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Five Methods:Entertaining Yourself OnlineDoing Hobbies and CraftsTrying Other ActivitiesMaking Food and DrinksPlaying Games

Ever been sitting around one day wondering what to do? There are all kinds of activities you may not have considered. Whether you feel like relaxing at home or having an exciting time with friends, there are a hundred different ways to break out of a boring mood.

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Method 1 of 5: Entertaining Yourself Online

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    Play online games. The internet is full of free online games. Visit trustworthy websites with large collections, such as Kongregate, Armor Games, or MoFunZone.
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    Read webcomics. Thousands of artists put comics online for free, and many of them have archives going back for years. Use collections like Top Web Comics or The Web Comic List to browse the top-rated webcomics, or search the collection for topics you enjoy.
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    Watch videos. YouTube puts together massive playlists for people to browse, from music to sports to miscellaneous recommended videos. Hulu.com and Netflix.com have large collections of full-length movies and television shows, and depending on your region, you might be able to watch some of them for free or sign up for a free trial.
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    Find time wasting websites. If you have a lot of time and have no idea where to go, find sites dedicated to lists of ideas and entertainment. Visit Urban75, or take a tour of the internet on The Useless Web or StumbleUpon.

Method 2 of 5: Doing Hobbies and Crafts

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    Do a science experiment. Mess around with ingredients in your kitchen or basement to make a bouncing egg, colored milk swirls, and other strange, fun projects. Sites like ScienceBob also have large collections of these activities.
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    Learn to juggle, paint, or sing. If you can find something new to focus on, this could keep you entertained for many boring days in the future. Learn to juggle, get started in woodworking, knit, paint, practice your singing, or ask a friend to teach you one of his hobbies.
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    Make your own cartoon, decorations, or other art projects for cheap. Look around for art supplies, scraps of fabric, or any small objects you can improvise with to make an art project. This can be a fun way to pass the time, and you might end up with a new decoration.
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    Create art out of food. You can make art with nothing but a knife and a piece of fruit. It's possible to make astonishing artwork this way, but still easy for anyone to fool around with when bored. Add toothpicks, stick on raisins using peanut butter, or improvise with other kitchen objects.
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    Create something amazing. From designing a laser show to making a firefly jar to creating a galaxy shirt, there are all kinds of original projects that you can do within a day if you find the materials. If these examples don't spark your interest, try browsing other wikiHow articles or Pinterest.
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    Stock up on materials for the next time you're bored. If you are often bored looking for something to do at home, take some time to pick out some arts and crafts supplies. You don't need to devote yourself to perfecting a new hobby, although you certainly can. Just try out a few different crafts, such as pottery or bead jewelry, until you find one that passes the time enjoyably.
    • If you are more interested in house improvement or "do it yourself" repairs, pick up a new skill such as carpentry or roof repair.

Method 3 of 5: Trying Other Activities

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    Plan an event. Even if none of your friends are available, you can organize an event to hold in the future. Deciding on activities, sending out invitations, and planning the snacks and decorations can keep you busy and entertained.
    • Host a chocolate tasting party and have your friends write evaluations of different chocolate bars. You can hold a party with a similar theme for any food or drink that comes in a wide variety of flavors.
    • Plan a tea party. Tea parties can involve a few adults chatting over afternoon snacks, or a crowd of kids playing dress up. Customize yours however you like.
    • Organize a soccer team or Nerf war.
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    Go for a hike, picnic, or run. Getting out of the house can often help get rid of boredom. Pack a few sandwiches and take a walk, hike, or bike ride. This may clear your head and stop you feeling stir crazy.
    • On a hike or other longer trip outdoors, try bringing a book to keep yourself entertained if you get tired or bored of physical activity. Leaving electronic entertainment devices behind is recommended, however, as they make it difficult to enjoy natural surroundings.
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    Exercise. Exercising may not be easy to start, but once you "get in the rhythm" you might start enjoying yourself, or at least be glad you're doing something instead of sitting around bored. If push-ups, sit-ups, and similar exercises bore you, try out a physical activity such as dancing, yoga, or running.
    • People who exercise with someone with a similar fitness level and similar fitness goals are more likely to enjoy themselves and stick to regular exercise.[1] If you don't know anyone nearby who is a good fit, try sharing your exercise plan with a more distant friend, or join an online fitness community.
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    Start a writing project. If you're interested in writing, but can't think of anything to write, try a freewrite or a stream of consciousness exercise. These might lead you to an idea for a more structured story, play, or poem. If you're stuck for ideas, try looking up writing prompts online. It may also help to challenge yourself to write a story with an artificial constraint, such as only using one syllable words.[2]
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    Entertain yourself online. Watch an online movie, browse video sharing sites for music or video entertainment, or search for free online games. If you prefer more productive entertainment, browse educational websites or Wikipedia, listen to lectures and debates, or follow the news. You could even write a wikiHow article like this one to share your knowledge with the world.
    • It's easy to keep browsing the same social media or checking your email without actually having fun. Try setting an alarm for 15 or 30 minutes after you start. If you haven't found anything fun to do by the time the alarm goes off, turn off the computer or phone and try another activity.
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    Try on clothes. Try on your whole wardrobe and find new mix and match combinations or old favorites. If you're bored by your current clothing collection, visit a thrift store or organize a clothing swap with friends.
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    Prevent small periods of boredom. If you become bored or restless when standing in line, waiting for a friend, or during other short periods of time when you can't find an activity, finding a distraction in a book or cell phone may not cure this problem. You could try regular meditation to get used to accepting inactivity — or even to make everything else seem interesting in comparison![3] Many people find the Buddhist tradition of mindfulness useful for overcoming boredom.

