How to Fight Boredom at Home

What to do when you are bored? Then take a look at our 10 tips, which can each help to banish boredom from your life. Afterwards, there is still time to learn more about the phenomenon of boredom and how to make it work to your advantage.

10 original ideas for your leisure time

1. Keep a Journal

Writing offers much more advantages than we might assume at first. Keeping a journal is a great way of learning to express yourself better by putting your thoughts on paper.

Writing your problems down in a diary is incredibly liberating, almost like a form of therapy. By honestly dealing with ourselves, our self-knowledge and ability to solve problems are greatly improved.

Through regularly writing about our thoughts, feelings and personal experiences, we are opening up new paths, which also contributes to a more conscious ability to shape the course of our life.

A diary can also function as a chronicle of your life. What you write becomes a reminder and can bring moods and feelings back to life.

However, if you're not ready to write about yourself, you can also invent stories and write them down. The advantage of this is that you always have control over how the story and the characters evolve.

2. Star Gazing

Star gazing is not a new trend. People have always been fascinated by the heaven and its glittering stars. Unfortunately, the light pollution of many cities today makes it increasingly difficult to enjoy the nocturnal bodies above us.

Nevertheless, you can also learn to recognize different star constellations without a telescope. In your local library, you can get books on astronomy or sky observation to get an idea of ​​what you will see. On the Internet, you can also search for a star map to find out what constellations can be seen at what time of the year.

You can watch stars by yourself, but if you invite your friends or family to join you it can be fun. Sitting on the terrace or in the garden at home with friends lying on a blanket and looking up into the starry sky at night is a wonderful way to spend an evening.

If you use simple constellations like the Plough as your starting point, you can find other constellations from there. And very important: Watch out for shooting stars! Don’t forget to make a wish when you see one. You never know whether your wish will come true or not, so better safe than sorry!

3. Puppet Theatre

The beauty of this hobby is that you can let your imagination run wild. Contrary to popular opinion, puppetry is not just for children. Even adults can enjoy pieces with complex and profound themes.

It is a hobby that is highly creative. After all, everything can be thought out, designed and perfected. In addition, entertainment and interaction with the audience makes the puppet theatre very special. For sure your friends and relatives will be enthusiastic about your performances and will be happy to attend.

4. Make Jewellery

With a little skill you can make rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings for yourself or for giving to friends and family as gifts. Home-made jewellery offers a lot of room for individuality and creativity. There are no limits to your imagination either in the design or in the materials. So from now on you will always have the right jewellery for every occasion!

You can buy everything you need, like wire and beads in different colours and shapes, either from a local craft store or by ordering online. You can also use natural materials (shells, feathers, flowers etc.), which will make your creations really eye-catching!

If you want to improve your jewellery-making skills then you can take a look at some of the many video tutorials on the Internet or take a course in a local community or arts centre.

5. Explore your Family Tree

Exploring your own family history is not only fun, but also incredibly interesting. Preserving the memories of those who are still alive and exchanging information with relatives are important aspects of family research. You will be amazed at what stories come to light!

In order to present the data you find, you have countless possibilities. On the Internet, you will find any number of templates for family trees that you can use to enter the names and birth and death dates of your ancestors.

If you want, you can also take pictures of relatives or photos of old heirlooms and add them along with explanatory texts. This will make your family tree a true history book for future generations!

On the net, you can also find various types of information. Articles from the time which report on the events of the day, as well as all kinds of official documents, such as marriage certificates, are now available on the Internet. In addition, you can register with websites which specialise in genealogical research.

6. Scrapbooking

In the past, children collected small stickers and pictures, which they stuck in so-called scrap-books or sticker albums and also exchanged with other kids. These scrapbooks were their favorite possession and were jealously guarded.

Just as in fashion, where trends always return, there is also a big comeback with the sticker or scrap-book phenomenon. The principle remains the same: You collect pictures, photos, cut-outs, etc., which have a special meaning for you, and stick them into an album. You can then write small descriptions or make drawings. Also the album itself is decorated with colourful paper, fabrics, flowers and anything else you can think of!

Scrapbooks are a great way to remind you of the wonderful times of your life. For example, you can make a scrapbook about a special friendship, a holiday or even your school years.

Even if you are artistically not so gifted, there are countless possibilities and ways to embellish your album. When it's done, you can even give it away, or you can keep it as a reminder of times past.

7. Crafting

Handicrafts promote creativity, fine motor skills, concentration and endurance, not only in children, but also in adults. Even simple cutting exercises will improve both the hand muscles and also our hand-eye coordination.

In addition, crafts are fun and you can be proud of the results, which also boosts your confidence in your skills. To create imaginative decorations for the house and the garden is just one of the advantages that crafting can bring.

The possibilities are almost infinite. There are countless different techniques and materials with which you can wonderfully pass the time. One particularly interesting idea you may not be familiar with, is making papier-mache masks. This craft is not only extremely creative, it is also an excellent way to recycle old newspapers and magazines!

