Do you feel bored? Fighting boredom isn't easy, but there are many ways to make a dull day more interesting. Unleash your creativity by reading, writing or creating original works and use the moments of boredom to be productive. Work on something you've been putting off for a long time, learn a new skill, or meet your friends and find exciting activities with them to do in your city. Look for ways to have fun: Just because you're bored alone in the house doesn't mean you can't relax and laugh a little.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Using Creativity
Step 1. Read a book
This is a great way to combat boredom. A writer's words help you transport your mind to another place. Books for children and young adults are particularly suitable in this case, because they awaken the child inside you, triggering feelings of wonder and nostalgia.
- Choose a genre you like. If science fiction doesn't appeal to you, you probably won't be able to fight boredom with a book about interstellar travel; rather try a historical novel.
- If you don't have any books at home, go to the bookstore or library. Leaving the house will help keep you from getting bored.
Step 2. Scribble, paint or draw something
They're great ways to exercise your creativity, and when you're done, you'll also have a piece of art to display. Plus, you'll learn a new skill, which you can use even when you're not bored.
- By drawing you can increase your intelligence. Research suggests that scribbling can help you stay focused and listen better by activating your brain.
- If you like to paint and draw, but don't know what subject to portray, try going outside and choosing a glimpse to imprint on the canvas. You can also represent some interesting objects you have around the house.
- If you want to use your imagination, draw a character you love from a book or movie.
Step 3. Color
Even if you're not a kid anymore, coloring is a great way to combat boredom. Get out your crayons or markers and find a coloring book. Spending a couple of hours on this activity can be fun. Play some background music or turn on the TV.
- If you don't have anything to color, try adding color to images in a black and white newspaper or magazine. Alternatively, you can draw figures yourself and color them.
- If you're not that young anymore and coloring seems like a silly pastime to you, consider purchasing an adult-specific coloring book. You can find it in the bookstore.
Step 4. Write a list
Lists are great pastimes. You can think of all the places you want to visit, the books you want to read or the goals you want to achieve. You can also make silly lists, without a specific purpose.
- Write a list that forces you to think about many different things. For example, try to think of 50 different Christmas songs or 50 female names that start with the letter "A".
- You can also make a list of the things you like. For example, you can make a list of your favorite movies of a particular genre, the books you like the most or the dream destinations for a trip.
Step 5. Engage in creative writing
You don't need to be a great writer to have fun. Creative writing challenges you and helps fight boredom. By writing you will be able to distract your mind, you will focus on the words on the paper and not on the boredom that assails you.
- If you don't know where to start, write freely. Put everything you can think of in black and white, without filters. If you find an interesting idea, try developing it further. You can start with "I'm dying of boredom" and describe your mood.
- If you like creative writing, try composing a novel, poem, or short story you've always wanted to write.
- Start a blog. If writing without purpose seems silly to you, create a blog on a topic you are passionate about. For example, write about music if you love going to concerts.
Step 6. Write a letter or email
If you are bored, think of a person you haven't seen in a long time and try writing them down. You will do something productive, connect with someone and have fun.
- Express a positive feeling about a friend or relative. In addition to overcoming boredom, you will feel better. For example, tell someone that you are grateful for the help they gave you, or that you admired how they handled a situation.
- Try writing a letter to a military man overseas, a disaster victim, or an elderly person living in a hospice. There are many organizations that collect these messages and send them for you: if you join such an organization, you will always have something to do when you are bored.
Step 7. Create gifts for friends or relatives
If a holiday is coming up, or you are feeling generous, give gifts. You don't need to be an expert craftsman to build something cute and loving for a loved one.
- Choose a simple project, like paint a clay flowerpot, create a photo collage, or use cardstock and stickers to make a handmade card.
- If you like embroidery or crochet, try making a scarf or hand warmer. They are simple projects, which can often be completed in one day.
- Try making a scrapbook for someone. Get a blank album or notebook, photos, paper, glue, and other decorations. You can assign a theme to each page. For example, on a page you can include photos and mementos of a particular holiday.
