commitment to learn it successfully.
2. Try out exercising at home
Exercise is always a useful pastime to do, especially as it helps you keep fit and healthy. If you’re not someone who exercises regularly, then this bout of boredom is going to make for a productive morning or afternoon of exercise. It’s fun to exercise once you find something that you love, so try and experiment with what’s available.
For example, you may prefer swimming over going to the gym. It might be worth looking into something more unique like karate or squash. Don’t just go for the traditional exercise formats – experiment and find your passion. Exercising at home is easy enough and there are plenty of online exercise classes to partake in both free and paid.
3. Read a book you’ve been meaning to start
I’ve made it a conscious mission to try and read more books this year. I’ve neglected my inner bookworm for many years now and I think it’s about time that I reinvested some time into reading. Not everyone is an avid bookworm like I am and that’s ok. However, I’ve always thought that reading books is good for building your own knowledge, for creativity, and your imagination. My big dream in life is to write a crime/thriller novel. Hopefully, one day, I’ll get to achieve that dream.
4. Choose a small area or section of the home to clean up and declutter
We often put household chores and cleaning to the bottom of the list. However, it’s important that you’re being active in your cleaning and decluttering responsibilities. Otherwise, things can very quickly get out of hand. With that being said, choose a small area or section of the home that is easy enough to clean up and declutter in one sitting. Don’t attempt to do the whole home unless you have the motivation and hours of time set aside to do it.
5. Make use of your outdoor space all year round
I’m desperate for a private garden space. There’s something unappealing about spending time out in a communal garden. You don’t get that same level of privacy and I want to be able to go outside and freely enjoy an outdoor space without having to share with neighbours.
If you’ve got the luxury of your own private garden, make use of it! Spend an afternoon lazing about in the space with a good book or perhaps get handy with your gardening skills – or lack of in my case.
6. Do a movie marathon
There’s nothing more relaxing and enjoyable than doing a movie marathon. whether you’ve seen the films before or not, just allow yourself a day or a triathlon of movies. Get some good snacks and set up shop on your sofa for the next few hours as you go through one movie after another. Feeling adventurous? Try completing all the Harry Potter films in one sitting – after all, HP isn’t just for Christmas.
Personally, I love anything with Will Ferrell in so it would probably be a collection of his movies like Stepbrothers and Anchorman.
7. Go online shopping for some new fashion outfits
Sometimes, it’s good to treat yourself and when it comes to retail therapy, there’s really nothing better to bust the boredom you might be feeling. Oh, there’s no need to go out though – that’s the beauty of living in the digital age. For all it’s negativity, being able to order something from the toilet or from your bed is pretty special – and gross at the same time if you’re doing it on the toilet. But who am I to judge?
Treat yourself because chances are, you don’t do it often enough and you deserve a new outfit to wear out or around the home.
8. Clear your mobile and electronic devices to free up storage
It’s something that I’m desperate to do but when it comes down to it, I’m too busy currently. However, you best believe that when I’m in my mini maternity leave period, I’ll be making use of the downtime in the day to clean up my mobile and desktop storage. There’s something so satisfying about clicking empty bin or delete and hearing that sound of a paper being screwed up. It’s the simple things I know but if you’re looking for something to kill the boredom, declutter your phone storage or desktop storage.
9. Meal prep for the week ahead
Meal prepping is something that can certainly be useful if you’re trying to keep fit or simply trying to maintain a sense of a healthy lifestyle. If you’re so busy around the home typically and this is a rare occurrence where you have time to kill, then why not do some meal prep? It can save you hours throughout the week of having to prep and cook food during the mornings and evenings.
Meal prep is a good way to save some money too, so it’s definitely worth doing when you have some spare time to do so. I’d recommend you do it every Sunday as that’s most people’s day of rest.
10. Do some baking
If you’ve never done baking before, YOU’RE MISSING OUT. I have one thing that I bake religiously and that’s at Christmas when I made homemade choc chip cookies. They’re insanely good and morish, which is why I only make them once a year. Baking is a process that is highly therapeutic and if you have time in your day to do it, then you should certainly pick it up.
We all need to have that core skill of being able to bake or cook. It’s going to better your relationship with food and also ensure you’re eating fresh, whether it’s deemed healthy or ‘unhealthy’. I can’t wait to get a house so that I can invest in all of the baking appliances. Right now, there’s just not enough space in our kitchen.
11. Plan your next trip
A trip to somewhere new or to a place that you love to go is a great way to get rid of that boredom growing hour by hour. It might be that you look to plan a trip in the future abroad or maybe you want to plan a trip for the next time you’re not working or you think the boredom will creep in again. Heck, why not just throw caution to the wind and do a spontaneous trip somewhere now?
You’re an adult – you don’t need to ask permission so if you want to go to a local city or town for the day, do it.
12. Catch up with friends over FaceTime
This is something that I don’t do enough but I’m so happy that I got to do a lot of it during the pandemic. I think it has improved somewhat my ability to connect with my friends and family more often over FaceTime. Living so far away from everybody is hard and I think living in London in particular is difficult because even with Sam and our dog Ronnie, it can feel quite lonely. It doesn’t have the same community and ‘local’ feel that places outside of the capital, have.
So this is your reminder to make time for your loved ones and catch up with them over FaceTime when you are able to do so.
13. Start a gratitude journal
I think it’s typical of humans to criticise anything that we do wrong and forget about all the achievements that have been made along the way. Simply getting to open your eyes each morning and live through another day is a blessing that many often take for granted.
