22 Rewarding Self Care Things To Do When Bored
This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you sign up or purchase products or services mentioned. Read the full disclosure here.
Last Updated on June 21, 2024
When boredom strikes and you have no clue what to do, self care never fails! Having precious minutes all to yourself is rare, so you’ve gotta make the most of them. Doing something nice for yourself, that also helps you grow and build good habits, is always a good idea.
These self care things to do when bored will give you a ton of ideas for spending your free time wisely. Whether you just wanna relax or actually “get your life together,” these self care ideas cover a variety of approaches.
I’ve included self-care ideas at home and also self care ideas for anxiety in this list. Boredom usually strikes at home, and boredom can sometimes lead to anxiety. So browse through these ideas and apply the ones you need most!
Ya ready?
How do I make time for self-care if I have none?
So, you might be bored, but you also might not be working with a lot of time. How can you fit self care into your life?
As you look through these self care things to do when bored, here’s a few ways you can make self care manageable:
- Reserve it for slow points in your day – if mornings are chaotic, plan to do your self care activities at night. Make self care work with your schedule, whatever that may look like!
- Split it up – if it’s too much to dedicate an hour or two all at once to self care, you can do smaller self care activities throughout the day. Meditate for 10 minutes in the morning, go for a midday walk, and unwind with a bath at night.
- Prioritize what you really need – bubble baths and face masks can be fun and all, but if your mental health is seriously struggling, you might need to focus on managing it first. Opt for activities like journaling and therapy as first priority in your schedule.
- Habit stack – this means pairing a new self care activity with something you already do. Are you a coffee drinker? Try journaling in the mornings while you sip your coffee!
22 Self Care Things To Do When Bored
Self care day ideas at home
1. Do something artsy and creative
Even if you don’t think you’re a creative person, doing anything creative can really fuel you and serve as a healthy outlet. Getting back in touch with drawing, painting, coloring, or anything else you did as a child can feel therapeutic.
And also, don’t be afraid to try something new! There are so many creative activities out there. You never know what you might enjoy. It’s never a bad idea to hit up your Michael’s or local craft store and see what you can get into!
2. Take the best bubble bath ever
Don’t just take a bubble bath, take THE bubble bath! Set the mood with calming music, turning off the lights, lighting candles, and using your favorite soaps. Let the warm water ground you and guide you into relaxation. It might be cliche, but I swear that bubble baths really are one of the best self care things to do when bored.
3. Find a new book to read in a completely different genre
Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and spicing things up with a new book genre can be so fun! It helps to get out of your typical routine every once in a while. I really love self help books and if I do read fiction it’s usually coming-of-age stories about young adults. But pushing myself to read something totally different like fantasy or sci-fi can be interesting too!
{RELATED: Must-Buy Self Help Books to Read In Your 20s}
4. Dance
Okay, I might be a little biased here because I’m a dancer. But no one says you have to have years of dance training to get up and enjoy some movement!
I challenge you to try dance almost like it’s therapy. If you’ve been feeling down, put on a slow sad song and let your body feel the music and do whatever it wants to do. If you’re feeling good, put on a happy song and let your body run free with positive vibes!
5. Listen to an inspiring podcast from an inspiring person
A lot of people say that listening to podcasts almost feels like they’re hanging with a friend, just without the back and forth dialogue. It feels good to find a podcaster you can relate with that will also motivate and uplift you. Lately I’ve been loving Not Your Typical with Katelynn Nolan. It’s about self care, self love, and wellness!
6. Write down a bucket list of everything you want to do in this lifetime
Imagining all the things you want to do before you die is a great cure for boredom! Where do you want to travel? What do you want to see? What activities do you want to be able to say you’ve done? These are all great things to think about, so write them down and turn them into a bucket list!
7. Listen to your favorite songs from 5 years ago
Getting bored of the same 10 songs that always circulate on the top charts? Me too. So sometimes I go back to old playlists or remember songs from 5 years ago and jam out to those instead!
I have a playlist from summer 2018 (which, not to start a fight, was easily the best era of the 2010s music) that I always go back to when I want to envision myself reliving those days!
8. Create a life plan for the next 5 years
If this seems daunting, don’t let it be! It can actually be inspiring and motivating to think of a rough plan for the next several years. You might not follow it perfectly, and that’s okay! Brainstorming is still a good practice for goal setting.
I have a printable goal planner that’s perfect for planning the upcoming years of your life. Not only does it help you set goals you’ll actually achieve, but it helps you set the right habits so you can make consistent progress toward those goals! Check it out below.
9. Do something fun you weren’t allowed to do as a child
Ice cream for breakfast? Going to Denny’s at 3am? Doing bold makeup? Whatever you dreamed of doing as a child or teenager but couldn’t, why not do it now that you can?! This self care idea is so liberating and fun.
10. Take some time to explore a big idea
This could be absolutely anything. Traveling to a dream destination, inventing something, starting a business, etc. You don’t have to actually do it, but exploring what it would take to do it is always interesting!
I once looked up what taking a vacation in the Maldives would involve. Apparently, it’s pretty complicated because the airport is on a separate little island away from the main island. So you would have to plan your arrival around ferry operation times between the two islands, from what I remember.
