Have you ever felt empty, unmotivated, and purposeless? It sucks to feel that way, doesn’t it?
Sure, it does.
That’s exactly what boredom is. It’s a draining feeling that suddenly makes you lack interest in work and other activities around you. In worst cases, you might also display unsettling feelings like nervousness, apathy, jittery, and frustration.
Believe it or not, if not addressed, endless boredom has many nasty side effects. First, you become seriously unproductive. Secondly, you fail to respond to important signals like road sign hazards thereby endangering your life. Also, you might become a victim of frequent depression and anxiety attacks.
Enough doom and gloom. Let’s talk about practical solutions to combating boredom.
Better things you can do when you bored
When feeling hopeless and unmotivated at home or at work, try the following activities:
Email Management
1. Read Unread emails
In this age of email marketing, you are bombarded with both solicited and unsolicited emails daily. The truth is, not all of them are about the much-hyped tummy trimmer solution or male enhancement products. Some are gold-possibly an opportunity you’ve been looking for. So whenever you feel down and unmotivated, remember to scroll through your mailboxes.
2. Clean your spam folder
While you are checking your email, it’s worth it to check the spam folder. Some good emails are sent there if the server doesn’t trust the source or links within it. Once you are done, clear the spam folder and save yourself the trouble of hiring someone to organize your mailboxes.
There’s more to be done with your mailboxes than you imagine. Take time to reply to some emails (mostly from friends, family, and potential employers). If you are done, set up some email folders for ease of access next time. Lastly, unsubscribe from sources you dim unfit so they don’t trash your email again.
Professional enhancement
1. Read books
Reading doesn’t need processing. It doesn’t require a lot of effort. You simply pick a favorite book-fiction or nonfiction-and sink yourself into it. And the best part about this is that you improve your brain function instead of letting boredom bottleneck it.
Admittedly, it can be really tough to read from places that trigger boredom. If this becomes the case, find a real book and visit the nearest park, and read it from there. By the way, PDF Drive is a great place to get any book for free.
2. Meditate
There are so many stress triggers. It could be work, financial, or family problems. No matter what you are going through, meditation can provide the much-needed reprieve.
3. Listen to audiobooks
So you can’t read when bored? No problem. It’s common amongst many folks. The easiest way out is to listen to an audiobook. Even if you sleep midway, it’s better than entertaining boredom thoughts. To make your listening experience adventurous, download the audiobook, plug it in your phone or car stereo and go out into the full embrace of nature.
4. Learn something new
There are many things out here that you can do when bored. Some of them don’t even require you to possess special skills. For instance, you can learn how to make simple graphics in Canva, edit videos in Filmora or any other preferable software, do some coding, or learn some of the computer shortcuts that could make your working life easier.
Whenever you feel stuck, remember that Google and YouTube (most of the time) have all the answers you are looking for.
5. Do some R & D
Whether you work from home or at a company office, it’s possible you work with some tools. Instead of bumming around and feeling useless, it might be worth it to research similar tools to what you use. You could bump into a great option that you never knew existed.
6. Watch motivational clips
It’s okay to spend all day gaming when you are bored. Research indicates that like reading, gaming too can prevent early-onset Alzheimer’s. But instead of gaming or streaming YouTube all day, you can watch motivational videos. These can be so powerful in giving you some renewed sense of direction.
Motivational clips don’t have to be about the richest or famous people. It’s all about what makes you tick. This could be a compilation of the most opulent buildings, cars, cities, or products. Once you feel motivated enough, take that chance to jot down a few goals or milestones that should be accomplished in your career.
Organize/clean your gadgets
1. Delete useless files
Full disclosure; we have all downloaded files that we needed for a temporary project. Some of them were as big as 10+GB. Crazy thing is, they are still on our computers. And possibly in plenty.
Deleting such files is truly a good use of your time. Freeing some space in your computer not only speeds it up but creates new space for current tasks as well.
2. Update old software
Slow processing, unexpected program stops, and other computer problems could result because of old software. We know, not everyone is techy. But guess what, some simple computer glitches can be fixed through frequent updates. If your PC is ever set on Auto-update, then you might want to ignore this tip.
