Most people do live rather uneventful lives for the most part. We wake up, go to work, come home to chores and watch a little TV, go to bed, and do it all over again the next day. These patterns become so ingrained that it’s hard to shake loose from them. After the finishing the final season of your favorite series on Netflix, you look up from the screen and wonder if this is all there is to life. It isn’t. Life doesn’t have to be boring. Yes, it’s hard to break the patterns of malaise and routine, but with a little creativity and determination, you can add more excitement and adventure to your life. You can take action before your boredom turns to apathy and depression.
Why am I so bored with life?
There are many possible reasons you’re feeling so blase and disenchanted with life. Understanding the reasons can help you find an antidote to your boredom. Here are a few reasons: s If any of these reasons resonate with your situation, recognize that you may need to work on these roadblocks before you can find passion and purpose in your life. You don’t want to fall into a constant state of indifference and detachment from the joys of life.
My life is boring and I feel a little depressed.
Everyone knows that constant boredom is a pretty unbearable state. It can make us restless and desperate to find a way to alleviate it. We often turn to our smartphones or television as a means of alleviating boredom, but those quick fixes often make us feel worse about ourselves and highlight how boring our own lives have become. When you feel so bored and apathetic, it can cause you to withdraw and may even impact your performance at work or your social skills. These reactions are also signs of depression, and if you don’t address the negative feelings that come with chronic boredom, you may find yourself spiraling down into a true depression. Feeling bored and depressed aren’t the same, and most people who say, “I’m so bored”, aren’t depressed. But if you don’t address your unhappiness with your life, you can become depressed.
I’m so bored with life, what should I do?
The next time you think that your life is boring, rather than trying to escape boredom by working, sleeping, drinking alcohol, or watching TV, take a look inward to assess your boredom and the structure of your life. The connection could be to other people, art, nature, spirituality, or anything else that holds your interest. Your chronic boredom is telling you something about yourself so pay attention and don’t avoid the issue. If you’re wondering what to do when you’re bored to make your life more interesting, adventurous, and exciting, check out these ideas.
Bored With Life? 50 Of The Best Ways To Jazz It Up
1. Make a bucket list.
Create a list of things to do when you’re bored (and that you want to do before you die) and make every effort to put a checkmark by each item. This effort will add serious value to your life. Pay attention to opportunities to achieve your goals and seize them when they arise. Print your bucket list and put it somewhere that you can see it every day. You may need to start a savings account to help you manifest your dreams, do start today setting aside money to fulfill your dream list.
2. Express yourself through creativity.
Make something that allows you to release the contents of both your head and your heart. Try singing, painting, writing, poetry, dancing, drawing, or anything that allows you to express how you feel. Tap into your emotions, both positive and negative, and use them as inspiration for your creative endeavors. Don’t worry about how good you are or what others will think of your efforts. Just enjoy the process of creating.
3. Provide service to others.
There is nothing more meaningful you can do in life than to serve others. Modern culture reinforces our tendencies to be egocentric and materialistic, but focusing less on ourselves and more on the needs of others can make us feel like we are contributing something valuable to the world. Even the smallest acts of kindness or service can make a huge difference in another person’s life and will go a long way in alleviating your own feelings that everything is boring.
4. Read Interesting books.
Expand your knowledge every day and never stop learning and growing by prioritizing reading in your life. The more you learn, the more interesting the world will become to you. Learning keeps your mind healthy and allows you to remain focused on things that are important to you. Reading great books makes you a more interesting and knowledgeable person which in turn improves your social life and career opportunities.
5. Break your patterns.
Nothing is more boring than being predictable. Break your routine up in some way — start taking a new route to work, go somewhere new that you have never been before, or do something spontaneous. Vow for a week to turn off the TV and avoid looking at your phone when you come home from work. This will force you to try new ways to fill your time.
6. Reward yourself.
If you work hard (which you probably do), treat yourself every now and then to something that makes you feel really special. Maybe this is a spa day, going to a sporting event, or taking a weekend getaway somewhere new and interesting.
7. Live mindfully in the present moment.
Many people live with regret about the decisions they made in the past or spend their time worrying about something in the future. If you focus your attention on the present moment, your days will become more meaningful. You won’t waste time in your head, but rather you will be fully engaged in the here and now. Next time you do something, direct your attention fully to the task at hand. Enjoy the process of whatever you are doing by being absorbed in it.
8. Create a vision board.
What do you envision your future to look like? If you created a bucket list of dreams and goals, you have a good idea. Cut pictures and words out of magazines that reflect your dreams and paste them on poster board. There are so many creative ways to craft your own vision board, so check out ideas on Pinterest for inspiration.
9. Meditate.
Get in tune with your breathing, your body, and your mind. Take the time to practice meditation and enjoy the myriad of physical, mental and emotional health benefits of this daily practice. There are many different kinds of meditation, so you can experiment with a few before finding one that works best for you. Some options are spiritual meditation, focused meditation, mindfulness meditation, and mantra meditation.