11. Learn about something you’ve always wanted to know more about
Think back to when you were younger. What subjects were you fascinated by? Or, what has piqued your interest lately? Research all about it! You can look up YouTube videos or simply Google more information about the subject. Let yourself get lost in it.
Self care ideas for anxiety
12. Write 10 positive affirmations on sticky notes and stick them to your mirror
Speaking positive affirmations regularly and keeping them in a prominent place, like your mirror, is so helpful for your mental health. You’re retraining your brain to opt for positive self talk rather than negative self talk.
To make it even easier, I have a deck of printable affirmation cards you can print out and use any way you’d like! Tape your favorite ones to your mirror, turn them into a vision board, or use them as journal prompts! Grab them below.
13. Declutter your space
Getting rid of physical clutter translates to a clearer mind, too! Getting up and running around to declutter is a nice way to incorporate a little movement into your day as well. You can go room by room and surface by surface. Start with picking things up off your bedroom floor, then your dresser, and so on.
14. Try meditation
Have you ever tried meditation, but your mind wanders too much? I think anyone who’s tried meditation has been there. I personally find it much easier to stay focused when I’m listening to a guided meditation.
I really enjoy Headspace for this. They have a ton of guided meditations for whatever you’re trying to achieve. Whether it’s focus, stress, sleep, or basically anything else, Headspace has a meditation for that! I highly recommend them. Get 14 days free here with my Headspace link!
15. Create a routine
Creating a routine really is key for adding some structure to your life. I know that when I don’t have a set morning routine, I wake up scrolling on my phone, then when I get up I start on work right away. That’s not ideal! You need more time to ease into your mornings and do things for you.
I have a whole list of morning routine ideas so you can make your mornings enjoyable (and slip a little self care into them too!)
16. Get some fresh air
Lay outside in the grass, have a picnic, go on a walk, read on your front porch…there are endless possibilities for spending time outside and getting some much-needed fresh air! This is a great way to get a change of scenery and have a little refresh in the middle of your day.
{RELATED: 25+ Ultimate Self Care Weekend Ideas for Unwinding}
17. Do a puzzle
When’s the last time you did a jigsaw puzzle? I don’t know what it is, but it is soooo rewarding whenever you hear that “snap” of the puzzle piece fitting into place. If you don’t have a puzzle at home, you might want to check your library to see if you can rent one, or even stop by Goodwill!
18. Craft a vision board
Vision boards are actually an incredibly useful part of goal planning. If you don’t know what a vision board is, it is essentially a collage of photos that inspire you. You can create a digital vision board by pasting photos together in a program like Canva, or you can print out photos and tape them together on your wall.
Find images that inspire you in any area of life: your relationship goals, travel goals, personal development goals, friends, family, quotes, and anything else! Here are some vision board ideas I put together to spark your creativity.
19. Plan 2 ways you can work on your mental health
Your mental health is so crucial. If there’s anything to prioritize out of this list of self care things to do when bored, it’s self care geared toward your mental health.
I’ll let you know the two things that I’ve personally found most effective for my mental health: journaling and going to therapy.
Journaling is the best and most effective outlet for myself when it comes to releasing my thoughts and making sense of them. It dramatically reduces my feelings of overwhelm.
Therapy has also been tremendously helpful for me. Whether I’m going through a difficult time in my life, or if I just need a little advice on getting through life’s everyday stressors, therapy has helped me cope a thousand times better with the skills I’ve gained from it. Just talking anything out with a professional is the most invaluable resource ever!
If you need a place to start, I cannot recommend Online Therapy enough. They are so thorough, and offer a huuugeee toolbox of resources and worksheets along with your weekly therapy sessions. It’s much more affordable (and less daunting!) than traditional therapy. You can get 20% off your first month at my link below!
20. Declutter your phone
I’m talking your apps, photos, videos, notes, changing your wallpaper, and anything else to hit the “reset” button on your phone! I aaalways declutter my phone as part of my monthly reset routine and it’s so worth it. Especially if your storage is getting high (I know mine always is!) you want to be sure not to get too close to full storage. So be proactive in keeping up with this habit!
21. Take some time to journal
Like I mentioned a couple points ago, journaling has been essential to my self care routine. If there’s ANYTHING you do on this list of self care things to do when bored, it’s gotta be this one.
I know I’m really hyping up the act of journaling, but I can’t express enough how beneficial it’s been for me and many others. When I’m so overwhelmed by my thoughts and my brain is going a mile a minute, I do a brain dump to let it all out. If I need prompts specific to something I want to focus on, they help take the guesswork out of what to write about.
Try these journal prompts for beginners to get a feel for the habit of journaling!
22. Do something you’ve been putting off for a long time
THIS! Doing something you’ve been putting off for a long time feels like such a relief. Once it’s done, you finally get to release it from your mind, which leaves you with one less thing to think about. So if you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands, choose something you’ve been putting off and just. do. it!
Pssst…make self care easy with my (free!) daily self care check in sheet! All it takes is a few minutes each morning and night to reflect on yourself and you’ll be in tip-top self care shape.
Let me know in the comments:
What are 5 things you can do for self-care?
More Self Care Activities You’ll Love
60 Journal Prompts for Self Care When You’re Struggling
Glow Up Checklist for the Ultimate (Realistic!) Reset
LIKE THESE SELF CARE THINGS TO DO WHEN BORED? PIN THEM FOR LATER!