If you’re finding yourself agreeing to the belief that we don’t give ourselves enough appreciation or show gratitude for the things we have already in life, then start a gratitude journal. It’s a great habit to implement into your daily routine and might be a good way to bust the boredom every so often.
14. Sort through any bags or coats
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to my bags and coats, I very rarely empty them out when I get back from going out with them. That means, I end up ‘missing’ that really nice Charlotte Tilbury lipstick that I like, or I randomly find a tenner in my coat pocket. I mean that in itself, is always a great feeling. If you’re like me and you don’t empty out your bags or coats – do it now. I guarantee that it will be a rewarding experience to some extent. Whether that’s rediscovering things you misplaced or finding money, money, money.
15. Play a board game
Love playing games? Why don’t people play board games anymore? It’s a tradition with Sam’s family that we often play games together. These board games, whether they’re monopoly deal or some other competitive and high-intensity board game, make for a fun evening. It’s a shame that the digital world has taken over and has taken away somewhat the enjoyment that is ‘games night’.
If you haven’t played a board game in a while and you have a friend or family member who is equally bored and looking for something to do, whip out the Cluedo or steal your partner’s money in Monopoly Deal.
16. Take an online class
Online classes are something I’m looking to pick up soon for the purpose of my business. As a blogger, there are so many facets beyond just blogging on my site that could be made into an income. I really want to get to grips with affiliate marketing and utilise best SEO practices and keyword research to help my content stand out more this year.
When it comes to busting the boredom, there’s nothing better than an online class. There are also plenty of free classes to take too, so take advantage of this downtime you have and learn a new skill.
17. Pick up a new hobby
Hobbies are something that is useful to pick up because they help craft you into a more well-rounded individual. It’s important to have a hobby and something that exists purely beyond your work life or any basic household habits you do daily.
Perhaps you want to try painting? Or maybe fishing in your local area could be a good idea? No hobby is a bad one – as long as it’s not illegal, of course. If you have the time to pick up a new hobby, do it.
18. Start scrapbooking your memories
One of the things I would love to do at some point is to create a scrapbook of memories. I have a number of boxes in our flat that are full of memories. I’d somehow like to make them more storage-friendly but also something that I can actually appreciate and look at every once in a while. I think as you get older, you become more nostalgic and therefore want to reflect on the past moreso.
Scrapbooking is a great way to waste away some hours in a productive way. It also leads to a great end result in the form of all your memories in one place.
19. Train your pet a new trick
I loved training Ronnie’s tricks when he was a puppy. I think he’d still be able to pick up new tricks if I had the time and when you do accomplish something like a new trick with your pet, it’s always highly rewarding and satisfying. Ronnie knows the following so far; lie down, give paw, high five, spin, ups and of course, sit.
My best friend though has managed to go ‘pew pew’ and the dog rolls onside their side and pretends to have been shot. It’s honestly the cutest thing in the world.
20. Listen to a podcast
Podcasts are something I’m slowly warming to. I’m much more of a reader than a listener. I know that with podcasts you can rewind them to catch anything you miss but I find myself drifting off more with a podcast than I do with a piece of writing, you know?
Anyway, I’ve started a couple of podcasts but would love to start listening to more, especially any that are business-related, so send them my way in the comments if you know of any.
21. Try out a side hustle idea
Fancy taking that idea you have burrowed in the back of your brain seriously? For me, blogging become a money-maker around the two-year mark and if it wasn’t for the persistence and passion I had in creating content, I don’t think I would have made it into the business it’s become today.
A side hustle is something that anyone can do, so long as you have the right idea. With a dash of creativity and a whole heap of passion, time, and dedication, you too can create a side hustle from your own computer desk or at home in general.
22. Rearrange the furniture in your home
When it comes to boredom-busting activities, nothing is quite as effective as rearranging all the furniture in your home. While it might not be the go-to choice for wasting hours away, it sure does provide you with a high level of satisfaction and a home that looks brand new.
You moved in and positioned the furniture in a certain way. That means that you perhaps have never tried it any other way. With that being said, try experimenting with positioning, starting with the big furniture first and then moving the smaller furniture around. Sometimes, removing the furniture can be highly effective too.
23. Do some meditation
If you’ve been feeling a little stressed recently or want to do something that doesn’t include too much energy, then meditation is a great activity to do when you’re feeling bored. I wish I had the patience for meditation because the past few times I’ve tried it, it’s actually been pretty effective.
Just taking that time to relax, focus on yourself internally, and have a moment where you do nothing be breathe is pretty rare in what is often a busy life.
24. Take an afternoon off for self-care
Now this is something that I can get on board with every time I’m feeling it or that someone asks me to do. Self-care is an absolute must because it’s often something most of us don’t do enough of. Whether that’s taking yourself to a local spa, treating yourself to a delicious takeout, or getting your nails done. Self-care is anything that brings you joy and most importantly, is focused on you and your body and/or mind.
25. Write a short story or a book
Finally, one of my bucket list goals is to write a crime thriller novel. I’ll do it one day – watch this space. For now, though, I’m focused on my freelance writing. however, if you fancy wasting away a few hours in the best way possible, why not write a short story or start on that book you’ve always wanted to write?
Hopefully, there are enough tips above to help you make the most out of your day and more importantly, to bust the boredom feels. Make sure to bookmark this post for future usage and boredom-busting hacks.
