Bored to death? Time is a gift! Use it wisely. Boredom is what one doesn’t do. Here is a list of online stuff to do when bored if you have spare time. The world is your oyster!
Art: There is nothing like visiting an art gallery and enjoying the ambience while you peruse creative works, but if a trip to the art gallery is out of the question, then go online and search for images of art you like. Explore and learn more about your favourite artists, their lives and what influenced their work. The art pieces you see are often just the tip of the iceberg, below which you will find far more depth in the life stories of those who created the inspirational works. Acquire art and support artists who can struggle to make a living from their work.
Book List: Start a list of books you would like to read. A list prevents you from wasting money buying unread books on your shelf. Be strategic. Buy one book at a time, and when you’ve read it, you can reward yourself by purchasing the next one. Maybe think about buying e-books or borrowing books through your local library. You can always buy a hard copy if it is one of those rare books you want to keep and will refer to in the future. Want the best price? Try www.booko.com.au. This website will search the world and give you the best price (including delivery) on new and used books and DVDs. Read or listen to an e-book.
Bucket List: Write a list of what you would like to do before kicking the bucket one day (hopefully not for a long time!). This helps ensure that when your lights go out one day, hopefully in the distant future, you die without regret. Keep a comprehensive list of easily achievable activities. Regularly ensure you add items to the list and cross them off as you achieve them. Include your big dream ideas! You only live once. Be silly and creative, but nothing illegal, naturally. Unless going to jail is on your bucket list? I certainly hope not.
Chess: Join our online chess group (ICON: iflow Chess Online Network). Find us on Facebook and request access. This group is growing in numbers and provides a platform for members to engage in social games of chess and develop their skills.
Do List: Keeping a Do List can eliminate worry about forgetting to do something. Recording activities you need to remember helps externalise your thoughts, have less on your mind, and even become more organised and efficient. Never let the list become your master. Balance the Do List with your motivation and mood on the day and maintain spontaneity in your life.
Events: Even if you are not ready to celebrate, start planning. Planning an event is half the fun! Make a list of who you would invite, possible venues, themes, music, decorations, and items for your menu. Planning will help ensure you get more enjoyment from the event.
Find your Flow! Each of us needs to find our flow activity or activities. These are activities we find intrinsically rewarding. When we engage in flow activities, we lose track of time and have a laser focus. These activities are undertaken, at least initially, for no purpose except that you enjoy them. The more you engage in flow activities, the more you gain skills. As you gain skills, you pursue increased challenges, and vice versa. Think about activities you enjoyed in childhood. Start by searching online for subjects that interest you, such as sports, music, arts, crafts, cooking, car maintenance, etc. The list is endless. Explore, make lists, and start engaging in your flow.
Goals: Think about short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. Time spent thinking and planning the future is helpful. Keep this planning intentional so we are not just engaged in worry about the future. Think about things you want to do, try, see, taste, feel, smell, experience, achieve, and so on. Use DUMB goals! Dream-Driven, Uplifting, Method-Friendly and Behaviour-Driven.
Gratitude list. We have so much to appreciate and for which we are grateful. Gratitude is associated with positive mental health. So often, we dwell on what we do not have rather than appreciate what we do have. Adopt an attitude of gratitude! Be thankful for your health, for having a roof over your head, for having fresh, drinkable water, for shelter from the cold in winter and the heat in summer, for having an abundance of food available, for the fresh air we breathe, and so on. Thank you also for reading this blog!
Homework: Oh! That word! We should ban it from our vocabulary. Why does learning have to be work? It should be called home-learning or even home-growth. When something feels like work, it becomes aversive. Reframe the experience. Approach your learning at home as a growth experience. If you must do it, you might as well enjoy it, right!? I know this sounds crazy to many, but our attitude when approaching a task can change the whole experience. A positive attitude will also enhance learning and creativity. Avoid procrastination, as this ultimately makes tasks more aversive. Embrace your learning and stay ahead. It will be a far more positive experience.
Invest: Now, playing the stock market can be like gambling. It can be addictive for those who love numbers, graphs, trends, and risk. Start using systems that offer play credits, so you are not investing real money and see how you go. If you decide to venture into real investments, then you act alone! We take no responsibility for any losses but are open to donations if you become filthy rich!
Journaling: Journaling is not recording what you have done each day. A journal is an important tool for survival but needs to be used positively and creatively Record the three G’s. Write down your Goals, things you are grateful for, and acts of Giving you have or will undertake. If you need to externalise pain points, write them down on something you will delete or destroy - that way, you never have to be reminded of your pain points. Leave the suffering behind.
Kindness: Be kind. Think about donating your time or skills to a good cause. If you do not have time to volunteer for something, reach out to people and share words of kindness. Tell your friends about how much you appreciate them or something they have done for you. Remind members of your family you love them. Share posts to make someone laugh. It just improves the world and is good for everyone’s mental health. Watch videos or read stories on random acts of kindness. It is often inspiring to see the unconditional goodwill people can display. Nothing more wonderful than seeing humans save wildlife rather than destroying it.
Learning: Have you ever dreamed about learning a new skill or gaining knowledge in a specific area? There is a world of knowledge at your fingertips. Just start googling. Be careful of where you source your information, though. Check the qualifications of individuals sharing knowledge and accessing information from reputable organisations. In this era of rampant misinformation, too many lounge chair experts share uninformed views. Remember the sayings: ‘Empty buckets make the most noise’ and ‘Shallow brooks are noisy.’ Check your sources.
Music: Listen to music online and try an app like Spotify. When you hear songs you love, save them to your favourite playlist. While relaxing, develop your playlist of favourite music tracks, or multitask and do it while working.
