Boredom is often seen as something temporary, a situation in which we have nothing to do, causing tiredness and a negative mood.

In recent years, however, boredom is being associated with other phenomena such as stress: this is the case of the boreout syndrome or boredom at work. This syndrome manifests itself with three characteristics: disinterest, boredom and underdemand, that is to say, for monotonous tasks .

  • You can learn more in this post: “Boreout syndrome: boredom at work”

Psychology and boredom

For decades researchers have been interested in boredom. The first studies were conducted in 1926 and published in British Medical Journal . The research concluded that monotonous and repetitive tasks cause boredom, which in turn was associated with mental fatigue. There were individual differences in experiencing boredom. Over the next decade, several experiments were conducted in the laboratory, with the observation that boredom was directly related to fatigue.

So far, the studies were limited in their conclusions. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Norman D. Sundberg came up with some interesting results for psychology. He noticed that people who were more bored, were more likely to suffer from anxiety, aggression, depression , addictive behaviors and had greater difficulties in relating to others. It is now known that extroverted people are more likely to be bored than introverted or creative people.

A recent article published in Perspectives on Psychological Science , reviews different contributions from different areas of psychology, such as neuropsychology and social psychology, and defines boredom as: “A negative state of wanting something, but not being able to engage in satisfying activities that are usually related to failures in the neural networks of attention”. Three factors intervene in boredom. First, the difficulty of being aware of previous information (emotions, thoughts) or information from outside (environmental stimuli) necessary to carry out the activity satisfactorily. Second, being aware of it. And third, thinking that the environment is to blame, for example, this is boring or there is nothing to do.

70 things to do when you’re bored

But, what can we do when we are bored? If you are bored and want to get out of this situation that is causing you discomfort. You can use some of these tips.

1. Read a book

Reading brings you great benefits, for example, it helps you exercise your memory, learn new things, or better package. I’m sure you have a book at home that you haven’t read yet.

  • If not, in this post you can find a list of the best psychology books: “The 25 best psychology books you can’t miss.”

2. Call a friend with whom you have lost contact

Don’t you have anything to do? Then pick up the phone and call a friend you haven’t talked to for a long time .

3. Make a Skype

If you live outside your country and you don’t know many people yet. Make a video call with a friend or relative .

4. Update your CV

If you don’t know what to do, update your resume or CV , either for printing or on the various employment pages. If you are not actively looking for a job, it will help you keep it up to date.

5. Browse YouTube

To kill the boredom, you can surf YouTube and discover videos that are on the net. Either to watch some “youtuber” or to learn something new .

6. Watch a documentary

You can watch a documentary on the web to not only entertain yourself , but to learn new things.

7. Meditate

You can take this time to meditate.

If you don’t know how to do it, you can learn to meditate with this article: “How to learn to meditate, in 7 simple steps”

8. Take a bubble bath

In this time you have nothing to do. Relax and take a bubble bath . I am sure you will feel better.

9. Use binder applications

You can use this moment of boredom to conquer someone . So you can use some of the apps that are on the market. Maybe you’ll get a date.

10. Practice yoga

Do some yoga exercises or watch a YouTube routine you can follow. You will be doing your body and mind a favor.

11. Kitchen

You have some time off, don’t you? Why don’t you take advantage of it to prepare yourself a delicious dinner .

12. Watch a movie

You can see if they make any movies on TV or download any you’ve ever wanted to see.

13. Go to the movies

So why don’t you go to the movies? That way you can watch a film and also get some fresh air.

14. Go for a walk

You can take advantage of this boredom to go for a walk at sea or in the mountains. This way you can enjoy nature and discover new places

15 …Or go for a run

If you prefer, you can go for a run. This way you benefit from training not only on a physical level, but also on a mental one.

16. Go out with your dog

If you don’t want to walk alone, and if you have a dog as a pet, take it out for a walk.

17. Take the bike

If you prefer, you can also take the bike and go for a ride to discover new places.

18. Sort out your home

If you have free time and don’t know how to use it, tidy up your house.

19. Study

Make the effort to study if you have nothing to do. Don’t leave the study for the last week of the exam.

20. Research your own vacation

That the holidays are coming up and you still don’t know where to go? Search the internet for a destination that might be interesting .

21. Sing

If you like to sing, find some karaoke songs on YouTube and sing them. Not good at it? What’s the difference? You’re on your own.

22. Play an online game

There are thousands of games online. Select the one you like and have a fun time.

23. Go to a bar and have a cup of coffee

The walk to the place will be great for you and you’ll spend some time away from home.

24. Do a puzzle

How about you entertain yourself with a puzzle? You’ll be busy trying to finish it.

25. Watch music videos

Put a music channel on your TV or search for songs you like on YouTube.

26. Refreshes learning from the past

You can take the university or college books that you have in store and review what you studied at the time.

27. Do a strength training without weights

Do strength training in your own home or garden. You don’t have to use weights.

