This post is all about the best tips to overcome boredom and loneliness and turn your day around!
Don’t you just hate it when you suddenly realize that you are bored out of your mind and time seems to be standing still?
You don’t know what to do and where to start. Nothing seems like a good idea.
We all experienced this at least once as kids: the feeling of being bored and not knowing what to do with ourselves. Usually, you would turn to the person closest to you and say “I’m bored. What can I do?”. Sounds familiar?
As an adult, it might not be the most convenient to turn to the person nearest to you and ask them what you could do. Especially if you don’t have someone near you to turn to.
A certain dose of boredom is indeed very beneficial as a kid (and I’m sure as an adult too), as it boosts creativity and you learn to enjoy your own company.
However, as an adult, too much boredom and loneliness can also be detrimental to your mental health. You don’t want to be sitting too long with feelings of loneliness.
After all, we are social beings and we need to have social interactions to feel good.
This post will help you to get out of this rut by giving you some great ideas of things you could do to get inspired and social again!
This post is here to help and give you the best ways to beat boredom and loneliness!
Beat the Boredom and Loneliness
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Tidy your space
Sometimes you need to have a good clean-up around you to clear your mind.
I know that whenever I feel stuck and uninspired, my surroundings are usually…quite messy!
There is nothing like putting on some of your favorite music and starting tidying up. When I was a kid I even made a game out of it. When I had to clean my room, I put on my favorite song and I tried to get as much cleaned as possible for the duration of the song. Silly but effective. I was running around so much that it was also a workout.
I find that it is still a great way for me to get some motivation to tidy my space. Put on your headphones if you are not alone or blast your favorite music and be efficient for 3 to 4 minutes.
You don’t have to deep clean your entire home. However, just the fact of tidying the space around you and not having all the things lying on the floor is already a big help in clearing your mind.
I’m sure you’ve heard of Marie Kondo by now, and all the positive effects tidying your space has. If not, she has 2 shows on Netflix you can easily binge-watch to get you inspired and her bestseller book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” is also a very good place to start!
You could even put the Netflix show in the background, that way you’re not tidying by yourself.
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Move your Body
Once you’ve tidied your space another good way of getting over that boredom and doing something great for your physical health is to move your body.
This can also be a great opportunity to meet new friends and like-minded people.
You could join a class at your gym, or join a group of people that do something sporty that you enjoy. I have a friend who joined a hiking group. On the weekends, she would meet with that group and they would hike a new trail and discover a new region of France.
Social media can also be a great tool to find like-minded communities of people and it can make the first step in meeting new people easier. There are a lot of fitness instructors who have a great community you could be part of. It’s the best way to combine good company and taking care of your body.
If you are not looking for a new hobby entirely but just want to do something (and for free), you could just go on YouTube and find a workout video. There are so many different types of workouts, that you’re sure to find something you enjoy! One of the many good things about YouTube is that it is available all day and all night. So as soon as you have some free time you can move your body in the comfort of your living room.
Another great option is to go out for some fresh air. A nice walk can do wonders, it’s a form of meditation and a great way to get rid of any negative feelings.
By just moving your body and changing your surroundings, you will change your mood around and your body will thank you for it!
As all the fitness instructors that I’ve followed over the years always said you will be more motivated if you convince a partner or a friend to join you. This can be a great bonding moment for the two of you!
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Catch up with a family member or friend
We are very much social beings: we cannot go too long in social isolation. We all saw the very negative effects of COVID-19 on our social lives. Another change that this whole Covid situation brought is the whole home office situation. We are more and more at home and as a result our social connection with our colleagues suffers.
That is why it is even more important to take the time to connect with our family and friends.
If exercising together is not for you and you are looking for something more relaxing: call a family member or a friend you haven’t called in a while! It’s very easy to do and it will help kick any feelings of isolation to the curb. A video chat can be fun, especially if the person is far away, it will help you feel more connected.
It doesn’t have to be a 2-hour phone call and even if it’s just to say “Hi, I’ve been thinking about you”, it can have a very positive impact on you and on the person you’re calling. Everybody loves to feel special and loved, especially after having been separated for quite a while! You can even make those types of phone calls part of your daily routine.
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Develop a new skill
There are so many new things you could learn and maybe you’ve been wanting to learn something new or try something out. Now would be the perfect time to look into that!
New hobbies, new experiences, a new language…the list could be endless! Usually, one of the most often used culprits to not do something new is the lack of time.
You don’t have to go all in from the start if you are not sure if you are going to like it. There are so many small steps you could take just to start: take a pottery class with a friend, download a language learning app (Duolingo is an easy and free one), learn how to code…
You don’t even have to leave your couch to learn something new. There is an infinite source of knowledge online that can be readily available to you! There are no excuses, especially as some of those are free.
Take Youtube for example. You can find some channels that teach you skills for free: coding, history, cooking… You just have to type it in the search bar and see what you can find!
There are some other sources where you can find some great online courses on anything your heart desires on Skillshare, Udacity, and or Coursera, just to name a few!
Whatever you want to learn, I’m sure you will find someone online who can teach it to you.
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Create something
Maybe you made a vision board back in January, and maybe there are certain things on there that you have not yet tackled.
There is no time like the present moment to start working on those goals: going on a solo trip, starting a new habit, reading more books…
It does not have to be something big or life-altering, it could just be fixing yourself a meal, hopping on the sourdough ban wagon, painting, gardening…
Whatever it is you decide to create for yourself, enjoy the process…and enjoy the results of your labor even more.
I am not the best cook, but I quite like to follow a recipe, it is like a meditation. I follow the steps, without really thinking …and I end up with a nice meal!
You can even combine the previous point (Develop a new skill) with this one. There is no better way when learn something than to do it directly. Imagine picking up a pottery class and making a mug or a bowl. You’ll be so proud to drink from your mug or eat your cereals from the bowl you made!
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Music, a book, and a cup of coffee
I’ve recently discovered the joy of going to my local library and taking my time to pick up a few books. the great thing is that usually, a library card is either free or with a very low fee.
At the library I go to, there are also board games you can borrow or even play at the library.
On a cool fall night, just imagine being home with a good book, a little music in the background, and the hot (or cold) beverage of your choice. I find those nights particularly relaxing, especially as it is dark very early. You feel like in a cocoon.
If reading is not your thing, you could very easily replace it with watching a movie. As Christmas is approaching there are tons of feel-good Christmas movies to be watched. If you are feeling particularly Christmassy you could even go as far as baking some Christmas cookies to go along your movie-watching or book-reading night.
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Pamper yourself
Often we are so caught up in the day-to-day and the to-do list that we forget to take care of ourselves. Whatever the time of day, you can take the time to take care of your mind and body.
Journaling can be a great way to lay it all down and get rid of negative emotions you could be feeling. It might be able to help you clarify certain things and move away from any of those feelings of boredom. You don’t have to write for an hour, but just 5 to 10 minutes on how you are feeling right now could do wonders for your mental health.
Next in line is taking care of your body. You might have already exercised your body (or not). This is not what this is about. It’s about relaxing your body by doing things like taking a hot shower or a bath, gentle movement.
Take the opportunity to apply a nice face mask or use a gua sha to massage your face. When I have the time I also like to dry brush.
This post was all about the 5 best ways to help you beat boredom.
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