Everyone has to deal with those days with absolutely nothing to do, no one to see, and nowhere to go. It's boring. It's almost painful to deal with (in fact, people would rather be given electric shocks than left alone). Considering it's the middle of summer and the new, novel activities have already been done, here's a list of 15 things to do instead of being bored:
1. Get artsy
Draw, doodle or paint: there are lots of options to satisfy your inner artist. Whether you want to freehand or find some Pinterest inspiration, art is a great outlet for your creativity and it's a fantastic time-filler.
2. Create a trip you want to take
Take a trip without leaving your home. Even if you don't have the time or budget to explore the globe, pick out a dream destination and get researching! Choose flights, hotels, attractions, restaurants and activities, and create an itinerary for your dream or potential vacation.
3. Learn something new
Knowledge is both power and a relief from monotony. Try your hand at a new language, memorize the NATO phonetic alphabet or learn the capitals of every country. Expand your mind and shrink your boredom!
4. Volunteer
If you have a bit more time on your hands, check out volunteer organizations in your area. Find a blood drive, a soup kitchen, an animal shelter or any other charity looking for helpers, and do some good in your community.
5. Organize
No matter how clean you keep your desk, room, home or phone, there's always something that could use a bit of decluttering and organizing. I personally love to organize my pictures on my phone into folders and delete any duplicates when I'm bored. Alphabetizing your books, sorting through papers and rearranging furniture are also great options.
6. Clean up your socials
Despite the huge presence of social media in our lives, let's face it: it's pretty rare that we actually take the time to gut and clean up our profiles. Try going through your following list and unfollowing inactive accounts, updating your neglected LinkedIn profile, deleting old posts or changing your Instagram bio.
7. Online window-shopping
Embrace your inner shopaholic and head to Amazon or your favorite online retailer for some online window-shopping! Make lists of things you would like to purchase, or browse Amazon's Spark feature for some fun products (and maybe even treat yourself to something you want)!
8. Call a friend or family member
Sometimes life gets busy, and we don't get to keep in touch with those we love as much as we'd like. When was the last time you checked in with your sweet grandmother? Or your fun uncle? Or your childhood friend? Probably not recently enough. Take the initiative to make a loved one's day better with your presence and give someone a call. Maybe even make plans to see them soon and proactively fight boredom.
9. Try a podcast
Use your boring day to enjoy perhaps the most underrated form of entertainment: podcasts. You can find one on just about every topic, from politics to pop culture. My favorite podcasts are Jenna & Julien Podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, Dr. Death and Stuff You Should Know.
10. Cook
Whether you excel in the culinary arts or burn microwavable lasagna, cooking is a great way to use your downtime. There's plenty you can do in the kitchen; try baking a cake without a recipe, doing meal prep or testing out new recipes.
11. Take personality quizzes
Humans are pretty self-focused creatures, and we love knowing more about ourselves (or at least I do). Satisfy your desire to find out your personality type with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, discover which possible Illuminati member you are or check out any of these other fun quizzes.
12. Find out what's going on in the world
At the time of publication, Puerto Rico is protesting against their governor, El Chapo was sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison, the Air Force discouraged the raid on Area 51 planned by 1.5 million people on Facebook, and Jeffrey Epstein is indicted on sex charges. Enhance your future conversations by checking up on the scary, weird news about the world we live in.
13. Self-care
This is a pretty broad item on this list, but let me provide you with some specific things to fight your boredom with: take a bath, go to the gym, walk, do a face mask, do some yoga, meditate, or even just take a nap. Fill your free time with feel-good activities!
14. Review
Did you recently try out a new restaurant that you can't stop talking about? Or did you just buy a blender that's blades broke on the first use? Advise a fellow internet stranger and bring out your inner critic by heading to sites such as Yelp, Rotten Tomatoes or Amazon to leave reviews for restaurants, movies, products and services online.
15. Plan ahead
Just because today was boring doesn't mean tomorrow has to be! Make a list of things you want to accomplish for tomorrow, such as running errands, finishing up a project, or going to an appointment. Make a schedule and enjoy your busy, eventful day!
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