75 things to do when you’re bored

Many great thinkers have dismissed the very notion that one might need help finding “things to do when you’re bored.” “Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves?” said Friedrich Nietzsche. And “There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people,” said G.K. Chesterton. Or there was Zelda Fitzgerald who wrote, “She refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring.”

Ok, so boredom is kind of illogical. After all, there’s a big old world out there – so much to learn, to see, to do! How could any of us ever succumb to boredom? Nevertheless, every now and then, we all do.

We have all found ourselves bed rotting on a Saturday afternoon, doomscrolling on our phones with absolutely no plans and nothing to do. It’s a real shame, because day-to-day life tends to be busy and we rarely get time to ourselves – so why, when we do, do we struggle to make the most of it?

If you need an extra little push to beat your ennui, here are 75 things you to do when you’re bored.

d3sign

Entertain yourself

1. Find a new show to binge
2. Find an old show to binge
3. Watch an old favourite movie
4. Return to an old favourite
5. Read something – anything!
6. Do some karaoke
7. Go to the theatre
8. Visit an art gallery
9. Listen to a podcast
10. Make a playlist
11. Play a video game
12. Do a puzzle
13. Do some art
14. Learn a dance
15. Practise an instrument

miniseries

Take care of yourself

1. Get outside
2. Try a new kind of exercise
3. Journal
4. Stretch
5. Meditate
6. Sleep
7. Do an at-home manicure
8. Do a hair mask
9. Write down what you’re grateful for
10. Make a photo album
11. Take an online class
12. Try a new hair style
13. Do a body scrub
14. Change your sheets
15. Do nothing

Christian Vierig

Treat yourself

1. An at-home spa day
2. Play a board game
3. Do some crafting
4. Try a new recipe
5. Grab some ice cream
6. Have a picnic
7. Hip up your local vintage shops
8. Plan a vacation
9. Book tickets to a concert
10. Get a manicure
11. Get a massage
12. Buy yourself flowers
13. Make yourself a cocktail
14. Get a haircut
15. Take yourself out for lunch alone

Edward Berthelot

Be social

1. Reach out to an old friend
2. Reach out to a new friend
3. Call your family
4. Head to a local cafe or pub with a friend
5. Get on the apps
6. Plan a dinner party
7. Write a letter to a friend
8. Make a new friend
9. Sign up as a volunteer
10. Check up on your neighbours
11. Offer to help a friend
12. Ask someone out on a date
13. Join a local community
14. Chat with a coworker
15. Spend time with your pets

mariiaplo

Be productive

1. Organise your phone or computer or inbox
2. Do a deep clean or tidy
3. Take stock of your goals
4. Do some meal prep
5. Learn a new language
6. Update your resume
7. Sell your old clothes
8. Unsubscribe from those newsletters
9. Plan out your Christmas presents
10. Clean your makeup brushes
11. Clean your screens
12. Do some gardening
13. Water your plants
14. Dust your bookshelves and picture frames
15. Do your tax return…No seriously, get it done!

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