Network: Explore your existing networks and reconnect with people you might not have had contact with for a while. Explore new connections through social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. We all need connections. Don’t be afraid to reach out and share.
Object, obstruct, offend! Just kidding. Don’t be a troll! Why waste time being negative, hurtful, and expressing anger? Trolling is the act of poisoning the world, you included. It can have devastating consequences on others. It just isn’t healthy, appropriate, or justified. Sure! Express your opinion if you need to, as that is our freedom in a democracy, but express your opinions and debate topics respectfully. Different perspectives, ideas and viewpoints are healthy as long as they are not too extreme or pose harm to others.
Planning: Once you have listed your goals, you need to do some planning. How will you achieve your goals? Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) Goals, that’s right. DUMB goals are great for the initial goal formulation, but SMART goals will be useful to provide a more concrete pathway to achieve your dreams.
Quotes: If you are looking for inspiration, try searching for quotes. Pinterest can be a good place to start by looking for memes. Create your noticeboards to save images and memes for later reference. Quotes that contain wisdom tend to survive the test of time and are shared because of their inherent value.
Recipes: There is no time like the present to clean up your recipes and go digital! Download, scan, and type up your recipes. This will save space, make them easier to access, and allow you to add notes. When it is time to relinquish your family’s top-secret recipe, you can share it with your loved ones through the cloud.
Resume: Nothing is worse than deciding you want to change jobs, and before you can even start applying, you have to update your resume. Make it easier by using your free time to stay ahead and regularly update your resume so when you are ready for the big vocational move, you lighten your load.
Research: Are you thinking about your next project or purchase? Do some research online. Explore the range of products and services available. Learn, take notes, download images, and optimise your planning to get the most out of your project or purchase. This is, however, not an endorsement of retail therapy.
Scrapbook: Think about creating a digital scrapbook where you collect images you enjoy or appreciate. This is a great mindfulness exercise. It can bring you joy and inspiration. Other people have travelled the world, endured challenging conditions, or been in the right place at the right time to bring those moments of awe to our screens in the comfort of our own homes. Enjoy! We get the view without frostbite, sunburn or snakebite!
Track your daily life: No, please don’t. I have never seen the point of this self-indulgent exercise. Why waste time recording past events when you miss the present moment? Unless you have an incredibly interesting life and intend to publish an autobiography one day, writing a daily report on your life seems obsessive and meaningless. Convince me otherwise! I am always open to ideas.
Unclutter: We all gather paperwork that we never look at or use. Now is the time to sort through it all. Grab some papers and sort them into four piles: shred, recycle, recycle, scan or file. Shred any files that contain confidential information. Recycle all shredded and non-confidential information to help sustain our environment. Scan as much as possible or find the information online and download it into a file. Keep items where it is necessary to keep the original, such as birth certificates, qualifications, etc. Once you are finished, your new problem will be what to do with the newly acquired space!
Do you need to keep hard copies of items like theatre programs, ticket stubs, travel brochures, love letters, and so on? Unless you are keeping items for sentimental reasons or as a collector's item, consider taking photos of them and saving the images. A word of caution, though: Check with your partner before throwing out love letters. We don’t want that suggestion to end in tears!
Regarding children’s artwork, I am conflicted. Being a sentimentalist and an obsessive-compulsive puritan, I am not yet convinced a digital copy of art cuts the mustard. If you can cope with a digital copy and the artist is not going to be offended, then this is a great way to save space. I will keep my drawer full of my children’s artwork and cards from when they were little. That's irreplaceable!
It's time to sort through all that other clutter, too! Get organised. Tackle one cupboard, drawer or section of a room at a time so it is not too overwhelming. Sort your items into five piles: keep, sell, donate, recycle, and bin. Then go online and sell your unwanted items of value through Gumtree, eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Make a few bucks and provide supplies for someone else’s retail therapy! An uncluttered desk, room, office, or house reflects an uncluttered mind.
Venture: You can start exploring and planning even if you cannot travel or attend events. Enjoy anticipatory excitement about your next trip or event by researching and exploring places you would like to visit and optimising the holiday experience. Don’t just travel straight to your destination. Plan an interesting route and some stops along the way and support regional businesses.
Work: Most of us have the privilege of work, so we must not forget to include that in this list. If you are bored, use that time to work and swap when you are supposed to be working but don’t feel motivated. If you are inspired to work in your time off, go online and smash it out so you can engage in recreation or relax later. Go with the flow!
X: That’s right, X (Cross it out! Delete!). Clean up your online files. Delete old and unnecessary files. Your computer will love you!
YouTube: My favourite life hack lately is going on YouTube and finding a live concert performance by a band I enjoy. I don’t have to sit and watch it like a documentary or movie. I can listen to the music, have a peek now and then, beat my bongo drum occasionally, and when I’m inspired, perform spontaneous, unchoreographed, and certainly uncoordinated dance moves without shame in the privacy of my home.
Zoom! Use video conferencing to go online and meet with your friends. Reach out to them and be adventurous. Have a theme, play trivia or Who Am I, sing, jam together if you are a musician, or orchestrate a virtual dance party!
Did You Try Our Online Stuff to Do When Bored and Still Bored to Death?
This list is just some enthusiastic ways to overcome boredom and activities you can do online to conquer boredom. We hope you are inspired by the list and venture forward enthusiastically to overcome boredom and use your time wisely.
If you still feel bored to death or your mood is low, or you feel lonely and unfulfilled, then call us for more help.
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(c) 2021 Dean Harrison