When boredom strikes, it’s a great opportunity to engage in productive activities. These tasks will not only fill the time, but they’ll also benefit you in your personal and professional life. You’ll finish the day feeling accomplished, on track, and perhaps even earn a little extra cash on the side.
Besides clearing your inbox and updating your resumé, acts of self-care are just as important. Productivity does not solely revolve around work-related tasks. Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally can have a profound impact on your overall well-being and productivity levels. Here’s a balanced list of productive activities you can do when you’re bored.
1) Organize Emails A cluttered inbox can negatively impact your productivity, which may lead to missing important emails and deadlines. Get rid of old messages, move emails into their proper folders, and unsubscribe from unwanted junk mail. You’ll even free up some storage space along the way!
2) Update Resume When’s the last time you updated your resume? Perhaps it’s been a few months or even years. Within that timeframe, you may have acquired new skills and experience. Update your resume to reflect those changes, so you can save time and be ready for any opportunity that may arise.
3) Clean Your Car Between driving to work and enjoying summer road trips, our cars can get cluttered fast. Make cleaning fun by listening to your favorite playlist or podcast and get to work. Vacuum the interior and floor mats, use natural cleaners such as vinegar to wipe down the windows and dashboard, get rid of garbage, and stock up on emergency essentials.
4) Go for a Walk Practicing self-care activities such as going for a walk is a great way to be productive. Spending time in nature reduces stress and can help enhance your creativity. It’s a mindful activity that relaxes your mind, body, and spirit, which can be beneficial for your physical and mental health.
5) Clean Your Bag If you carry any type of bag on a daily basis, it’s a good idea to clean it out. Remove all the contents in your bag and get rid of crumbs, receipts, wrappers, and any other garbage accumulated. If there are any stains, use a soft damp cloth and gently wipe it down. Maintaining your bag makes it much easier to find things on the go.
6) Create or Update Vision Board We’re just a few months away from welcoming a new year, which is why it’s a great idea to create or update your vision board. Having a visual of your goals and desires motivates you to create an actionable plan towards achieving them.
7) Meditate Meditation is a powerful practice that connects you to the present moment. It’s a tool that can relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, meditation can increase concentration and improve memory, which is very beneficial for being productive in other areas of your life.
8) Organize Drawers We all have a drawer or two that could use some organizing. Whether it’s a drawer in the kitchen, living room, or bathroom, spend a few minutes tackling what you can. Once you’re finished, you can go on websites like Pinterest to get some inspiration on how to set up your drawers so they’re more functional for you.
9) Sell Items Do you have gently used clothing, electronics, or appliances that you don’t use just sitting around? If so, consider selling them online. It’s a great way to give your items a second chance, while making extra money and clearing your space from clutter. Websites like Depop and Poshmark are sites that focus on clothing and accessories, while Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji are great for electronics and appliances.
10) Rest Did you know that there are 7 different types of rest? In our fast paced society, getting a restful night’s sleep can be difficult enough. Spend your downtime figuring out which type of rest you need the most, so that you can feel your best and perform your best.
Spending your alone time by being productive offers an incredible opportunity for growth, in both our personal and professional lives. If you’re having trouble getting started on any of these tasks, I highly recommend referring to the 2-minute rule. What are some productive activities that you like to do during your alone time? I’d love to hear your thoughts. For more posts on productivity, visit my tag here.
I love these ideas for productive activities! It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut when we’re bored, but these tasks are a great way to stay on track and make the most of our time. I especially love the idea of practicing self-care and going for a walk.
Absolutely, sometimes the best form of productivity is to take care of our mental health! Thank you for reading Candice!
This is incredibly helpful information. Your page is absolutely stunning! Feel free to visit my blog at holisticsforall.com whenever you have a chance. It’s a work in progress, but I would be thrilled to have you there. I’m excited to dive into more of your posts!
Welcome Katy! Thank you so much for your kind words, it’s so appreciated!
I don’t remember the last time I was bored. But these are beautiful ideas. I think cleaning the car is the one I’d do the most.
That’s wonderful Crystal. Cleaning up the car is always a good idea. Thank you for reading!
All of these are great ideas! You just reminded me I need to go through my emails! Thank you for sharing all these ideas!
That’s great! Good luck with cleaning out your inbox. Thank you for reading Amanda!
When bored I definitely go for cleaning things out. It feels so good in the end.
http://www.fashionradi.com
It’s such a great accomplishment to tackle boredom with productive tasks! Thank you for reading Radi!
I’ve been so bored this past week but also antsy. I always need to feel like I’m doing something productive, so this is so helpful!
I’m so glad this has been helpful! Good luck on your tasks!
Hello my dear!
All great advice, thank you very much for the hint 🙂 Your post is very inspiring!
Greetings from Poland!
Thank you so much Klaudia!
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
https://melissakacar.com
Thank you for reading Melissa!
I love these ideas! I definitely need to update my resume, sell clothes/sort clothes and organise drawers so these are perfect for me haha x
That’s wonderful Caroline! Good luck with these tasks. Thank you for reading!
These are great productive activities to do when you’re bored. I like to do a bit of organising when I’m bored, especially my wardrobes! I love selling items on Vinted at the moment, it’s my new obsession! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I’m so glad to hear you like using Vinted! It’s a perfect time, especially with fall rolling in. Thank you for reading Lucy!
You’ve just reminded me I need to clear my spam email inbox! My car is also due for a little bit of a clean. These are all very productive ideas, and much better than spending hours on Tiktok just scrolling.
I agree! Good luck on your cleaning and thank you for reading Winnie!
Such great ideas!! I love that you wrote using meditation as a filler when you’re bored because it’s one of the best ways to stay present and get grounded. Also, clearing up emails or just digital de-clutters are so important! Thanks for sharing this great post.
Yes! Meditation has so many great benefits, it’s a wonderful way to keep ourselves grounded. Thank you for reading Andrea!
These are such great suggestions to fight boredom and to be productive. I like the feeling of accomplishment when I do something I don’t do every week like cleaning and sorting a closet or drawer. Thanks for the inspiration Winnie!
I’m so happy this was motivating Jodie! Finding things to clean out that we normally don’t focus on is a great way to refresh our homes and even create space for new things. Thank you for reading!
Ooh you’ve got some great ideas here! I have a lot of free time at the moment so I’ve been struggling a lot with boredom but I find selling things online a great way to declutter and earn some extra money. I love working on my blog too and yesterday I finally cleared my inbox, which felt really good! Thank you so much for sharing x
That’s wonderful! There’s nothing better than an organized inbox. Thank you for reading!