Method 4 of 5: Making Food and Drinks

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    Bake cookies or other simple desserts. Many people bake cookies when they're bored or stressed. You can find hundreds of cookie recipes online or in cookbooks, but there are other easy cooking projects to satisfy your sweet tooth and keep yourself entertained. Here are a few that you might be able to make with ingredients already in your kitchen:
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    Create edible glitter and other strange recipes. If you have the time to buy some ingredients, or you have plenty of cooking supplies, try a fancier recipe. Besides keeping you entertained, making homemade desserts can make you pretty popular with friends and family. If you're not excited by common desserts like apple pie, here are some creative ideas:
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    Create savory dishes. If you like cooking for fun, or have never tried it before, find a new recipe to experiment with. Flip through a cookbook or online recipe collection, or try one of the following:
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    Drink butterbeer or other nonalcoholic drinks. Mixing "mocktails" is a simple way to play with ingredients and create something everyone can enjoy. Here are a few ideas:

Method 5 of 5: Playing Games

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    Play a team sport or physical game. If you can get a whole group of friends together, try an outdoor game such as ultimate frisbee or red rover, or capture the flag.
    • If you enjoy spending time with people and frequently get bored and lonely on the weekends, try organizing a weekly sports club.
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    Play a game indoors. Find a game you can play with friends or family. Even if you don't have any board games or multiplayer video games, there are plenty of options:
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    Build a blanket fort. Use pillows and blankets to build a blanket fort over chairs, couches or beds. Invite a friend over to help you or to play inside it.
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    Use your imagination. If you enjoy imagination games, try creating an imaginary world or a new animal. This can be a silly project for an afternoon, or the beginning of a more involved fiction story or series of art pieces. For an imaginary activity that doesn't take any writing or drawing, pretend to spy on your family but do not intrude on people you do not know they might think you are crazy.
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Tips

  • If you have an outdoor pet, taking it for a walk or playing with it at a park is a great way to break out of a bored mood.
  • Write and direct a movie! Whether it is a stop motion, or a comedy, you'll have a blast and it will be a fun way to pass the time!

Related wikiHows

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Find Things to Do in a Boring Class

How to
Not Be Bored With Exercise

How to
Not Be Bored on wikiHow

How to
Be Interested in a Boring School Lesson

How to
Do What You Want

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.beliefnet.com/healthandhealing/getcontent.aspx?cid=44050
  2. ↑ http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~creativewriting/Prompts.php
  3. ↑ http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/articles/transcribed-talks/boredom/

Article Info

Categories: Boredom Busters

In other languages:

Español: Cómo no aburrirte cuando no tienes nada que hacer, Português: Como Não Ficar Entediado Quando Não Há Nada Para Fazer, Italiano: Come Evitare di Annoiarti Quando non hai Niente da Fare, Deutsch: Sich nicht Langweilen, wenn man nichts zu tun hat, Français: Comment ne pas vous ennuyer lorsque vous n'avez rien à faire, Русский: не скучать, когда вам нечем заняться, 中文: 在无所事事的时候不无聊, Bahasa Indonesia: Menghindari Menjadi Bosan Ketika Anda Tidak Punya Apapun untuk Dilakukan

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