Step 8. Use the items you find around the house to create handicrafts
If you are bored because you are forced to stay at home, you can make many art projects with the materials you have available. This activity can help you fight boredom without spending money and in the comfort of your home.
- You can create a fun night light by filling a glass jar with old Christmas lights. You can also glue the lights along the edge of the jar following a nice design.
- Do you have a sewing kit and old pillows? Try sewing multiple pillows together to make one for the whole body. If you have small children, such a large pillow will be fun for their sleepover parties.
- Do you have many house keys? Get some nail polish and paint them all a different color. This will make it easier for you to find what you need when you are in a hurry.
Method 2 of 5: Be Productive When You're Bored
Step 1. Understand that boredom can lead to apathy
Feeling bored can cause you to become listless or lose motivation; this can make matters worse, especially if you are trying to complete a major project for work or school. To be able to stay productive when boredom causes your motivation to drop, try to focus on your end goal.
For example, if you have to write a paper for school but don't feel like doing it, think about the reasons why you want to get a good grade. You could focus on your academic goals, such as improving your average, or on your professional goals, trying to get top marks in a course, in order to get a letter of recommendation from the professor
Step 2. Start following a daily training program
Keeping the body active will also stimulate the mind and this can help you fight boredom. To exercise, you don't need to engage in exhausting activities, such as a basketball game: a simple walk is enough. If you are bored, make the most of your time with exercise.
- Skate to the park, play basketball or football, run or practice tennis.
- If you don't like physical activity or if you haven't played sports for a long time, take a walk in your neighborhood, in the city center or in the park. If you feel like an artist, bring a camera or notebook to portray the most interesting moments.
- If it's hot, go swimming.
- If it rains, do some stretching. These are exercises that you can easily do at home and that keep the body toned and healthy.
Step 3. Do yoga
Yoga allows you to get stronger and fight boredom, and teaches that it's important to focus on the present. By being more aware of yourself and your environment, you will be able to overcome boredom. On the internet you can find many guided yoga courses.
- Be careful if you are trying yoga for the first time. Make sure you choose a beginner course.
- Always listen to your body. If you feel pain, stop exercising right away.
Step 4. Learn something new
If you get bored often, this tip is ideal for you. By pursuing a new hobby or art, you will find a way to keep yourself busy for countless hours.
- If art is not your forte, you can learn to paint, draw or sculpt. On the internet you will find many guides. You can also engage in a manual activity, such as crochet.
- If you don't have a talent for music, you can learn to sing or play an instrument. When you get bored, you can practice at home.
- If you like to cook, buy a cookbook and make something new every day. Try experimenting with types of cuisine that you are not familiar with, such as Thai or Mexican.
Step 5. Maintain the garden
Try gardening. Taking care of the garden can be good for your mental and physical health, because it forces you to get out and move.
- Stop at a local nursery to buy seasonal plants and seeds. Ask a salesperson for brochures and information on how to plant your seeds and care for them. You can also purchase books on gardening.
- You can try making a spice garden. You can grow your own spices (like basil) and use them for cooking.
- If you don't have a garden, many people keep seedlings of fruit and vegetables on their terrace. You can also grow small potted plants indoors.
Step 6. Plan an upcoming trip or event
If you have nothing to do, you can think about your plans for the future. If you get bored, make a plan for events that will happen to you in the future. For example, if you haven't thought about what you are going to do for Christmas yet, check your calendar and look for flights.
You don't necessarily have to think about complex projects. For example, you may want to go bowling with friends. Create an event on Facebook and invite everyone
Step 7. Tidy up your home
If you are bored, you will almost always find something to do around the house. Maybe the books in the bookcase aren't arranged alphabetically or maybe there are a lot of clothes to hang inside the closet. To combat boredom, try tidying up - you'll feel like you've accomplished something useful and you'll have fun.
