Being bored can be a bit of a drag. No one wants to waste an entire afternoon doomscrolling through TikTok or Instagram but sometimes we don't feel like going on a daring adventure either. Finding activities you can do with ease that don't take up too much of your energy and that can help you recharge, enjoy life, and get out of a mini-rut doesn't need to be challenging. In this article, we're going to share several things to do when bored so you can enjoy life when you have a bit of a break.
26 Low-Key Things to Do When Bored
1. Meditate
If you’re already sitting around doing nothing but breathing, you might as well do it mindfully. If you’re bored, you can spend ten minutes following along to a guided meditation for motivation. Maybe right now, you feel kinda blah from your boredom. Instead, by practicing a quick meditation for motivation, you can reset your brain so you can actually do something instead of nothing. Your inner critic is playing a huge role in your boredom right now. Without your thoughts telling you that you’re bored, would you know the difference?
So, if you’re looking for a low-key thing to do when you’re bored, consider taking a quick ten-minute look at your negative thoughts. Maybe take some time to reframe them into happy thoughts. By focusing on meditation first, before moving on to another activity, you can calm the mind so you can actually enjoy a fun activity. In the meantime, try this meditation for happiness to get you in the right mindset.
2. Go to the gym
If you're looking to stop being bored, you can go to the gym to workout. Whether you lift weights, join a cycling class, go grapple with people in a jiu jitsu gym, or do a cardio fitness class, you can find enjoyment in working out with others. If you're looking for things to do when bored, joining or going to a gym can be something to do other than just sitting at home alone, bored out of your mind. It gives you a chance to interact with people, improve yourself, and boost your mood.
3. Plan a future vacation
You can prevent future boredom by having something to look forward to. Planning your next vacation can be a great way to give you something low key to do when bored. It can give you a boost of excitement, something to save towards, and can be a great way to relax. You might start looking at different destinations then plan out where you'll stay, activities you'll do when there, clothes or items you'll need for the trip, and anything else you might need to help you enjoy the vacation. Planning and budgeting for your next trip can give you something to do for several hours and it's pretty fulfilling when you book it because now you'll get to have an enjoyable break. So, if you're looking for low key things to do when bored, consider planning a really cool vacation.
4. Play Brain Games
When you’re looking for something low-key yet engaging to pass the time, playing brain games can be a perfect choice. Games like online Sudoku challenge your mind and help improve concentration and problem-solving skills while providing a fun way to beat boredom.
5. Clean
One of the low-key things to do when you’re bored is to clean. While cleaning is never at the top of fun things to do when you’re bored, you can add elements that make this activity pretty enjoyable and chill. Listening to music while cleaning your house allows you to bop along and have a good time. Plus, have you ever heard of an upset family member after cleaning the entire house? It’s unheard of. Everyone you live with will be so grateful to you for helping around during your boredom. Cleaning dishes, dusting shelves, doing laundry, or washing windows are all low-key things to do when bored. As long as you’ve got some music or a podcast playing, you won’t find yourself bored. Plus, it’s a good way to get moving instead of hanging out on the couch for the whole day.
6. Play an instrument
One of the benefits of playing an instrument is getting into a flow state. When you play music, it’s easy to get lost in it. So, instead of thinking, “I’m bored,” you’ll simply be enjoying yourself. If you’re learning an instrument or a new song, it’ll give you a bit of mental stimulation because you’ll need to focus more, which is optimal for getting into a flow state. Plus, music is fun to listen to as you play, making it a low-key thing to do when you’re bored. If you don’t own an instrument, you can play a video game such as Guitar Hero, which also helps you get the same effect. And if you don’t have that either, you can download music software and create your own music online. You can play positive songs to boost your mood too.
7. Build a side hustle
If you have too much free time on your hands, you might start looking for ways to build up more passive income for yourself. That way, you can earn more so you can invest money for your future or cure your boredom with a better life that you can afford for yourself. You can start freelancing, posting on social media as an expert or influencer, or build a company that you invest in and grow. There are multiple ways to boost the income you earn for yourself. Think of building a side hustle that works with your natural talents and that'll allow you to live a happy life.
8. Read a book
Reading is one of the most low-key things to do when you’re bored. It doesn’t take much effort to sit and read something. If you have a Kindle, you can download a new book to read. Pick something you’re actually interested in reading so that you can enjoy yourself. There’s no point in choosing something that’ll bore you. Find a biography for a person you admire, read about a historical moment in time, or choose a mystery book. If you’re not in the mood to read a book, you can read the newspaper in different accents to amuse yourself while staying up to date with the latest news about your local community. You can also read articles online on popular blogs like this one. Learning something new can help you enjoy your time when feeling bored.
