SELF MANAGEMENT - 10 Interesting things to do When you are Feeling Bored

Article by Saranya Nayak, May 23, 2013

‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ Ever heard of that saying? If you haven’t, you should know that idleness can be one of your worst enemies. A lot of people prefer to work as much as possible since they claim that doing nothing saps their energies faster than keeping busy. They are branded as workaholics. But do we stop to think about what they really mean? Test it, and you’ll see that its true. Boredom kills your drive to work, to push ahead, and to make best utilization of the time available to you. So never ever allow yourself to feel bored. Always try and find things worth doing. Here is a list of top 10 interesting things you can do when you are feeling bored. This is just to help you make a start. There are countless other activities which can help you find enjoyment and enrichment when the air feels dull.

10. Listen to Music

This is by far the most popular activity to kill boredom. And its popular because it always works. ALWAYS. Good music can pep you up like nothing else. The moment one song gets over, you feel like listening to another one, and then another, and then another…There are some songs which cause you to relive you certain events, some which make you think of certain people, and some which just remind you of other songs you just have to listen to ‘right now’! There’s nothing like music to make you forget everything else in the world, or recall everything at once, depending on how each song or tune makes you feel.  Music can release the most carefully pent up sorrows, unleash trance-like ecstasies, induce deep reflection and vanquish all anxiety as long as the rhythm beats along with your heart. So what’s boredom? It doesn’t stand a chance!

9. Google Interesting Facts

You don’t have to be a nerd to do this. No, it won’t increase your boredom, as many of you might have already decided after reading the subheading. It can get you hooked, if you search for something you really want to know. Come on, there are always things you want to know, like…some might want to know how to make a full fledged video montage, some would want to know which movie is releasing when, some one else might want to google the guitar chords for a song he or she wants to play, and still another may want to watch a documentary on the Challenger Deep. So utilize this free time to gain all the knowledge you want from the Internet. Its the easiest and most convenient portal there is. Maybe at the end of those few hours, you’ll end up making a sweet little video, pick up the song, know all about the latest film releases and assimilate intriguing facts about the ever-mysterious ocean bed! What are you waiting for? Boredom?

8. Shop

They say shopping can raise anyone’s spirits in a matter of minutes. I say they are right! New clothes, gifts for friends, chocolate boxes, shoes, jewellery, shades…the thought of all things new can immediately make your eyes light up! So if you’re feeling jobless, just pick up your wallet and head to the nearest shopping centre! Try selecting stores which are offering sales and discounts, as a 50% off poster can perk you up and fill you with instant shopping energy! Okay, what if the circumstances are such that you don’t have enough cash, or a card or you’re stuck somewhere where there’s no market within ten miles? Internet! How can you ever ignore this supreme innovation of technology? Check out all the shopping sites on the net and order anything you like. You can always pay on delivery. And even window shopping can help you pass the time before you know it!

7. Dress Up

This is a classic boredom-eliminating trick! All you need is a wardrobe full of clothes (they needn’t be your own), and success is guaranteed! Imagine you’re going to a masquerade ball or a beach party or a road trip and dress up as you would for the occasion. Its perfectly fine if you don’t have any  new clothes. Mix and match all your old ones to discover new colour combinations and accessorize differently. Maybe you’ll find a fantastic new get-up you’ve never tried before, and can flaunt it at the next real party! So pull out all you’re jeans, skirts, scarves, stoles, dresses, and jackets! Oh, and don’t forget shoes, accessories, eye make-up and new hairstyles! Go all out! You will love it, and forget feeling bored, you’ll want to do it everyday!

6. Observe

Stuck at an airport? Next flight is nine hours away? Not sleeping ’cause you’re scared someone might scoot off with your bags? Dying of idleness? Situation Understood. So…what interesting thing can you do which does not require closing your eyes, getting up from your seat or spending money? Don’t fret. All you have to do is look around. Literally, look around at everything and everyone around you! No, it’s not as boring as it sounds. It really isn’t if you concentrate on your surroundings and try to derive the best out of your observations. Play a game with yourself – observe the people around you and try to figure out all you can about them without talking to them – where they are from, what language they speak and even what kind of person they are. And if you want o, later, you can start a small chat with them to check whether your guesses were right or wrong! All great detectives are keen observers. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover your own investigative capabilities through this new pastime! And even if not, you will always find a few unusual people who are fun to watch, or maybe pick up new knowledge by listening in on a conversation. Oh come on, some eavesdropping doesn’t hurt, does it?