If you need inspiration in deciding how to tidy up, try searching the internet for articles that showcase fun and creative ways to reduce clutter around the house
Step 8. Do something you've been putting off for a long time
Everyone has happened to postpone some chores. If you don't take care of your schedule when you are bored you waste time twice, so get busy! You will keep your mind busy and accomplish something you have been doing for days.
- If you go to school, do your homework. This way you will occupy your time with a productive activity.
- Have you been putting off a housework for a long time? You may hate washing, but the piles of clothes are piling up. If you get bored, now is the right time to do your laundry.
- Many people put off important things, like paying bills. If you are bored, why not pay for heating, electricity or car insurance? You will feel better knowing that you have taken care of your responsibilities.
Method 3 of 5: Interacting with Others
Step 1. Play over the internet with friends
Some games, such as Chess, Checkers, or Monopoly, require multiple players. If you are alone, several phone and console applications allow you to play with your friends over the internet. On the web you will find many fun games. For example, if you like card games, there are tons of them.
- Try card games. Some you can do on your own, like solitaires. Others, such as Uno or trump, require more players.
- Use your smartphone. Maybe all your friends are playing quizzes on their cell phones. Check if any of them are online at the moment.
- Contact your friends through a game console. Many video game consoles allow you to interact with other players.
Step 2. If you are in the company of other people, try a simple game that does not require items
If you are at home with friends, play with them. If you don't have any dice, cards or boards, you can still find a fun game. Some require only the voice and the imagination.
- You can play "Truth or Dare", "20 Questions" or "Never have I ever".
- Try to tell a story together. Ask each person to add a line to the story. You can do this orally or in writing.
- Try an improvisational game, such as mime.
- Try to recognize figures in the clouds (or in the rocks, if you are in the mountains). This game is very simple and stimulates creativity.
Step 3. Go to the bar
If you feel lonely and bored, get out of the house and hang out with someone. Ask a friend for a coffee. You don't need to spend a lot to chat with a friend over a cup of coffee, and an interesting conversation can be a very effective way to combat boredom.
If no one is available to go out with you, go to the bar alone. You may find another lonely person and try to talk to her. You will make a new friend and fight boredom. You could break the ice with a comment on the venue. For example: "Wow, I really like the vibe of this place."
Step 4. Watch an old movie classic with friends
If you are in the company of people your own age, find an old movie you have at home. Re-watching one of your favorite childhood movies can be a great way to make room for nostalgia and stave off boredom. If you don't have any old DVDs, you can find tons of free streaming movies on the internet, on services like Netflix or Infinity.
If you are alone, ask a friend if he wants to see the same movie you are watching at the same time and to comment on it with you via SMS. You will feel like you have him by your side
Step 5. Go shopping at a flea market
We often feel bored because we don't have enough money to do what we want to do; however, there is no need to spend large sums to shop. If you get bored but your wallet is crying, go to the local flea market. There you will find many new clothes at low prices.
Even if you don't buy anything, it will be fun to try out new looks
Step 6. Pretend to be a tourist in your city
If you and your friends don't know what to do, imagine you've never visited your city before. Dedicate a day to all the local attractions and eat in a typical restaurant in the area. You will have the opportunity to observe the beauties of your city that you take for granted with a different eye.
- Think about the tourist activities in your city. Visit a museum, or take a hike around the area.
- Is there a well-known typical restaurant in your city? Try booking a table there.
Step 7. Improvise a photo shoot
If you and your friends don't know what to do, put on smart clothes, put on makeup, and organize a photo shoot. You can use a camera or your smartphone to take pictures of you and your friends in many different poses. You can even go out and take some fun outdoor photos.
If you're not in the mood, you don't have to do a serious photo shoot. Take funny pictures that make you laugh
Method 4 of 5: Finding Ways to Have Fun
Step 1. Search the internet for funny or cherished photos
On the web you will find tons of ways to have fun. Try Google for "cute puppy pictures" and spend a few minutes looking at sweet pictures of dogs. To pass the time, you can also watch videos of cute animals or small children.