9. Cook a new recipe
Often, when we're bored, we eat. Well, might as well put those cooking skills to the test. After all, when was the last time you experimented with a recipe. You can head to your local grocery store to pick up some items after finding a cool recipe online. Then, you can spend some time baking or cooking for your family. You can prepare a delicious, unforgettable meal that'll be enjoyed by all. Might as well treat yourself if you're looking for things to do when bored.
10. Marathon a new show
If you’re looking for low-key things to do when you’re bored, try watching a new show on a different subscription service. There are countless streaming services that have their own original content. Watching a new show or movie can inspire you to take action. For example, if musicals bring you to life after watching them, you might do some writing or singing after it’s done to create your own. If a romantic comedy inspires you, you might end up planning a small getaway with your partner to show your romantic side. Ultimately, whatever you end up watching should encourage you to get up and be active in something positive. So, maybe skip those crime shows.
11. Go shopping
When was the last time you felt beautiful or handsome in an outfit? Consider heading to a store that has styling services. You can book a styling session at various clothing stores. Then, head to the store to work with a stylist to help you pick an outfit you'll love that you feel good in. Some stylists will tell you what colors you look best in so you can pick clothing that accentuates your natural beauty. Shopping for new clothes can help you boost your confidence.
12. Decorate your house
Sometimes, when you need things to do when you’re done, it’s because your environment has been a bit negative. You can’t always move to a new place when you want to. However, you can make changes to your environment by decorating your house. Then, around the holidays, you can theme your home for Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and of course, Christmas. You can even decorate your house for special occasions like birthday parties. If no upcoming holidays are on the horizon, consider decorating your home with new wall art, rugs, or flowers, to add some life to your home and re-energize yourself.
13. Write a book
Most people dream of writing a memoir or book someday. If you're feeling bored, consider starting that first chapter of a novel or your life story. You can plan out the chapters or outline of your story or just put pen to paper and write. See what flows out of you. Let inspiration strike at a moment of your life when everything stands still. Your story is still unwritten, so what will the main character of your story do next.
14. Call a friend
If you're looking for low-key things to do when bored, consider calling a friend or family member to strike a conversation with them. Find out what they're up to, how they're doing, and learn what's new in their life. You could plan out a time to get together and hang out. Invite them over for dinner or lunch. Hosting the call over a video chat could be a great way to get some face time with them. And if they're family, maybe you can spend some time planning a family get together. Life is all about being with people you love.
15. Make a Spotify playlist
Adding positive songs to a playlist can add energy to your day when you’re feeling bored. If you feel bored because you’re depressed, you might listen to songs about depression. Ultimately, the playlist you listen to should help you get the emotions out. If you’re depressed, crying it all out might be worthwhile so you can cleanse the negativity out of yourself. However, listening to upbeat songs can help you zap that energy back into your body if you need an energy boost. You can make a playlist and allow your friends to add songs. And when you’re feeling up to it, you can all have a get-together where those songs are the background music you listen to.
16. Play video games
You can play many anxiety relief games that help you deal with negative emotions, like boredom. Video games can help you improve your manual dexterity, increase your brain’s gray matter, improve your social skills, and teach you how to solve problems better. So, if you feel like playing video games is just causing you to be inactive, that’s not true. Finding the right game to play can be tough when you’re an active gamer, so consider trying a new game or inviting friends to play with you. If you’re looking for something more active, you could try fitness video games. If you don’t have a system, you can search for games on YouTube and follow other gamers' full gameplay.
17. Send people heartfelt messages
When was the last time you told someone how much you care about them? You can create quick videos to randomly let your friends and family know what you love about them. First, write down a list of reasons why you love them or why you appreciate them. Then, record yourself in a video letting them know. Do it for people who you know appreciate you too, so they feel happy about it.
If you want to step this up a notch, invite your family and friends under the guise of a birthday party for yourself or some sort of self-celebration. While everyone is there, get everyone’s attention and start reading a speech you’ve written for every person you invited. People won’t ever suspect that you’d do this for them, but everyone will feel valued and loved.
