Being bored is so not fun.

And if you’ve been struggling to stay productive, you’re probably drowning in negative self talk too.

Once I shared 25 Positive Ideas For When Your Life Feels Boring and received a ton of responses from women who struggle to stay active & productive in their free time. (P.S. you should check this article out – there’s a simple explanation of why you get bored so easily, and I think you would like to know it).

Honestly, we all meet our friend Procrastination from time to time because it’s so easy to get bored. All you need is just a good, old, never-changing work-home routine and a few sprinkles of low energy.

That’s okay… No need to be angry at yourself for something everybody does.

In this list, I combined a whopping 99 productive things to do when bored – ideas you can try when you want to be productive instead of wasting time.

They’re not necessarily entertaining, but they are certainly producing some form of improvement in your life.

Productive value is so much better than a lazy void.

So let’s do this!

Let’s find you some productive things to do when bored, even if that boredom seems to be eating you from the inside.

Update: “Productive things to do when bored” are now organized into sections.

You can get your ideas depending on what you would rather do instead of being lazy, bored, and unproductive.

Would you rather do something beautiful for your life?

Something smart?

Something organizational?

Maybe something productive and uplifting at the same time?

Scroll through this list of productive things to do when bored and replace your boredom with something you need right now – they’re all below.

 

99 PRODUCTIVE THINGS TO DO WHEN BORED

 

LIFE-IMPROVING Productive Things To Do When Bored

 

1.

Make a new song playlist.

2.

Create a weekly meal plan.

3.

Print & do some self-improvement worksheets.

4.

Do a bunch of quick tasks.

5.

Make a wishlist of things you want to learn, do or get.

6.

DIY something pretty for yourself or your home.

7.

Review your wardrobe and plan your next purchase.

8.

Plant a fragrant herb garden on your windowsill.

Thoughtfully Gifts, Mason Jar Garden

9.

Find a new wallpaper for your computer or phone.

10.

Awaken your creativity!

Browse Pinterest for new things, a new hobby, new recipes, or inspiring ideas.

11.

Visit your family and bring small gifts (like cookies… everybody loves cookies).

12.

Repot your home plants.

13.

Apply Feng Shui principles in your home.

14.

Shop for pretty and useful things online.

15.

Look for a club or online community you would like to join.

16.

Fix something around your home.

17.

Pack your lunch or healthy snacks for tomorrow.

Kate Spade New York Women’s Lunch Tote

18.

Learn new make-up and beauty techniques on Youtube.

19.

Make a trip to a local farmers market and buy fresh, organic food.

20.

Create a family album.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL Productive Things To Do When Bored

 

21. Clean your home.

22.

Organize files on your phone and laptop/computer.

23.

Set up a life binder.

24.

Clean out your inbox.

25.

Rearrange your furniture.

26.

Organize your papers & bills.

27.

Delete old contacts from your phone.

28.

Sort your photos into folders.

29.

Then print, frame & hang the ones you like.

30.

Wash the drapes from every room.

31.

Clean your windows.

32.

Clean out and restock your fridge or pantry.

33.

Declutter your basement.

34.

Organize your desk.

Blu Monaco Office Supplies Pink 5 Piece Desk Organizer

35.

Create or adjust your budget.

36.

Say goodbye to clutter and clean out that junk drawer.

37.

Organize your makeup and beauty products.

38.

Collect and wash all the textiles (like small rugs, plaids, table-covers, seat covers – they collect tons of dust!).

39.

Make a list of tasks you’ve been avoiding and crush them.

40.

Sell things you don’t need on E-bay.

41.

Do a maintenance tour at your home (clean appliances, check if anything needs fixing or updating).

42.

Find and print great coupons to save money.

43.

Review your calendar.

44.

Plan a schedule and fill in to-do lists for tomorrow.

45.

Look for ways to minimize your commute time.

UPLIFTING Productive Things To Do When Bored

 

46.

Go for a hike (especially somewhere you haven’t been yet).

47.

Have a phone with a camera?

Go outside and take photos of beautiful things.

48.

Then create a photography portfolio (it can be a great resource for party topics).

49.

Create or update your self care routines.

50.