10. Cook something.
Get off the couch and scour your fridge and pantry for all of the items you might blend together to create a fabulous culinary treat. Take the ingredients you have on hand and bake or cook something, adapting a recipe to your available ingredients. It can be dinner for tonight or a batch of cookies to bring to work tomorrow for your coworkers. Get creative!
11. Volunteer.
Is there an organization near you that you are particularly passionate about? Maybe you love children or dogs or just want to be able to feed people who are unable to provide for their families. Many organizations value your time and energy more than your money.
12. Try your hand at poetry.
It doesn’t have to be award-winning. You can write poetry for your own enjoyment and self-expression. Poetry is a very creative form of writing that can be written in any form you prefer. Write a poem for a family member or something for yourself that reflects something unique about your life.
13. Send a care package.
Everyone knows how exciting it is to receive something in the mail, especially if it is a package with goodies in it. If you have a family member who is in college or a friend who lives far away, put together a package of their favorite things and send it to them. Include a thoughtful note to make them feel extra special.
14. Review current events.
Do you know what’s going on in the world? It doesn’t have to be just about politics (which might make you feel worse). You can read about the latest scientific inventions or even emerging technology that is going to hit stores soon. Make it a game to look for positive, uplifting, educational, and interesting articles that leave you feeling better.
15. Create a movie.
Next time your feeling bored make a movie. You can easily use your phone if you don’t have a video camera to shoot your movie. This could be a documentary-type of movie or a fictional story with a plot. Get creative here, and if you like the outcome, upload it on Youtube or Vimeo for other people to see.
16. Declutter your home.
Go through your linen closet, supplies that you have for entertaining, or any other random bunches of things that you may have, like your purses or old tee shirts. Purge anything you can. Create an organizational map so you can easily find things later.
17. Plan a trip.
Even if it is completely out of your budget and unreasonable, plan your dream trip. Did you know that the part of taking a vacation that people get the most joy out of is planning it? This is because you can daydream about what adventures may come your way.
18. Find your dream home.
Do some house hunting online — either in your area or in an area that you would like to live in the future. See what is on the market and try to find the perfect house for the right price.
19. Plant an herb garden in your kitchen.
Not only will an indoor herb garden brighten up your kitchen area, but it will also allow you to have fresh herbs for cooking summer and winter.
20. Find a new podcast.
There are so many podcasts available on such a wide variety of topics. Search through some popular options and also some that are specific to your interests. Fill the boring drives to work or the long wait in the doctor’s office by listening to something uplifting or educational.
21. Have an indoor picnic.
On a rainy, boring day, invite a date or a friend and grab a blanket and picnic supplies and enjoy a picnic indoors. Set it up in front of a window so you can look outside and while staying warm and dry on your indoor picnic blanket.
22. Have a summer Christmas party.
Why wait until December to enjoy a festive occasion. Arrange a Christmas party during the summer to share a family meal, exchange small gifts, and celebrate being together. You can even take this time to make some donations to children in need, just like you would during Christmas.
23. Create a scavenger hunt.
Type up a list of the items hidden in your scavenger hunt and give it to your friends. You can hide things both inside and outside and then set a timer as people start looking. Get creative and have a prize at the end for the winner.
24. Host a game night.
Invite your friends over for a fun night of board games. This will allow you to interact with your friends in a fun and unique way while everyone gets to show a bit of their competitive side.
25. Practice yoga.
Whether you are seasoned in this practice or you have never tried yoga before, look up some videos online and follow a yoga session. This will relax your mind and help stretch out your muscles. Taking the time to focus on your breathing is a great way to take your mind off of your boredom.
26. Create your own board game.
Make the rules, board, and game pieces to an innovating board game. This will help you use your creative skills as well as your thinking skills. After you perfect it, start playing it with your friends!
27. Clean out your closet.
Make a trash pile, a donate pile, and a keep pile. Fill your boxes and take the donations to a drop-off location and throw away the trash items. Cleaning out your closet will take a weight off of your shoulders and make you feel much more organized.
28. Get to know your neighbors.
Do you know the people who live on either side of you? Bake some cookies and bring them over and introduce yourself. You never know when you will need each other. Women Love These 15 Highly-Useful Tips For Dating A Younger Man 33 Time-Tested Ways To Find The Key To Happiness 575+ Bucket List Ideas To Live A No-Regrets Life
29. Learn a new language.
Being bilingual is a highly sought-after ability, and it can help you if you ever do some traveling to another country. Check out a language learning course in your desired language and make it a priority to work on it a few minutes every day. Soon you’ll be able to communicate with a new group of people with whom you have never communicated before.
