If you’re feeling a little bored, here’s a list of forty fun things you can do that will snap you out of a funk! Maybe you’ll find a new hobby that you’ll love, or you’ll just find a new way to spend a fun afternoon.
If you want to get out of your comfort zone, we have some more unusual ideas as well as cozy, comforting favorites. Instead of just scrolling social media, getting hands-on with something will kill your boredom!
Great Ideas for When You’re Bored
Here are some fun activities to do when you’re feeling bored – whether you’re 15 or 50, there’s something here for you.
Create a Vision Board
Creating a vision board can be as simple as making a new Pinterest board with your favorite things or cutting photos out of magazines and curating them on a physical board. Personally, I love to print photos and create a large vision board each new year to hang on my wall.
You can also create a digital vision board and make it the lock screen for your phone – that way, you’ll see it multiple times a day! I do this annually as well and have a Canva template I update.
Organize One Drawer
Choose one especially messy or unorganized drawer to pull apart and organize. It’s so fun to clear things out and have a fresh new space! You don’t need to do this with your whole house or room, choose one spot to get really organized. Your bedside table might be a good place to start!
Make a Gratitude List
Write a list of 10, 20, or even 100 things you’re grateful for! These can be mundane little things like liking the color of the shirt you’re wearing or big things like being thankful for your family. Whatever kind of list you decide to make, it will leave you feeling more upbeat and excited about the day.
Watch an ASMR YouTube Video
ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is my go to type of YouTube video to watch. If you haven’t watched ASMR before it gives you tingles on your head and neck and can be very relaxing. Some of my favorite channels are Rea Moon ASMR (her ‘doing your makeup on a plane‘ is my favorite video) and Gentle Whispering ASMR (her ‘honey treatment‘ video is my favorite). I also love Reiki ASMR and would highly recommend it if you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
Go for a Walk in the Woods
Getting outside will immediately change your mood! If you have a nice nature walk near you, a park, or green space, spend a little time walking around in it. You could also plan a trip to a botanic garden near you! (You could also go for a bike ride as well!)
Make a List of Personality Traits You Want
One fun thing to do on your own or with friends is to make a list of what you’d like to be known for or personality traits you want to have. This can be a goals list or just a fun way to think about your personality!
Write a Letter to a Friend
Either make a card or use a sheet of notebook paper, but write a real pen and paper letter to a friend. Catch them up on your life or write about a shared memory. There’s nothing better than getting a real letter from a friend in the mail! It feels like passing notes in school again.
Make a Bucket List
Start a list in your phone notes app or make a physical list to hang on your wall of everything you want to do in your life! Dream big! These can be as big or small as you want, and they can be personal improvement goals if you’d like, but usually, they’re fun things like “travel to Kathmandu.”
Do a Short Meditation
If you’ve never meditated before, you can start with a short meditation for 5 minutes. You can use a meditation app for guided meditation or sit in silence. Sometimes, I like to listen to instrumental music or sit outside, so there’s a little background noise.
Make a Healthy Snack
Make a healthy bite to eat – it can be as simple as apples and peanut butter, carrots and hummus, or something a little more exciting like loaded avocado toast. Make sure to drink some water as well!
Organize All Your Books
Organizing your books can be a lot of fun. You can organize them by type, spine color (make a rainbow!), or author. I personally like to group my novels by author and my other books by type—all the cookbooks, travel books, self-help books, etc., are together. If you have a lot of books this can take the better part of an afternoon, but you won’t be bored!
Write Down a Favorite Childhood Memory
Whether you want a memento for yourself in a journal or would like to share a short story with family or friends, writing down memories can help us remember them for much longer. And, it’s fun because you get to remember and relive a time you loved! You could have all your family members do this and create a time capsule or a family journal as well.
Plan Your Favorite Holiday
Whether you love Halloween, Christmas, St. Patty’s, or Valentine’s Day, spend a few hours planning how you’ll celebrate. You can make a Pinterest board for inspiration or make a list and schedule for the day. I love Halloween, and I spend hours on TikTok looking for inspiration for creative ways to hand out candy each year!
Make a Playlist
Organize your favorite songs or create a playlist for whatever mood you’re in!
Write Down Your Budget for the Next Month
This is a great activity if you want to feel productive and on top of things! You can make good use of your extra time by coming up with a solid budget and financial plan for yourself.