If you are talking to a friend who is as bored as you are, you can exchange the cutest movies and pictures you find on the internet
Step 2. Kitchen
If you don't know what to do, open the pantry. You probably have some flour and sugar. Check what ingredients you have available for a dessert and search the internet for an easy recipe to prepare. Making a dessert is a fun and productive way to pass the time.
If someone you know is about to have a birthday, you can try baking a cake
Step 3. Create a CD with a playlist of your choice
If you find blank discs at home, try making a compilation. You can make one for friends or create one for yourself. For example, you can make a CD to listen to when you're driving.
- Create creative playlists, so you'll have to think about which songs to choose. For example, don't choose a theme like "Best Songs of Summer". Try "Best Songs of Summer 1997" instead.
- You can also try to create a playlist that has a topic or emotion as a theme. For example, you can make a compilation of songs about animals, songs that make you feel sad or make you want to dance.
Step 4. Dance
Put the music on and start dancing in the living room. Nobody is looking at you, so don't worry about making a fool of yourself. Even if you don't usually like to dance, dancing alone may have more fun than you think.
If you are interested in learning to dance, try watching videos on the internet and imitating the movements of professionals
Step 5. Look at old photographs
They can bring back a lot of fun memories. You might be surprised at how much you've changed since you were ten. Leafing through the images of your first year at university, you may laugh at the great stylistic differences you will notice.
If you don't have paper photographs to browse, check out your digital albums. For example, you can open the oldest albums on your Facebook account
Step 6. Watch funny videos on the internet
Lots of comedians have YouTube channels on which they post hilarious content. On the web you will also find hundreds of comedian movies. If you are bored, try searching the internet for "funny videos". Laughter will make time go by faster.
If you don't know where to start, with a simple Google search for "best comedians" or "funny videos", you should find plenty of movies that will keep you busy for a long time
Method 5 of 5: Avoid Boredom
Step 1. Pay attention to states of intense arousal, which can contribute to boredom
You may associate this feeling with monotonous environments, sleepiness and laziness, but people often feel bored even when they are overwhelmed by external stimuli or when they feel too energized and unable to concentrate.
- For example, you might feel bored in a bar full of people talking and the music blaring. This can be the result of external stimuli overwhelming or distracting you and preventing you from completing your task.
- Alternatively, you may feel bored because you are bursting with energy and unable to focus on a single action for more than a couple of minutes. Excess energy can come from common situations, such as from having a good night's rest, or from nervousness due to air travel. When you feel this overstimulation, you may mistake it for boredom.
- If you feel overwhelmed by external stimuli, try reducing them. For example, if there is too much noise in the environment where you are, you can put on headphones and listen to relaxing music or white noise; if you prefer, you can go away and go to a quieter place.
- If you are feeling too energetic, try doing something that allows you to let off steam, like a walk; once you are done walking, resume what you were doing.
Step 2. Get up from the couch, turn off your computer and stop surfing the internet
If there isn't a show you really want to watch, avoid using television and social networks as a pastime. This can lead you to think about what you could do differently. Studies have shown that these thoughts can intensify the feeling of boredom.
Step 3. Avoid daydreaming
This habit arouses boredom rather than alleviating it. Realizing that you are daydreaming will give you the impression that the activity you are doing is boring, even when you would normally find it stimulating.
If you like daydreaming, do it when you have to do a repetitive task like cleaning the floor or mowing the grass. Tasks that require little "mindfulness" are not significantly affected by this habit
Step 4. Make a plan for your day
If you notice gaps in your calendar, try filling them with activities that interest you. You may notice that you feel bored and frustrated at the same time every day. Occupy those moments with your passions to prevent boredom.
Step 5. Be sociable
You can join a club or youth association to get busy, or find activities to do with your friends. If you feel like you have nothing to do, there is nothing better than hanging out with other people to combat boredom. Call your friends and arrange a date, or try to persuade one of the neighbors to take two shots for a field goal. Even a simple walk in the center can be a pleasant novelty. Hang out with your closest friends, or try to reconnect with old acquaintances to vary your routine.