5. Click Interesting Photographs

Photography isn’t everyone’s forte, accepted, but there are not many people who dislike taking photographs! When you are handed a camera and entrusted with the responsibility of capturing beautiful moments, your eyes attain a whole new perspective. Your focus shifts from yourself to the world surrounding you – the sky, the water, the land, the darkness and the lights. Pressing the shutter button at the perfect moment is always a challenge, so let it engage your energies whenever you have a free moment!  You can take photographs of literally anything – seashells, salads, balloons, bathroom fittings…or you can specialize – wildlife photography, still life photography, or whatever other divisions there are, and mind you there are many! And if you like taking pictures of people, that’s a wonderful idea too, ’cause  most people love posing for photographs! And if you manage to take a few good snaps of those who don’t, they’ll start loving it, and you too! Once you get reasonably good at it, you can start a Facebook page called So-and-So Photography. Then just keep uploading photos and wait for hundreds of people to like your page! Boring? No way!

4. Take a Short Drive or a Bicycle Ride

A journey can never be boring, even if it’s a few minutes long. Because for those few minutes, it keeps your mind occupied with itself and the destination, and in between a few other pertinent thoughts in your mind swirl around. So if you’re bored, take out your car and drive through a beautiful street, go around the places you love, and the places  which hold endearing memories. If its evening, you can go out cycling – absorb the naked view of the lighted city streets, the people walking along pavements, birds flying back to their nests on the trees, and the sky changing colour, from blue to orange to purple to black. If you can’t drive or ride the bicycle, you can always take a walk down your favourite lanes or alleyways in the vicinity. Take in the sights and sounds of your quaint city neighborhoods  or vibrant village marketplaces. It will calm your mind if you are anxious, excite it if you are bored, or simply, provide the atmosphere for intense reflection. And you will comeback with your soul more contented than before.

3. Go Through Old Facebook Pictures or Photo Albums

Often, you are compelled to stay at home and going outdoors is not an option (especially if you’re sick). What do you do to occupy yourself when you can’t even get out of bed? Reading will be the most common answer. But we aren’t looking for common answers. And if you have already finished a book, you can’t start reading another one immediately. You need to give time for the first one to sink in. So what do you do in the meantime? Look to the Almighty – Internet! (what did you think?) Just open your Facebook account or your albums in My Pictures and start going through your photos – from the most recent ones right back to the first pictures you uploaded. You won’t even know when you start smiling at the screen, and the smile will only grow wider and wider as you keep flipping through albums of your own and your friends. If you don’t store your photos on the computer or upload them online, I’m sure you have those big dusty family photo albums on your book rack. Just pull those out and start turning the pages. You’ll be hooked within seconds! And priceless memories will be brought back alive once again!

2. Try Writing a Poem or a Song

This, for some people, is one of the most difficult things to do, and it can keep you occupied for hours, days even.  Rhyming two little lines seems like a piece of cake, but trust me its not easy when you need to write an entire song or poem. But its always a challenge to express what you feel in an aesthetic and appreciable manner, and it will make you feel like you’ve achieved great things even when you’re just half-way through your poem! And that’s exactly how you need to feel when you’re bored, to get rid of the dullness surrounding you. Engage your mind in something unusual and it will lead you to things even more interesting! If you’re done with your poem, try giving it a tune This is the fun part – you can compose your very own song – you don’t have to be a musical maestro to do it. All the jumbled up tunes and beats which flow through your mind at any moment can help you create a wonderful melody. Just stop and listen to yourself, and you will find the music in your soul!

1. Daydream

This one is so easy it’s not even funny! You don’t have to do anything at all, and it can take you to places which you can only imagine, well, literally! And that’s why it tops our list – it is the simplest and the most powerful trick to get rid of boredom. Your imagination can transport you to magical new places to which you’ve never been before, show you things you’ve never seen before and teach you the tricks to do everything you’ve ever wanted to do, in your mind! You can be whoever you want to be, wherever you want to be, and whenever you feel like it.  However mundane your daily life may seem to you, your daydreams will feel new and enchanting everyday, even if you dream the same things every time. SO dream on, and let your fantasies grow wild, let them inspire you, motivate you and drive you. Soon you will find yourself blessed with a wonderful reality.

Source: http://listdose.com