60 Things to Do When Bored at Home (That Are Better Than Scrolling)

By The Chief · 2026-11-03 · 5 min read · sources checked

Boredom has a bad reputation. But it is really a message: I want to be doing something that matters, and I am not. Researchers define boredom as the uncomfortable state of wanting to engage with something satisfying and not being able to (Eastwood et al., 2012).

We are not very good at sitting with it. In one famous set of experiments, many people found 6 to 15 minutes alone with their thoughts so unpleasant that some chose to give themselves a mild electric shock rather than just sit there (Wilson et al., 2014). No wonder we reach for the phone.

But boredom can also be useful. In one study, people who first did a boring task then came up with more creative ideas than a control group (Mann & Cadman, 2014). So here are 60 things to do with that restless energy, all better than another hour of scrolling.

Use your hands

1. Cook something you have never cooked before, from what is already in the cupboard.
2. Bake bread. It takes hours, but most of that is waiting.
3. Fix something that has been broken for months.
4. Learn to sew on a button or mend a hole properly.
5. Start a small indoor garden: herbs on a windowsill.
6. Draw the view from your window, badly, and enjoy it.
7. Build something with what you have: a bookshelf, a bird feeder, a puzzle.
8. Rearrange one room.
9. Write a letter by hand to someone you love.
10. Do a jigsaw puzzle.

Move your body

11. Go for a 20-minute walk with no destination. Daily walking is good for body and mood.
12. Do a 10-minute bodyweight workout: squats, push-ups, lunges, a plank.
13. Put on music and dance like nobody is watching (nobody is).
14. Stretch for 15 minutes.
15. Try a free online yoga class.
16. Clean the house at speed, as a workout.
17. Climb the stairs ten times.
18. Learn to juggle three socks.
19. Start the 30-day fitness challenge for beginners.
20. Practise balance: stand on one leg while brushing your teeth.

Feed your mind

21. Read a paper book for 30 minutes. If you do not have one, many libraries lend e-books free.
22. Learn 20 words in a new language.
23. Take a free online course on something you know nothing about.
24. Learn a chess opening.
25. Listen to a long-form podcast or audiobook on a subject that scares you a little.
26. Watch a documentary and write down three things you learned.
27. Memorise a poem.
28. Learn how something in your home works: the boiler, the router, the fridge.
29. Start the 30-day reading challenge.
30. Do a crossword or a logic puzzle.

Reflect and plan

31. Write three pages of whatever is in your head.
32. Answer five of our journal prompts for self-discovery.
33. Make a list of your life goals. The free life goals list generator helps you start.
34. Take the free find your purpose quiz.
35. Plan your ideal morning with the morning routine builder.
36. Write a letter to yourself to open in one year.
37. Review your money: what did you spend this month?
38. Sort your photos and print five favourites.
39. Sit for five minutes in silence. Just notice.
40. Make a "someday" list of places, skills and people.

Boredom is often a sign you are ready for more. If you want daily tasks and a tribe to do them with: request to join.

Connect with people

41. Call (not text) a friend you have not spoken to in a while.
42. Send a voice note to a grandparent or older relative.
43. Invite a neighbour for tea.
44. Play an online game of chess or cards with a friend.
45. Join an online class, book club or community.
46. Write a thank-you message to a teacher or old boss.
47. Organise a small get-together for next week.
48. Cook double and share with someone who lives alone.

Do something kind

49. Write a kind review for a small local business.
50. Donate clothes you have not worn in a year.
51. Volunteer online: transcribe, translate, mentor.
52. Leave a kind note for a delivery driver.
53. Check on a neighbour who lives alone.
54. Use the random act of kindness generator and do whatever it says.

Tidy and reset

55. Clear one drawer. Just one.
56. Delete 200 photos you do not need.
57. Unsubscribe from ten emails.
58. Clean your phone screen and your keyboard.
59. Prepare tomorrow: clothes, bag, lunch.
60. Change your bed sheets and go to bed early. Sometimes "bored" is really "tired".

What boredom might be telling you

If you feel bored most of the time, it may be worth listening more closely:

• Bored and tired: you might need sleep, not entertainment. See our evening routine.
• Bored and restless: you might need challenge. A new skill or 30-day challenge can help.
• Bored and lonely: you might need people. Read what to do when you feel lonely.
• Bored and stuck: you might be in a rut. Read how to get out of a rut.
• Bored, numb and hopeless for weeks: this can be a sign of depression. Please talk to a doctor, and if you are in crisis see our crisis help page.

A task for right now

Close this page and do number 55: clear one drawer. It takes ten minutes, it gives an instant sense of order, and by the time you finish you will know what you want to do next.

If you want a small, meaningful task every single day, with people doing it beside you: request to join.

Walking beside you,

The Chief

Sources

• Eastwood, J. D., Frischen, A., Fenske, M. J., & Smilek, D. (2012). The unengaged mind: Defining boredom in terms of attention. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(5), 482-495. doi.org/10.1177/1745691612456044
• Wilson, T. D., Reinhard, D. A., Westgate, E. C., et al. (2014). Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science, 345(6192), 75-77. doi.org/10.1126/science.1250830
• Mann, S., & Cadman, R. (2014). Does being bored make us more creative? Creativity Research Journal, 26(2), 165-173. doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2014.901073

Related reading: Digital detox ideas · How to be happy alone · Random acts of kindness ideas

General information for wellbeing, not medical, psychological or financial advice. If you are struggling, see crisis help.