Origami, the art of paper folding, is gaining more and more fans from all over the world. By folding mostly square paper sheets, objects such as animals, objects or geometric bodies are created. Just because of its variety, Origami is a great way to fight boredom at home.

8. Wood Carving

Wood carving is a fantastic hobby which allows you to explore your ingenuity and imagination.  All you need to get started is a knife and a piece of soft wood; Then you can let your creativity run wild. If the objects appear to be too heavy or clumsily made at first, you can also start carving patterns.

Maybe you even want to paint your finished work of art? With the right colour, you can highlight certain details. When your hands are busy, you can let your thoughts wander. Just think of nothing, it’s incredibly liberating!

9. Homesteading

The concept of homesteading is an autonomous way of life, in which you provide for yourself, kind of like the old tv show ‘The Good Life’. Homesteading can include a wide range of activities, such as the preservation of food, the production of cheese or wine, the harnessing of wind and solar energy for power, the production of textiles and crafts for home use and much more.

You do not have to go to the country, because homesteading is not defined by where you live. Instead, it is a lifestyle. Even in your own home in the city you can try some homesteading practices. Maybe you want to start off by making jam, growing fruit and vegetables, or baking your own bread. A small vegetable or herb garden can also be laid out on the balcony of your apartment.

Today we know the importance of a healthy, environmentally-friendly life. However, everyday stress and the constant time-pressures o we are exposed do not always make it easy for us to adopt a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Homesteading is a very interesting way to start slowly.

10. Learn card / magic tricks

How often did you see a card or magic trick and asked yourself how it works? Now you have the chance to find out!

Optical illusions are so fascinating because they play with our perception and trick our minds. Even with very simple illusions you can amaze your fellow human beings. For the most part you don’t even need any special equipment. With coins and cards, countless tricks for beginners and advanced players can be carried out. Haven’t we all got a set of cards somewhere?

On the Internet, you can find numerous tutorials, showing you exactly how to perform a certain trick. Even if it does not work out right away, remember, practice makes perfect! Who knows, maybe you will be the big star of the next party you go to?

We hope that you have found our suggestions helpful and will at least try out some of these hobbies! And if you want to know more about boredom, you should definitely read on!

Why do we get bored?

In order to permanently overcome boredom, we must first find out why we are bored. Researchers have found that boredom usually has one of these five causes.

1. Extreme Procrastination

At this point, we are not referring to putting off an onerous task, but to an unnecessary postponement or a frequent interruption of work that you need to get done.

Do you also belong to that group of people who postpone boring tasks for as long as possible? Or are you bored, just BECAUSE you are delaying your duties?

Often we are looking for other activities so that we can delay getting on with the task at hand. Unfortunately, these alternatives are usually even more boring than the one we are trying to escape from! There is also a guilty conscience to deal with because we’re not doing the work that we should be doing.

You can read more below about how to use boredom to end procrastination.

2. Lack of Energy

Boredom can’t be equated with exhaustion, but sometimes we have to do things in life which are particularly monotonous. A monotonous situation is often tiring and can in turn lead to boredom.

For example, if you are forced to sit for an extended period, try to move. If you have been doing a routine activity all day, try to do something creative. You will quickly see what kind of energy boost you get!

3. Gaps in the Calendar

Even if we are particularly busy, it may well happen that our schedule changes in the short term. When this happens, we suddenly have free time which we didn’t expect. Now is the time for Plan B to kick into gear. Your meeting was postponed by half an hour? Use the minutes to do smaller tasks, which you have always put off due to not having time. This way boredom can’t even sneak into your life.

This does not mean, however, that you always have to fill your cancelled appointments with alternatives. Sometimes it’s quite nice to just sit back and relax. A few minutes to gather your thoughts before a meeting can bring about miracles!

4. External Factors

Time can seem to slow down when we have to spend our time waiting for something. While we are waiting, we experience the time until the arrival of the person we’re waiting for or the train or the doctor as a useless waster of our valuable time. In addition, throw in the impatience factor to make it even worse.

It can easily happen that we are stuck waiting for a long time time at the doctor’s, hairdresser’s or office, during a long flight or train ride. All of these are things which force us into idleness. To be prepared for such situations is the way to bring the fight to boredom!

Make sure you have something to read, or a notebook or headphones; anything to help to pass the time. Or how about making those phone calls you’ve been putting off for weeks? This is how you hit two birds with one stone. In addition, you get to enjoy that happy feeling of knowing that something has been removed from your "To-Do" list!

5. Lack of Motivation

Do you lack the necessary motivation to eliminate boredom? Doing nothing is often like a vicious cycle. The less we do, the less motivation we feel to get up to tackle something from that ever-lengthening list.