Have a Dance Party
Listen to your favorite music and have a dance party! This is great exercise and will boost your mood!
Paint Your Nails
One of the easiest and cheapest self-care/beauty routines you can do at home is painting your nails. Paint your fingernails or toenails with your favorite color.
Call Your Favorite Person
Call your best friend or your grandma and have a little chat – they’ll be glad to hear from you!
Look Up Flights
Dream up your next favorite vacation location and spend some time looking up cheap flights. I always have fun on Skyscanner and Google Flights because you can compare fares and dates.
Make a Bath Soak and Take a Bath
You can either make your own bath soak or take a bubble bath! Taking a bath is a restorative and comforting experience and will boost your mood.
Visit a Friend
Reach out to a friend and see if you can have a quick visit! It’s so fun to have a spontaneous friend get-together. You can also invite a few friends to your place or go out for a quick shopping trip.
Make a List of Recipes to Try
Search TikTok or Pinterest for new recipes to try! Some of our new favorites are this Crispy Salmon Bowl and this Cheesy Lemon Orzo.
Research Volunteer Opportunities
Look up ways to get involved in your local community. You can research and sign up to help out at a food bank, art therapy program, help new refugee families, etc. Here’s a great site for finding volunteer opportunities.
Try Jump Roping
Get your heart rate up and practice jump roping! If you loved jump roping in elementary school, find a jump rope and try some of your old favorites.
Do a Puzzle
The ultimate rainy day activity is puzzles! This classic, relaxed activity is great for a bored brain. It lets you chill out while still engaging in something enjoyable.
Write Motivational Phrases on Sticky Notes
Pep yourself up by creating “I am” motivational phrases and placing them around your room, bathroom, or other spot you look at daily! This is a great way to feel good about yourself.
Make a List of Self Care Goals
You can support your mental health by taking care of your body, mind, and spirit! To do that, make a list of ways you can take care of yourself and what areas of self-care might currently be lacking. Check out these self care journal prompts to start.
Organize Your Closet by the Rainbow
Cleaning out your closet and organizing it is a great use of time! And organizing your clothes in rainbow order makes it look so fun.
Write a List of Your Dream Jobs
This is a fun list to brainstorm! Write down all the jobs that interest you or that you’d consider ‘dream jobs’. You can take this a step further and research what you need to get them and decide which one you’ll pursue!
Find a New Genre of Book to Read
A good book is always a great way to spend an afternoon away! Choose a new genre you’ve never read before – maybe mystery, fantasy, romance, or science fiction.
Make a List of Baby Names
You can make a list of names you like for a future kid or for characters in a book you want to write. Or if you like learning about unusual names, watch this lady’s channel!
Try Knitting or Crochet
You can try knitting or crocheting (or any other sentimental craft you’d enjoy)—there are great tutorials on how to do it, or you can ask a friend or family member who knows how to show you.
Watch a Tutorial for a New Hairstyle
Maybe you like braiding hair and want to try a new look or see if your frizzy/wavy hair can turn into curls – there’s a tutorial out there for you!
Find a New Cozy Game to Try
If you are a fan of video games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, try a new one. Some of my favorites are Coral Island and Cozy Grove. This is a great subreddit for finding cozy games!
Oil Your Hair
If you love an at-home beauty treatment, you should definitely try hair slugging! It’s traditionally a South Asian practice that’s used to strengthen and nourish hair; it’s also recently gained a lot of interest on TikTok, and it’s become a popular way to heal damaged hair (especially bleached or dyed hair).
Start a Blog
If you’ve got a lot of free time, I highly recommend starting a blog! It’s a fun way to spend your time and may even end up making you extra money.
Write out Your Perfect Morning Routine
Make a list of how you’d like to start your day, including how you’d like to wake up, what you’ll prioritize first, whether you want to meditate, etc.
Find 5 Things to Donate
This is a great way to clear out your house and give back to your community. Go through your space and find five things to donate. You can either take them to a thrift store or give them away in a Buy Nothing group
Paint a Picture
You don’t have to be super artistic (it’s great if you are!) to have fun painting. You can make an abstract painting – it’s hard to mess it up!
Go Stargazing
If you’re bored when it’s dark outside, go look at the stars! You can use a stargazing app (I use Night Sky) or just enjoy the stars. Bring a blanket and relax while enjoying the beauty of nature.
Which one of these boredom-busting ideas will you try?