Plan your dream vacation.

51.

Plan and host a party.

52.

Go on a last-minute road trip.

53.

Facetime with friends or family.

54.

Do something nice for your loved ones.

55.

Is the weather good?

Go have a picnic!

56.

Invite someone over.

57.

Start an Instagram profile for your pet.

58.

Plan a family or friend meet-up.

59.

Write and send someone a handwritten letter.

60.

Create food, basic medicine, and clothes bags and give them to homeless people.

 

INTELLIGENT Productive Things To Do When Bored

 

61.

Update your resume and Linkedin profile.

62.

Learn something new on Youtube.

63.

Visit a bookstore and buy a motivating, or non-fiction book.

64.

Study interesting data.

65.

Watch TED talks and take notes.

66.

Sign up for online courses and take notes while watching (I recommend Udemy or Skillshare for affordable and fun online courses).

67.

Practice speaking in front of a mirror.

68.

Make a plan for emergency situations (what to do? where to go? who to call?).

69.

Put together an emergency bag.

70.

Listen to an audiobook (P.S.

You can get a free 30-day Amazon Audible trial + 2 FREE audiobooks here: Sign up for FREE).

71.

Write down your rule set (for yourself, your family, or your home).

72.

Find and learn new, interesting words, or even learn a new language! (you can use online platforms like Duolingo for that).

73.

Learn to code on Codecademy.

74.

When was the last time you updated your profiles on Facebook, Twitter and other social media?

75.

Read the news.

76.

Find a new podcast to listen to, or an interesting Youtube channel to watch.

77.

Research your dream career (or start a side hustle!).

78.

Make a list of your professional goals.

79.

Review your retirement options.

80.

Google ways to make some side money.

81.

Research and sign up for upcoming local fairs, exhibitions, and sales.

82.

Donate blood (and THANK YOU for doing that).

83.

Learn the basics of simple project management.

84.

Create a debt payoff plan.

85.

Install a password encryption service on your computer.

 

SELF-CARING Productive Things To Do When Bored

 

86.

Do a deep-tissue self-massage.

87.

Learn new yoga poses or mindfulness meditation (here’s a beginner meditation guide if needed).

 

MOTIVATIONAL Productive Things To Do When Bored

 

88.

Try to find the reasons WHY you have an unproductive mood.

89.

Then make a plan to eliminate those reasons (you might need to get out of your comfort zone, and that’s great).

90.

Write a letter to your future self (hint – it’s great for your mental health).

91.

If you’re religious, read your holy book.

92.

Decide on your goals and create a plan to achieve them.

93.

Write down your “perfect self” statement and what you need to do to make it real.

94.

Read the quotes of successful and inspiring people.

95.

Create a vision board with things that boost your motivation.

96.

Create a mindset journal (or a bullet journal, or anxiety tracker, or depression diary…).

97.

Create your morning and evening routines.

98.

Write down a “Need to stop doing this” list.

99.

Read the next article on this Blog.

 

BONUS: 15 Fun And Not Necessarily Productive Things To Do When Bored

 

These are for those who got bored just by reading this list (I’m sorry if you did!).

If you have more spare time and look for more entertaining things to do when bored, try these:

1.

Play video games.

2.

Watch your favorite childhood movie.

3.

Visit a pool for a fun swimming session.

4.

Go get a massage, Mani, Pedi, or SPA treatment.

5.

Install a fun app on your phone and chill with it on a couch.

6.

Call your best friend.

7.

Try a make-up tutorial.

8.

Buy your favorite meal or dessert and enjoy it 100%.

9.

Try adult coloring books.

10.

Watch funny cat videos (always works).

11.

Take the bubbliest bath you can create.

12.

Plan and go on a picnic.

13.

Play on a piano keyboard.

14.

Play with your pet (it’s a fun way to make your dog or cat extra happy!).

15.

DIY something beautiful.

And… That’s it!

I hope you found a lot of productive things to do when bored and it will turn your boredom into something good, productive, and positive.

Some of these activities are also really good habits to adopt.

Need more ideas?

Try these 9 Things To Do By Yourself Without Spending Money too.

Shared by Amber at shinesheets.com

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