18. Work on a personal development plan
When you need things to do when you're bored, consider making a plan to invest in yourself. A personal development plan is all about making yourself better for yourself. Whether it's building new habits, learning new skills, educating yourself on topics that inspire you, working out, budgeting, or anything of that sort. Think about the type of person you hope to evolve into in the future. Then reverse engineer that into a plan to help you build yourself up to that person you aspire to be. Striving to get better with time is something that requires thought and effort. So, if you have nothing better to do, you can work on that.
19. Go for a walk
One of the things to do when you’re bored is to go for a walk. You can forge a new path and go on a new journey. Explore a new path you’ve never been on before. If you’ve heard about specific trails, you can journey towards them and hike on a new trail. Invite a friend if you’d like someone to talk to while on this hike. However, if you’d like to enjoy some solo time, you can go for a walk listening to music and just enjoy nature. While most people would prefer to go for walks in the summer when it’s warm, a winter walk can wake up some life into you when you’re cold.
You can follow along to a mindful walking meditation by using Declutter The Mind. The app includes meditations for walking, eating, and many other activities. So if you’d like to enjoy the experience of being out in nature while following along to a guide, the app will allow you to meditate in nature.
20. Plan a party
When your young, birthday parties are all too common. However, as you get older people start to settle in with their household families and spend less time with friends and extended family members. Planning or hosting a party to bring everyone together can be a great way to spend time with people you care about. You don't need to plan much other than letting people know a good date and investing in food. You can host a potluck or invite people to go to a restaurant on a set date. Either way, planning a party could be a good way to bring everyone together.
21. Write a song
If you have some spare time and are searching for things to do when you’re bored, consider writing. You can write a song, a poem, a book about your life. Anything really. As long as you write from the heart, it will come out beautifully. Or funny. Whatever the goal of your writing is.
You can write songs about anxiety, songs about death, or songs about being alone. Let your emotions flow out of you and keep it real.
You can also write in a journal, such as a gratitude journal, mindfulness journal, or just about your daily life. Following journaling prompts, you’ll be able to write from experiences you didn’t think of automatically.
22. Learn a new dance
While some people go on a social media detox, others learn a new dance that they can post on TikTok. You can take online dance lessons, follow along to popular dances on TikTok, and watch YouTube videos of dancers. Not only will dancing allow you to be active in your boredom, but it’ll also allow you to learn something new.
23. Organize your closet
For those looking for things to do when you’re bored that is similar to cleaning, cleaning out your closet could be a good addition. Not only does having an organized closet remind you of how much stuff you own, clearing some of that stuff out can allow you to make some extra money or help others in need.
Donating clothing that doesn’t fit or that you have no interest in keeping allows you to do a good deed for someone else. That act of kindness always ripples back in a positive way. Plus, by having less stuff in your closet, you can actually find clothing you’ve been looking for.
You can organize your closet by what you wear the most to the least, so that your favorite belongings get worn the most. You can also organize your closet seasonally so that your warm and cool clothes are at the forefront, depending on the season.
24. Start a new project
You can start a new project if you’re aiming for things to do when you’re bored. You can start a band, a book club, home renovation, and so much more.
Find people with similar interests that you can spend some time with around a hobby you all love. Whether you start a solo project or a group one is up to you. However, by finding something you can stick with to prevent boredom throughout the year, you’ll likely never experience boredom again.
If it challenges you and makes you grow, you’ll likely continue to find interest in it.
25. Play a board game
As long as you have some family members at home with you, you can probably bust out a board game and play an entertaining board game. Make some popcorn or grab some snacks and host a family game night with those you love most. If you don't have access to family (hence the boredom), you can try playing a board game virtually with others or play a solo online board game alone. So, if you're looking to find things to do when bored board games will entertain you for hours.
26. Learn a new skill
From meditation to skiing, there’s a long list of hobbies you can start and learn more about. You can search through a list of hobbies to see which one peaks your interest. Then, look for clubs locally that you can join for that hobby. Or find an online app you can use for that hobby.
You can take online courses, sign up for apps, and learn all about something new. Whether you’re reading a blog post about it or building something from scratch, there’s infinite things you can do by learning new skills.
Some people say that you should learn a skill that relaxes you, another one that makes you money, and third one that is fun for you. How you make it work is up to you. Just enjoy the process of learning something new to improve yourself.
Conclusion
Here you have it, 25 low-key things to do when you’re bored. Being bored can be a great opportunity to dive into something new. Whether you learn meditation, clean your whole house, write a song, or learn a new skill is up to you. There are infinite low-key things to do when you’re bored that can be enjoyable, fun, and enlightening. So, what are you going to do next?
