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As children of the ‘90s, we remember when boredom plagued days when there wasn’t a sports game to play in, friends to play with, or parents around to take us anywhere. We basically had to invent things that didn’t exist, use our imagination, and learn to be creative in really unique ways. Now that we’re adults, boredom doesn’t strike as often, but when it doesn’t, not even doom scrolling has the power to stimulate our brains.
To ditch absentmindedly scrolling on social media, we’ve created a list of 21 things to do when you’re bored. Whether it’s getting outside and going for a walk, or trying our hand at a new recipe in the kitchen, these activities will transform boredom into entertainment.
21 Things to Do When You’re Bored
1. Go for a Walk
When we’re bored or anxious, we love getting outside and going for a walk — whether it’s around our neighborhood or a park trail, taking a walk immediately makes us feel better. Ask a friend or sibling to join you. It’s always fun when you have someone to talk to.
2. Try a New Workout
If you love getting good weather in, maybe you just need to change up your workout routine. One of the easiest ways to do this is to try a new boutique gym or workout class at your gym.
Some different workouts to try are:
- Pilates
- HIIT training
- Yoga
- Hot Yoga
- Tracy Anderson Method
- Barre
- Zumba
- Strength Training Class
- SolidCorre Class
3. At-Home Spa Day
There’s nothing more relaxing than treating yourself to an at-home spa day. Start with a hot shower or bubble bath, put on a face mask, play some calming music, and relax with a hot cup of tea.
4. Watch a Feel-Good Movie
You know that one movie that instantly makes you feel good and maybe even cry a bit (lol)? For us, that’s My Best Friend’s Wedding or Maid in Manhattan. There’s something about these early 2000s rom-coms that are so innocent and perfectly executed to get you all in your feels. When we don’t know what else to watch, feel-good movies are our go-to.
5. Read
One of our goals this year is to read more books than we did last year (so if we read more than three books we’re doing well). Instead of scrolling on TikTok or binge-watching a new show on Netflix, reach for a novel. Every time we start reading again, we always wonder why we don’t do it more often because we truly love it.
6. Journal
Journaling is something that can instantly boost your mood. Whether you choose to write about your day, thoughts, or feelings or write a list of things you’re grateful for — the practice of daily writing is so therapeutic.
7. Listen to Music
When we’re bored, we love listening to music — a new playlist, album, or a nostalgic early 2000s mixtape. Sometimes it helps to go on a walk or run and listen to music too.
8. Play an Instrument
Have you always wanted to play an instrument or want to pick up an instrument you used to play? When we’re bored, we always go back to playing piano. It’s such a fun and creative way to connect to music that we don’t get to do often. Whatever instrument you’re interested in, take a hand at it. Watch some YouTube videos or invest in lessons.
9. Organize or Declutter
Ever since we could remember, we’ve turned to organizing to cure our boredom. Everything from organizing our bedroom closet, dresser drawers, or kitchen pantry — after we’re done decluttering a space it instantly clears our mind. It’s such a rewarding activity that makes you feel accomplished afterward.
10. Create a Vision Board
Whether it’s a new year, a new season, or a new chapter in life, creating a vision board is a great way to manifest the vision you have for the future. Gather magazines, images from Pinterest, and other craft materials to make your dream come to life.
11. Volunteer
Volunteering at a local food shelter, church, event center, recreation center, or other ways in your community can totally change your perspective. The act of serving others is so special and impactful and allows you to make new connections.
12. Make a New Coffee Drink
Sometimes it’s the little things that can completely change our mood — that can be as simple as making a new coffee drink. If you have an espresso machine, there are so many fun recipes you can look up on TikTok to try.
Here are some of our favorites:
13. Bake a Sweet Treat
Our go-to activity when we’re bored is to bake a sweet treat. Whether we’re making it for ourselves to enjoy or giving it to a neighbor, it’s one of our favorite things to do.
Since we create our own recipes for our blog, making a new baked good from a new cookbook or content creator makes the experience more fun and unique.
14. Call a Friend
In the world of social media DMs and text messages, calling a friend has become such a chore to so many people. However, calling or FaceTiming a friend who doesn’t live close by is so encouraging. This is your sign to pick up the phone, dial a friend’s number, and let them know you’re thinking of them.
15. Play a Game
Playing games always seemed like such an easy answer to boredom as a kid, so who says they can’t be the answer as an adult? There are so many fun board games and even fun video games to play alone, with roommates, or with friends. Dust them off the shelf and start gaming!
16. Listen to a Podcast
We can’t count on one hand the amount of podcasts we have been wanting to listen to. This year, we’re going to try and conquer our boredom by listening to a podcast. It’s such a great thing to listen to on a walk around town, on a run along a trail, or while you’re cooking in the kitchen.
17. Browse Your Local Bookstore
One of our favorite outings to take when we feel the need to have a midday or night excursion is to our local bookstore. It’s such a cozy way to spend time — perusing through new book titles. Plus, most bookstores have a cafe in them, which makes it a convenient coffee trip as well.
18. Try a New Restaurant
As much as we love our tried and true restraints around town, there are other new (and old) dives we’ve always said we wanted to try. If you’re “bored” of your normal places or needing a new experience take the leap and try a new cuisine or restaurant in town.
19. Take a Pottery Class
Taking a pottery class and actually becoming good at it has been a goal of ours for a long time. If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at it, now is a great time to start. You can learn to make a cute mug for your homemade lattes at home or a cute bowl for cereal.
20. Coloring
Maybe we’ve been influenced by coloring Tiktok creators, but taking on coloring has become such a cute and cozy activity. It’s a calming hobby that you can do anywhere. You can bring it with you when you travel, take it to a coffee shop to unwind, or relax and color at home after a long day of work.
21. Make Pinterest Boards
Pinterest just has a way of instantly boosting our mood. When we’re tired of or starting to feel inferior to other social media apps, we always find our way back to Pinterest. It’s such a positive platform that allows our mind to feel free, and be creative and artistic. All these things come into play when we make Pinterest boards.
It’s so fun to make new boards, dream about different ideas, and create aesthetic content on our own terms.