30. Mentor a child.
Finding a child to mentor in your area is a rewarding way to spend your time that can make a huge difference in someone’s life. This will allow you to become a role model and a confidant for someone and make a lasting impression on their life.
31. Learn to knit.
Knitting is stress relieving and you get something useful out of it when you are finished. This is another way to express your creativity, plus you can give your creations away to others when you are finished as gifts.
32. Upgrade your technology.
Make sure all of your technology is up to date with the latest operating systems so you are using the fasting technology available.
33. Challenge yourself.
Set some goals for yourself that you never really thought of achieving and set out to accomplish them. Maybe create a reading list goal or an exercise goal. You might want to start writing that book you’ve always dreamed of writing. The closer you get to reaching your goal, the better you will feel!
34. Find a side gig.
Do you have a particular talent that you could share with other people like party planning or creating your own homemade soaps? Start a side business to make some extra cash while doing something you love. Eventually, it may pick up enough that you can drop your day job.
35. Find some new bands.
Talk to your friends about what they have been listening to these days and listen to some new music. Even if it is not in your typical genre, you might discover something that you really like.
36. Look at the recent crimes in your neighborhood.
Go to a website such as crimemapping.com and check out the latest crimes that have happened in your area. Doing this will help you know what is going on in your neighborhood and allow you to prepare yourself in case the crime happens to you.
37. Join a sports team.
Most cities offer some sort of recreational sports leagues in the area that anyone can join. This is a great way to make new friends while also getting some exercise. After practice, invite some of your new friends out for drinks on the town!
38. Film your own cooking show.
Take out your smartphone and cooking ingredients and get to work creating a how-to for making your favorite dish. Pretend like you are a TV star and have fun with it!
39. Learn how to do nail art.
Nail art is popular these days, and it takes some time to master this creative hobby. Buy the nail art supplies and watch some videos online to start using your creativity and see what you can come up with.
40. Have a costume party.
It doesn’t have to be Halloween to get dressed up in costumes, and who doesn’t love a good costume party? You can create a theme party, like a 1950’s theme or favorite movie start theme, and ask guests to dress up accordingly.
41. Go for a walk/run.
When boredom sets in and you can’t think of anything to do, take some time to get fresh air and exercise. Either go around your neighborhood or find a local park where you can go for a jog. You may meet someone or see something interesting, and you will be improving your health at the same time.
42. Write online reviews.
Have you been to a restaurant lately that you particularly loved? Or, maybe you have purchased a new product that you’ve never tried before and you have found it to be of great value. Give some feedback online to the companies by leaving online reviews.
43. Learn about wine.
No matter what type of wine you’re into, learn know how it’s made, where the grapes come from, who the top producers are, and what foods pair the best with it. We all know that one of the best ways to teach yourself about wine is to drink it!
44. Sort through your digital photos.
We all have several versions of a similar photo because sometimes it takes a lot of tries to get just the right shot. Clear up some storage on your phone by going through all of your pictures and deleting the ones that you don’t need. This will also allow you to take a trip down memory lane.
45. Help a friend.
Offer to make a friend dinner or help clean up their house. Or, they might just need someone to sit down and listen to what is going on with them.
46. Make a time capsule.
Even if you just keep it in the back of your closet instead of burying it in your yard, create a box that contains objects that are relevant to your life today. This will allow you to have a huge nostalgic moment in the future when you find it again.
47. Dance.
Don’t worry about how talented you are at dancing. Close your blinds in your house if you have to and just go for it! Turn up your favorite music and start busting out your moves.
48. Enjoy some puzzles.
What is your preference? Jigsaw? Crossword? Give your brain a good workout by completing some puzzles. This will also give you a major sense of accomplishment when you are finished.
49. Make a scrapbook.
Maybe you want to know what to do when you’re bored at home alone. We’ve got you covered. Go through old family pictures, put them in chronological order (as best as you can), and then put them all into an album of some sort. Add in some keepsakes or trinkets from the past that are significant to you like old movie tickets or restaurant receipts from when you went out with your friends or family.
50. Start to notice the small things.
Observe people as they walk by, stare at ordinary objects and analyze their details. Go sit out in a public place and observe the world around you. You’ll be surprised at what you can see when you stop to look. There are a lot of ways you can jazz up your life and combat boredom. Try a few of these that interest you to see if it helps add some new experiences or hobbies to your routine. How will you change your boring life? If you find yourself regularly saying, “I’m bored with life,” then it’s past time to do something about it. When life is boring and you’ve lost your mojo, choose one or two of these ideas outlined here to push you out of the doldrums. Take action today on the strategies that resonate with you — even if your motivation is low. Boredom easily turns into apathy, and apathy can foster depression if you don’t do something about it. Don’t just accept a boring life or hang around other bored people. Make things happen. Find others who want more excitement, meaning, and purpose in their lives. This is your one and only life (as far as you know!), so don’t waste a day of it.