3. Clean your devices
Could you do us a favor? Look at your phone, desktop, or laptop. How clean are they? Can you see some dust specs? When did you last clean them? Whenever you feel bored, grab an electronic cleaner and a soft wipe and get those dust specs off your devices. Your workplace tools need to stay in pristine condition always.
4. Organize your files
Take a good look at your computer. Do you know where your work documents are? If you are asked to share some of your recent photos, can you pull them up in under a minute? Where exactly are your movies stashed? Too much disorderliness. Don’t worry. You are not alone.
When you feel like doing nothing, try to organize your computer files so you can become a productive individual.
It’s okay to relax
1. Take the day off
Are you the kind of person whose brain shuts down when bored? If that’s the case then most of the approaches we have highlighted so far could be unhelpful. Here is what can help; taking the day off.
Yes…yes, we know that sounds counterproductive but for a faster battery recharge, most devices need to be off for a while. It’s the same for human beings. If you are mentally drained, then a good rest can resharpen your focus.
2. Go for a walk
An idle mind-especially one that is bored-can be a horrific workshop. The darkest sides of boredom have led people into indulging in drug addiction, compulsive gambling, eating disorders, alcoholism, and heaven knows what else. The best alternative is to take a walk. Explore terrains you have never before. Walking is productive as a form of exercise.
For those constrained with office jobs, walk around the town or explore offices next to yours.
3. Drink water and eat healthy meals
It’s important to hydrate. A tired and bored body can be easily rejuvenated through hydration and eating proper meals. You can use the remaining part of the day to cook some new recipes.
Do some brain training exercises?
1. Memorize things
Memory is such a powerful tool. When was the last time you memorized a poem, a new number, or some vocabulary? Walk around the house or office with a paper of things you deem worth memorizing.
2. Solve Sudoku puzzles
Why let your brain cells die when there are plenty of sudokus that you can solve. More importantly, solving puzzles helps to improve both memory and thinking skills.
3. Solve simple math
Exercising your brain muscle is just as important as shutting it down during sleep. There are multiple ways you can entertain your brain. For instance, you can solve simple math without a calculator or write using your other hand.
4. Write a journal
Jot down all those streams of thoughts flowing through your mind. Go a step further and ask yourself why you feel the way you do and how you can get through it. This approach can help you to fully recognize what’s going on in your mind. It’s also a great way to relieve stress.
Exercise proper self-care
1. Make new friends
You are not an island. We all need someone to lean on. Talk to. And enjoy a good time with. Don’t say you are an introvert. There are introverts out there like you who could complement your personality. You just need to stretch your hand and the right person will connect.
2. Plan for your weekend
Boredom reminds us that we are insatiable beings. Nothing will ever be enough. We must go out of the house or office for a refreshing time. When you feel down and unmotivated, start making plans for your weekend so you can have a fulfilling time.
3. Listen to music
Music is relaxing. It’s one of the best medicines for the soul. So whenever you get a chance, get that stereo blaring. If you can dance, we promise you, there’s no way boredom will catch up with you.
Plan ahead
1. Draft a list of travel destinations
Looking forward to something great can help you get through a boring day. Instead of drifting through the day, you can as well take a note and research amazing travel destinations. You actually don’t need to be traveling the next day or week. It’s all about making every day count.
2. Scout new opportunities
We know one of your deepest desires is to progress in life. That can mean getting a new house, a new car, expanding your real estate, and other ventures. However, if your current job is not streaming in enough capital, then you need to think of a better plan.
There’s no better time to look for new opportunities than when bored. Send those warm and cold pitches. Peruse through work from home job boards to see if there are any opportunities worth pursuing.
3. Plan on how to clear your debts
Do you have loans that need to be paid? Is your repayment plan solid? If there is no order in the way you pay your debts, how about you create a good plan on the days when you feel unproductive?
Wrapping it all up
The list of productive things to do when bored is pretty much endless. There’s certainly a place in your house that hasn’t seen a mop or broom. When was the last time you dusted your windows? Is your store well organized? How about the garage? You see; there are many of them.
If you feel like doing nothing, then it’s best to bond with your family members or friends. Make those calls and ask people how they are doing. Who knows, maybe that one day you get bored is a way of nature trying to pull you from your busy schedule so you can reconnect with long-time buddies.
Feeling down should never curtail you from achieving your goals in life. Everything is possible. So bid adieu to boredom and say hello to a bountifully fulfilling life.