- There is no business that can replace face-to-face conversations. Avoid using only social networks to talk to friends and meet them in person.
- Go camping. What are the next holidays? Those of Easter, Christmas or the summer ones? Look for organized campsites that you can attend and enjoy.
Step 6. Take breaks to prevent your activities from becoming boring
A recent study found that subjects who took 2-minute breaks in the middle of a boring 50-minute task felt more focused, relaxed, and productive at the end of their work. If you're tackling a long project, find something to aspire to by setting aside a YouTube video, song or article you can't wait to read and reward yourself for 35 minutes of work with a short 2-minute break.
Leave the environment in which you work for a few minutes. Even if you only make it to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, those moments can refresh your mind. Go out into the garden and smell the flowers for a breath of fresh air
Step 7. Make your workplace quieter
It is a common mistake to think that leaving the radio or television on in the background creates a relaxing and productive atmosphere. On the contrary, this habit has a tendency to attract your attention on a subconscious level; you would end up feeling more bored than if you worked in total silence. Focusing on one activity, even if you find it particularly boring, is smarter than distracting your brain with multiple different stimuli.
Use music or radio as rewards, not distractions. Taking short, timed breaks during a boring activity makes you more productive than trying to get the job done nonstop, but with the radio playing in the background
Step 8. Adjust your blood sugar
As your blood sugar levels drop, you will find that it is increasingly difficult to pay attention to your work. Keep healthy snacks like nuts or fruit on your office desk to keep your brain in top condition at all times. Reward yourself with chocolate when you complete a particularly difficult task.
Energy drinks and other sources of caffeine are widely used, but the drop in energy associated with these high-sugar drinks will negatively affect your productivity in the long run. To avoid giving in to boredom, avoid stimulants
Step 9. Stay active
Some people prefer to work while sitting on training balls rather than regular office chairs, or try to stay active using ergonomic workstations, but you can manage to stay on the move even without spending a lot of money. Leave the office for a short walk, or stretch for 15 minutes in the bathroom to increase your energy levels and keep your attention.
If you have a treadmill at home, try working on it. Standing up is a proven, healthy and efficient way to stay focused
Step 10. Find a job or volunteer
If you always have too much free time, consider finding a part-time job or offering your help to those in need. By earning money or helping others, you can spend your free time productively and achieve a feeling of fulfillment. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- The shops and bars are great places to get hired for part-time employment. They often offer flexible hours and are therefore ideal for students.
- Hospitals, retirement homes, soup kitchens and animal shelters often look for volunteers. Volunteering, in addition to being rewarding and emotionally fulfilling, is an excellent reference to include in your resume.
- Consider becoming self-employed. You can offer to mow neighbors' lawns, walk their dogs around, or babysit. If you are skilled at crafting items, you can make scarves or bags and sell them on the internet.
Advice
- Avoid finding fault with everything. People usually find boring things that don't fully satisfy them.
- If you are asked to participate in any activity, don't hold back. Don't decide it's boring until you've tried it.
- Try a change of scenery. Are you going somewhere; you can often overcome boredom this way.
- Don't convince yourself you're bored. Instead, focus on something useful, positive, and creative, like studying, art or a craft project, sharing ideas, and helping people who need it.
- Don't be afraid of making a mistake, especially when trying something new. Better to make a mistake and learn something than to do nothing.
Warnings
- Many people have a tendency to eat more when they are bored. Try to avoid doing this, but if you are really hungry, choose healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
- Don't feel depressed because you're bored, it happens to everyone. Consider it a challenge.
- Avoid the temptation to experiment with drugs or engage in illegal activities to pass the time. It is a self-defeating and self-defeating habit.
- Remember not to take it. You could hurt the people who are with you. If you feel nervous about getting bored, follow the advice in this guide and don't take your frustration out on the next one.
