12 Best Things to Do When Bored

It is vital to stay engaged when you’re bored because boredom can have negative effects on your mental and emotional well-being. Boredom can lead to feelings of apathy, lack of motivation, and even depression. While there are thousands of things to do when bored, this article provides you with 12 great things to do when bored as per my experience.

Why Should We Focus on Things to Do When Bored?

When you are engaged in something that you like, your mind and body work together and this provides a sense of accomplishment which helps to boost self-esteem and confidence.

Not only that but when you keep doing the below activities, you open yourself to new challenges. Challenges definitely help to expand your knowledge and skills while helping you to develop new or existing relationships with others.

Ultimately, you will achieve personal growth and development as well. So, engaging in something when you are bored, is a win-win situation. So, let’s dive into the best 12 best things to do when bored in brief.

What Are the Best 12 Things to Do When Bored?

1. Call or Video Chat With a Friend or Family Member
2. Read a Book or a Magazine
3. Listen to a Podcast or Music
4. Watch a Movie or TV Show
5. Play a Board Game or a Video Game
6. Write a Short Story or a Poem
7. Draw or Paint Something
8. Take a Walk or Go for a Run
9. Learn a New Language or Skill
10. Do a Puzzle or a Crossword
11. Cook or Bake Something New
12. Clean or Organize a Room in Your Home

Call or Video Chat With a Friend or Family Member

Boredom and loneliness go hand in hand. the first one of this list of things to do when bored, connecting with your friends or family is surely a great way to battle boredom.

If your loved ones are far away from you, a voice or a video call can simply connect you with them. Social interaction is a fantastic way to keep engaged your mind which helps to combat boredom. Also, sharing ideas on various topics is an effective way to learn new things as well.

Not only that, interacting with your loved ones is an effective way to cheer your mood up while allowing you to pass time.

Read a Book or a Magazine

Whether I’m bored or not, I read. When I read a book or a magazine, I transport into another world. Reading helps to spark my imagination and aids me to learn new things. It’s undoubtedly one of the most interesting things to do when bored.

Reading is a good way of escapism. Reading helps you to forget your current reality. When you are reading, you unknowingly shift your attention to something beautiful other than boredom.

On the other hand, Reading helps to develop knowledge, language, and analytical thinking skills. You might be a fan of fantasy books or romantic novels. Or you might be a fan of motivation books.

Whether you choose a fiction or non-fiction book to read, you will always learn something new from it. Most importantly, reading will dispel your boredom for sure.

So if you don’t read, add reading to your list of things to do when bored.

Listen to a Podcast or Music

Listening to music or a podcast that you prefer is another superb way to get rid of boredom.

Music has the amazing ability to lift you up by boosting your emotions. Whether I’m bored or sad, music has always been there for me.

When I’m listening to music, it elevates my mood and cheers me up while leaving no time for boredom.

Just like music, podcasts are also very helpful to get rid of boredom.

When you listen to a podcast that you like, it keeps your mind busy. A busy mind means there is no time to get bored.

Not only that but since podcasts cover many topics from entertainment, and business to personal growth, you can discover new information and develop new skills as well.

Watch a Movie or TV Show

One of the fun things to do when bored is, to watch a movie or TV show. Movies and TV shows can keep you engaged more, compared to social media and reading books.

They can stimulate your auditory and visual senses more effectively since they are made to tell stories that elicit emotional responses from viewers.

On the other hand, what is more interesting and entertaining than watching a newly-released movie? So, it is certainly a good way to dispel your boredom.

Play a Board Game or a Video Game

I love video games. Even when I’m not bored, I play video games. Games are brilliant in stimulating your mind.

Games often have clear goals and objectives which can provide a sense of accomplishment when those are achieved.

No matter whether it is a board game or a video game, it involves mental activities such as strategic thinking and problem-solving.

Video games are like a double-sharp sword. It can both improve your mind skills and provide entertainment while fighting boredom. So, games are surely one of the most beneficial things to do when bored.

Write a Short Story or a Poem

If you love writing, then you have another beautiful thing to utilize spare time. Writing is a fun activity that requires your time and creativity.

When you make use of your free time in writing a new story or a poem, you express ideas with your mind and use your imagination to craft.

These activities will shift your focus out of your boredom.

Draw or Paint Something

If you’re good at drawing or painting, it is also a great way to fight boredom. Painting is an effective way to relax.

When your focus is on creating art, your mind becomes more relaxed and in control.

Also, when you’re engaged in painting or drawing, you’re often focused on the present moment.

Becoming more mindful and in harmony with your surroundings certainly can help you to alleviate feelings of boredom.

Take a Walk or Go for a Run

Walking or running is associated with many physical and non-physical benefits. Also, it helps to break the monotony as well.

If you do the same over and over again daily, your life can become boring.

While there are many things to do when bored, taking a walk or going for a run can provide a change to your daily routine and boost your mood instantly.

Learn a New Language or Skill

There are many things to do when bored. Out of that, learning a new language or skill is another great thing that you can try if you haven’t done before.

When you try to learn new things, your brain gets busy and engaged, reducing relentless feelings that create boredom.

Not only that, learning new skills or a language surely broadens your chance to grab new opportunities. You will be able to interact with society more and achieve personal growth as well.

For instance, learning a new language may give you the ability to connect with people from different countries and cultures. Don’t you think it’s enriching and rewarding, apart from being one of the best things to do when bored?

Similarly, a new skill, such as playing a musical instrument will make you more creative and will give you the opportunity to express yourself in new and exciting ways.

Do a Puzzle or a Crossword

One of the most fun things to do when bored is solving puzzles or crosswords. When you are engaged in this, you will have to think critically and use your memory and problem-solving abilities.

These are really good mental exercises that can stimulate your brain while dispelling your boredom.

Another excellent thing about solving puzzles or crosswords is, you will feel like time seems to pass quickly since your mind is fully focused on something fun rather than on boredom.

Cook or Bake Something New

If you are someone who loves cooking or baking, you can try a new recipe whenever you’re drowning in boredom. There are thousands of delicious recipes from different cultures and countries all over the internet, for you to try.

Of course, new recipes can be challenging, but when you successfully finish cooking or baking a new recipe, you can achieve a great deal of satisfaction while improving your cooking/baking skills. This can boost your self-confidence while destroying your boredom.

On the other hand, cooking and baking involve at least 04 of your senses such as taste, sight, touch, and smell which makes it a multi-sensory experience. This is really a great way to break up a monotonous day.

If you really want to take this to the next level, you can often share your meal with someone you know. This will improve your social skills as well. Or you can have it all. No one will judge.

Clean or Organize a Room in Your Home

A physically active task such as cleaning or organizing your room can also help you in several ways to alleviate boredom.

When you’re physically active, the endorphins hormone is released into your body, increasing your energy levels. This will dispel lethargic feelings.

Secondly, cleaning/organizing can give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction boosting your mood.

Thirdly, seeing your organized space or clean room will evoke a sense of calmness within you, reducing stress and anxiety. Overall, cleaning is as good as other things to do when bored.

In conclusion, boredom is also another part of life just like everything else. Everyone gets bored from time to time. But boredom should never be a negative thing for you anymore. Just pick out some of the above things to do when bored. If you do, you will be able to see that you don’t have time to get bored.

Although the title says “things to do when bored”, everything mentioned above can contribute to improving different aspects of your life in various ways while helping you to tackle boredom.

So, the next time you find yourself feeling bored or lethargic, don’t hesitate to try out some of the above ideas and make the most of your downtime enjoyable and effective.