28. Take a nap

Take advantage of that free time to take a nap and face the rest of the day more rested.

29. Go down to the pool

If time permits, go down to the pool and take a dip. You’ll be refreshed and feel better after you’ve done it.

30. Shop online

You can take the opportunity to buy something you need via the internet . Now, don’t buy compulsively.

31. Exercise your mind

Take advantage of this time to exercise your mind with brain training games . Or simply fill out a word search

32. Visit a tourist site in your city

Visit a tourist site in your city or town. I’m sure you’ve never been there before, even though it’s so close by.

33. Start a blog

You can start a blog in which you tell your experiences or talk about what you like. There are some pages for this, for example, WordPress or Blogspot

34. Invite a friend

You can invite a friend over for dinner, to play the console or to watch a movie.

35. Go to the public library

If you don’t have a book on hand and don’t want to buy one either, you can go to the public library and spend the afternoon there.

36. Take this opportunity to do something you need to do

Take the opportunity to do something you need to do, whether it’s going to the bank, making a phone call or joining the gym.

37. Send a letter to someone important in your life

Personal letters are in danger of extinction with new technologies. Take some time to write a letter by hand and send it by mail . You will surprise the person who receives it.

38. Take some pictures

If you go for a walk, take some pictures of the landscape or the places you visit.

39. Find your high school friends on Facebook

You can spend your time remembering those good times in the past and trying to contact old classmates or friends.

40. Learn how to make your favorite cocktail

You enjoy that good cocktail when you go out with a friend . Why don’t you use this time when you get bored to find out how to do it.

41. Do the laundry

It’s not fun, but take advantage of this time to do your laundry and leave your clothes clean.

42. Write your own novel

Are you bored? Then give your creativity free rein and write your own story or novel. Nobody else needs to read it.

43. Go out and buy a gift for your relatives

A family member’s birthday is coming up, or Christmas is just around the corner. Take the opportunity to go to the store and buy gifts.

44, Practice your hobby

If you like surfing, riding or painting, this is the time to enjoy the day.

45. Dance

Turn on the music and let your body guide you. Dance, dance, dance.

46. Write a poem

Take a notebook and write a poem thinking about that person you love so much.

47. Fix your garden

Since you’re bored, take the opportunity to leave the garden pretty.

48. Go visit a friend by surprise

You don’t have to call your friend. Just stand on his doorstep and surprise him.

49. Go bowling

Maybe you can take advantage of this and invite him to bowling . I’m sure he’ll thank you for it.

50. Play with your hairstyle

Try new hairstyles for yourself and spend the afternoon looking at which one suits you best.

51. Tidy up your room

Now you have no excuse to have your room messed up. Take this time to keep your room clean and organized.

52. Prepare a monologue and train

Preparing monologues is one of the most stimulating activities to do. In many cases you don’t even need to be near a computer to look up documentation, just tell a story and practice out loud.

53. Go out into a natural space and exercise

Nature is full of resources with which we can exercise outdoors. In addition, the air will be purer than in most gyms.

54. Practice drawing

Starting to draw and seeing the progress being made is very motivating , especially if you start from scratch.

55. Meet an old friend

Any excuse is a good one to meet again.

54. Practice drawing

Starting to draw and seeing the progress being made is very motivating , especially if you start from scratch.

55. Meet an old friend

Any excuse is a good one to meet again.

56. Learning to do Origami

This hobby is as stimulating and creative as it is simple, because all you need to exercise it is a sheet of paper and a flat surface.

57. Learn languages

An excellent way to exercise your mind while gaining such useful skills as being able to talk to more people and expand your CV.

58. Create video essays

Thanks to the Internet it is increasingly easy to create home-made audiovisual pieces in which we express our ideas from image and sound.

59. Sign up for an online course

Another excellent way to use your free time to learn is to sign up for an online course from the wide variety available in the network of networks.

60. Go out to see animals

If you combine this hobby with photography, you can get some spectacular images.

61. Learn about history

The good thing about learning about history is that it is easier to memorize when based on narrative lines.

62. Listening to audiobooks

A very good way to entertain yourself or learn without looking at a particular place.

63. Sign up for a language exchange

Practicing in a foreign language while having a real interaction with someone is very stimulating.

64. Attend a voluntary service

There are many people who will appreciate the time you can give them.

65. Recycle

There are many creative ways to reuse already worn or overused materials and give them another use.

66. Grow something

Monitoring the growth of a plantation can be very motivating.

67. Go out and meet people

You don’t even need an elaborate excuse to start a conversation.

68. Compose music

A simple microphone and certain software is enough to compose experimental pieces, even if you have no experience in it.

69. Redecorate your house

Small changes can transform a room.

70. Participate in forums

Discussing on these virtual platforms helps to learn about different topics.

Bibliographic references:

  • Maier, X. (2018).The art of having fun. Jerez de la Frontera: Nido de Ratones.