10 Ways to Beat Boredom

If you’re being responsible and staying home (because why would you not want to help flatten the curve?) then you might be climbing the walls and feeling a bit bored.  Don’t panic!  My list of 10 ways to beat boredom has got some ideas for you.  Please know that I am in no way diminishing the severity of the current situation and am also not referring to essential employees (respect, y’all!) when talking about choosing to leave the house.  Also note:  I’m not a parent which means that I have absolutely no idea how difficult it must to balance kids in the mix.  Hang in there, friends – I see you.

Back to boredom:  you might be ready to pull your hair out due to boredom.  Or you might be maximizing your newly found free time by not wearing pants (hey, they can’t tell on your conference call) and binging Netflix.  Regardless of what side of the spectrum you fall on you should check out my list of 10 ways to beat boredom for some inspiration!

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1. Foster a Pet

If you’re going to be home more why not take the time to help out an animal in need?  Many rescues and shelters have to cut back on their volunteer and staff which means in a lot of cases that they’re looking to either adopt or temporary foster the animals in their care.  If you don’t typically have time for a pet now’s your chance!  You’ll feel less lonely with a furry friend hanging out and it’ll make a massive difference in that animal’s life.  You might even end up like me, the notorious Foster Fail, where we ended up keeping the last little love that was going to “just stay until he finds a forever home.”

Bellini was a foster but it only took three days to decide to keep him forever.

2. Get in the Kitchen

Now’s a great time to visit the kitchen, whether you love to cook or are intimidated by the microwave!  You can deep clean your pantry or fridge (seriously, how long have those condiments been in there?).  You can try a new recipe, bake some bread or challenge yourself to make a meal out of random things found while cleaning your pantry or fridge/freezer.  This past week I’ve made granola, farro salad, tortillas, lentil soup and udon all from items I had in my kitchen.

Image by pop picnic from Pixabay 

3. Get Crafty

Anyone else have a half knitted scarf laying around from last year?  Just me then?  Ok, but you get my point.  Pick up an old craft project you’d put aside for lack of time.  Knitting, crocheting, calligraphy, painting, sewing, scrap booking, wood burning, bedazzling – whatever floats your boat.  I have a hand lettering kit I’m going to break out and maybe, just maybe, I’ll finish that scarf by this summer.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

4. Take a Virtual Tour

Don’t let the fact that everything is closed get you down!  Now’s actually a really great time to get a virtual peek at somewhere you might not otherwise get the chance to visit.  Yellowstone Park (or the NPS in general – they have quite a few parks available for virtual tour!), the Louvre, Spain’s Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza and more!  You can also check out Google’s Arts & Culture collection and the Van Gogh Museum.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

5. Learn Something New

Got a bit more time on your hands lately?  How about learning something new!  Studying a new language is a great place to start – check out Duolingo or Babbel (click here to get a free month!).  You can also check out this list from Afar on the best podcasts for learning a new language at any stage.  Don’t know how to cook?  Hop over to YouTube and look up some cooking basics.  From doing eyebrows to DIY woodworking projects – you can find tutorials on just about anything for free.  I’m also a big fan of Adobe CS (I currently use the Photography Plan) and they offer a bunch of tutorials and info for their products.

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

6. Connect with Friends

Just don’t get close to them!  Y’all should be staying home but it doesn’t mean you can’t see each other.  I had Facetime drinks with a friend the other night to catch up and it was great!  Now’s a great time to reach out to friends and family.  Email, social media, Zoom, snail mail, messaging apps, phone calls – whatever works!  Let someone know you’re thinking about them, offer support to someone you think might be struggling or setup group cocktail hour via Zoom.  Do a distance book club, play Words with Friends or write out a card and stick it in the mail.  You can even play Mario Kart Tour with me……if you like losing.

7. Spring Cleaning

I don’t particularly enjoy cleaning but hey, now’s as good a time as any I guess.  I’m using this time to reorganize my home office, refinish our back deck (I got all the supplies in the fall so no store run for me!) and to go through the terrifying chaos that is the guest room closet (yikes).

Image by jacqueline macou from Pixabay

8. Plan Ahead

There is a lot of uncertainty and fear right now but we will come out on the other side.  Things won’t always feel as dark and heavy as they do now and it’s helpful for me to remind myself.  One of the ways I’m choosing to do that is by planning ahead for when things go “back to normal”.  In my Note on Spring post I’d written about canceling some international and domestic travel plans due to the current situation so I’m already looking for inspiration and ideas for trips to come.  You can read travel blogs *ahem* or check out social media for ideas to start.  Don’t forget to check out magazines that may be lying around, even the older ones!  I love to read Conde Nast Traveler and hang on to some of my favorites, like the pic below.  Start a folder on your computer to save ideas, snip magazine articles/photos, make a vision board – whatever inspires you most!

image: Baby Got Balance

9. Get Moving

You don’t have to sit on the couch for a month (or more)!  You can get out and go for a hike or bike ride (obviously not in a group and please, please don’t carpool with anyone not in your immediate household) – just make sure to keep your distance if you encounter other folks.  Is that furry baby you’re fostering a dog?  Grab that pup and go for a walk!  Start a daily yoga practice or stream a workout class of your choice.  And don’t forget to get up from your desk frequently if you’re working from home.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

10. Grow Something

Now’s a great time to sprout some seeds, either for your garden or just some herbs to grow in your apartment window.  Have houseplants?  Transplant the ones that need it and rearrange them in your space to freshen things up.  Succulents need propagating?  Get to snipping!  Show your plants some love.

Image by Milada Vigerova from Pixabay

Hopefully 10 ways to beat boredom has given you some ideas or inspiration to fill your time!  I’d love to hear about the ways you’re staying busy at home or if you feel like something major is missing from my list.  Make sure to comment and let me know!