Speaking of which, a helpful trick is to start writing a list. Putting your tasks and aspirations down on paper can really help to focus the mind and let you know what you need to do. You will realize quickly which ideas or plans you are most passionate about!

How do we spend our free time?

The American Bureau of Labour Statistics regularly conducts surveys among the American population to analyse the behaviour of citizens. In the study published in December 2016, Americans aged over 18 were questioned about how they usually spend their leisure time after a working day.

The results for an average day are not particularly surprising and reaffirm the results of studies conducted in other developed countries. After a busy day, most of us turn into coach potatoes. Television (78%), surfing the Internet (75%) and reading (52%) are the most popular leisure activities.

38% of the interviewees like to work in the garden and 29% do sports in order to relax after their daily working day is done. 27% of respondents quoted playing video games as their preferred hobby.

Other leisure activities include going to the cinema, theatre, and concerts, plus reading books. 18% of the respondents said they regularly visited cultural events. For one-tenth of the population, leisure equates to relaxation: simply consciously doing nothing and letting your mind go, this is their idea of a perfect evening.

But what happens when these activities are no longer enough for us to enjoy our free time without boredom striking?

3 Steps to Fight Boredom!

Unfortunately we have no secret recipe against boredom. However, there are some simple steps you can follow to get the most out of a dull situation. You can also use our tips to prevent future boredom!

1. Focus!

Instead of scurrying indiscriminately from one thing to the next, try to concentrate on what really matters to you. This is perhaps easier said than done, but you wouldn’t even believe how helpful it can be!

Sometimes the problem is  that we just don’t know what to do with our leisure time. We are so stressed out in everyday life that we do not even think about what we want to do when we have fulfilled our obligations.

What would you enjoy? Take the time and think in peace to find out how you can use your time meaningfully. If you want, you can even make a list and write down all the activities that might interest you.

2. Enough with the Procrastination!

Boredom can sometimes be quite useful. Often, it gives us the necessary energy boost to get us in a frame of mind to be able to tackle things we’ve been putting off for ages. So the next time you are feeling bored, use this energy to cross something off your "To Do" list, something you have always wanted to do, but have never gotten around to.

For example, you could start with that project you've talked about lately, but that you keep putting off.

3. Enjoy the Boredom!

If none of the above steps works for you, then try a completely different approach. Do not be bored with boredom, but learn to enjoy it instead!

Despite the generally accepted view, we do not have to constantly be doing something to make us feel useful. In fact, various studies have shown that we are even more productive when we occasionally take time out to recover. So, without getting a guilty conscience, take the time to relax. You'll soon realize how much better you feel. In addition, you can then face upcoming challenges with renewed energy.

Boredom as an incentive to change your life!

With our ever-growing "to-do" lists and the numerous technological gadgets available to us, it can seem like boredom is not an option.

Boredom can be a bad thing in general, but it can also have positive sides. For many people, boredom gives them the impetus they need to start something new. Therefore, we should start to see boredom as an opportunity as well as a trial! Let’s look at some of the opportunities which boredom can offer us:

1. To be more creative

Various studies have shown that boredom stimulates the mind. In particularly barren situations, we let our thoughts wander freely and will become especially inventive in order to pass the time. You will be surprised, but boredom can lead to our most original and creative ideas!

2. To be more productive

Contrary to the widespread belief that someone who always has their head in the clouds is not able to carry out work successfully, psychologists have now found that daydreams have absolutely no negative influence on our ability to cope with a task. Rather, it helps us to better deal with challenges we face.

3. To be more goal-oriented

Studies on behavioural research prove that we often start daydreaming when we feel bored. This often has the by-product of leading us to tackle our life planning. Most people use the time to start planning their daily activities or even future goals.

4. To notice whether something is wrong

Boredom is a warning sign. We are supposed to be bored when we are doing something we don’t want to do. Or even if we are in a certain place, while we really wish we were somewhere else. To be aware of this situation helps us to create the necessary motivation to change something and overcome boredom.

5. To be a better person

When we get bored, it is usually harder for us to perceive a deeper meaning in our everyday activities, and we can come to believe that whatever has brought us to this state of mind has been a waste of time. However, as we have seen, this feeling can lead us to engage in charitable work to give meaning to our lives. We help not only others but also ourselves.

In his book "The Conquest of Happiness" the respected philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote that we are less bored compared to our ancestors, but we are more afraid of boredom. Man believes that boredom is not a part of his nature, and can be avoided by a sufficiently strong striving for excitement.

Russell, however, felt that too much excitement in life can be very tiring. As time goes on, they can even make any type of pleasure seem dull to us. So, in fact, he was firmly convinced that boredom could be the key to happiness! So when you get bored the next time, keep all these advantages in the back of your mind. Perhaps you stand on the brink of a fuller and more rewarding life!

Sources:

bls.gov
lifehack.org
psychologytoday.com
seele-und-gesundheit.de
wisebread.com