How to Deal with Boredom

We all experience boredom from time to time. Sometimes, boredom can act as fuel, allowing us to be more creative or connect with ourselves. Other times, boredom can actually impact our mental health, even contributing to anxiety and depression.

In this article, we’ll go over the connection between boredom and mental health as well as provide you with a toolbox to help you learn how to deal with boredom. We’ll also discuss when boredom can be a sign that there’s something more going on with your mental health.

How Boredom Can Impact Mental Health

While boredom often sounds benign, it can actually contribute to anxiety and depression. Not having something to do can also make people feel more irritable and restless. Chronic boredom, or feeling bored for a long time, can raise the risk of mental health issues. This includes anxiety, depression, and substance misuse. Chronic boredom might also cause someone to feel disconnected and unsatisfied with life. 

Boredom’s Effect on Behavior

Dealing with boredom can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as using substances or overeating. It can also make it easier for you to become distracted, which can make it more difficult to focus. Some people may also make impulsive decisions when they’re feeling bored, looking for something to entertain them. 

Boredom can also lead to missed opportunities for growth, such as missed career or social opportunities. When you’re feeling bored and disengaged, it might mean that you’re not as motivated to seek out new opportunities and challenges. It can also make it harder to be creative and solve problems. This means you may not come up with the same quality ideas you used to.

Immediate Strategies to Combat Boredom

Boredom can make it feel as though there isn’t anything to do. But the truth is that there are many things that you can do to occupy your time, and you might be having this feeling because you’re not in a space where it’s easy to think of ideas. In this section, we’ll go over a range of ideas in different categories to help you brainstorm what productive activities you might be interested in.

Physical Activities

Because moving your body can naturally boost your mood, physical activity can be a great way to combat boredom. A quick movement option, like putting on a favorite song and dancing or taking a walk around the block, can be helpful. Many people also enjoy moving their bodies outside, as the change of environment can help get them out of a loop of feeling bored. When you have more time, try a new-to-you physical activity, perhaps something that you’ve always wanted to try. For example:

• Kickboxing.
• Dancing (hip-hop, salsa, jazz).
• Rebounder (mini trampoline) workout.
• Rollerblading or skateboarding.
• Yoga, Pilates, or barre.
• Paddleboarding or kayaking.
• Skiing or snowboarding.
• Playing pickleball or tennis.

Creative Pursuits

Getting creative is another way to spend your time when you’re bored. Many creative hobbies need only a few inexpensive materials, which makes it easy to get started. For example:

• Drawing or doodling.
• Coloring.
• Making greeting cards.
• Writing (novels, poems, short stories).
• Knitting or crocheting.
• Cooking or baking.
• Origami.
• Painting.
• Photography using your phone.

If there’s an activity you’ve been interested in, such as soap-making or candle-making, this can be a good time to try it. DIY projects and hands-on tasks around the home, such as painting a room or upcycling a piece of furniture, can also be enjoyable.

Social Connection

Connecting with others is another helpful way to combat boredom. You might reach out to friends and family members, especially those whom you haven’t talked to for a while. 

You might also consider expanding your social circle. For example, you might join a community or group centered around a hobby or interest to help you connect with others who enjoy the same things. Many people also like to help others or volunteer. It gives them a meaningful way to spend their time and lifts their spirits. For example, you might pick up groceries for an elderly neighbor or volunteer to walk dogs at the local animal shelter.

Long-Term Solutions for Chronic Boredom

If you’re someone who feels bored regularly, incorporating some of these long-term boredom solutions can help with managing what you’re feeling.

Building Meaningful Routines

Creating a meaningful routine can help ensure that you stay engaged daily. This creates a structure without monotony. For example, you can set specific goals with your hobbies and block off time to work towards them. This way, you’re planning for enjoyable downtime rather than only scheduling time for your responsibilities. 

Discovering Purpose and Passion

Life becomes exciting when there’s lots to explore. But you often need to try a variety of things to find what you're passionate about and learn more about what you value. Make time to try new experiences. Some ways to do this might be exploring classes offered through a local community center or library, or joining a local meetup group. When you discover something you love, transition it into a longer-term project.

Mindfulness and Presence

Mindfulness helps you stay present in everyday moments. It also reduces the need for constant stimulation. Meditation is one way to practice mindfulness. You can find many free online videos that offer guided meditations to help you start.

Mindfulness awareness techniques can also be helpful. For example, if you’re on a walk, engage all your senses, thinking about the smell of the fresh air, the way the ground feels under your feet, and the temperature of the air around you. 

When Boredom Signals Something Deeper

In some cases, boredom can be a sign that there may be something going on with your mental health. 

Recognizing Mental Health Concerns

Some symptoms of boredom and depression can overlap. For example, one of the symptoms of depression is not feeling enjoyment in things that you used to enjoy. With boredom, you also might have trouble finding things that you enjoy doing. The major difference between boredom and depression is that boredom is a temporary feeling and is usually resolved by switching to a new activity. With depression, you might find it hard to feel joy in activities. You could also feel emotionally numb.

If a lack of enjoyment is something that you’re experiencing regularly, then it might be a good idea to investigate things further. This way, you can address what’s really going on to help you find the enjoyment from daily activities that you once had. 

Getting Professional Support

We understand that seeking professional support can seem overwhelming. But only a professional can assess you properly. They can help you find out if a mental health issue is affecting how you feel. It may even bring you a sense of relief to understand why you’re feeling the way that you are.

Several therapy options can teach coping skills for boredom. These skills help people manage boredom and feel more engaged and excited about life. These include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT explores the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In CBT, people learn to identify unhelpful thoughts about boredom and work to change them. They’ll also learn behavioral strategies to introduce a variety of activities into their lives.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT teaches people to accept the feelings of boredom without judging them. They’ll also learn to explore their values to identify what is truly important to them.
• Art-based therapy: Art-based therapy introduces people to creative outlets that can help to occupy their minds and engage them in the present. You might practice drawing mandalas, collage journaling, or paint pouring in art-based therapy. 
• Mindfulness-based therapy: Mindfulness-based therapy helps people focus on the present. It teaches techniques to accept thoughts and feelings without judgment. This might include deep breathing, meditation, and engaging the senses. 

Creating Your Anti-Boredom Toolkit

When we’re feeling bored, it’s often difficult to think of what to do to occupy our time.

This is why it can be helpful to create an anti-boredom toolkit so that you have boredom coping strategies in place when you start to experience feelings of boredom or restlessness. This can include a personalized list of go-to activities that you might be interested in. You can also add a list of emergency boredom busters of activities that don’t require any preparation. Some people also find it helpful to create a boredom basket with easy activities, such as coloring books or crossword puzzle books.

Planning for predictable downtime can also be a part of your plan to overcome boredom. For example, if you know that you’ll be waiting for an appointment, plan to bring a portable activity, such as knitting or a pen and notebook.

Resources and Inspiration Sources

Boost Your Brain with Boredom - Mayo Clinic

Boredom as a Symptom - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Boredom Busters for Long-Term Care

Games and Puzzles for Mental Health

Meetup.com - Find Local Groups, Events, and Activities Near You

Mindfulness Exercises - Mayo Clinic

UCLA Health Free Guided Meditations

VolunteerMatch

Takeaway

Boredom isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, boredom can inspire us to discover new interests and try different things. But other times, underlying emotions or mental health issues can lead to increased boredom. In these situations, a mental health professional can help you understand your feelings. They can also teach you helpful strategies to manage boredom.