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By: Suzanne Kvilhaug

I think of myself as someone who knows most of the clever quotes and witty phrases floating around so when I hear one I’ve never heard before, it sticks in my mind and I’ll never forget it. One day my friend was bored and called me and said “I’m bored! I wonder if it’s true how my father said that only boring people get bored.” And I was like wait, what?! I’ve never once heard that saying before. I remember thinking that the sentiment is kind of funny but kind of mean. If you want to consider another angle, there’s the quote “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” from Henry David Thoreau.

Regardless of your personal thoughts about being busy vs. being bored, sometimes you may find yourself at home with nothing to do wishing you had something to do that doesn’t require leaving the house. For the next time when you’re about to think “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do” here are some fun, easy and creative ideas.

Practice making a charcuterie board

Those people who bring a well-made charcuterie board to parties are so impressive. For all we know they practice at home when they’re bored and it didn’t just come to them naturally the first time. Look up recipes and work on creating a charcuterie board that’s going to turn heads at your next gathering. If you want a super healthy and plant-based one, here’s how to make that.

Find your favorite pictures to frame

If you’ve taken a ton of photos and you want to start putting them in frames around your home, what better time to do it? Find great photo apps and take the time to choose the photos you want to put on display. If you want to do something a little fancier, Easy Canvas Prints are a great inexpensive way to make a special piece of custom wall art.

Watch documentaries

The information at our fingertips is amazing, we simply need to do a little work to seek it out. If documentaries interest you, here are 38 documentaries that will change your life.

Make your own skincare products

Yes, you really can make your own skincare products at home. What’s great about doing this is you can choose ingredients based on your needs and personal taste. As you start to do it, you’ll also learn about the unhealthy nature of a lot of ingredients used in products and this can lead to making more informed decisions about products you’re buying. Feeling like this has the potential to be your thing? Read how to create your own beauty brand.

Concoct a fancy drink

Sipping on something while doing nothing makes doing nothing feel so good, doesn’t it?! I continue to put my heart and soul into drink recipes when I make them and highly recommend trying some out if you’re in the mood. If you don’t want to drink alcohol, there’s so much more out there that’s just as fun and interesting to make. Consider putting together a latte, infused waters, or tea recipes.

Learn a new language

Isn’t it a little depressing when someone asks you how many languages you know and your answer is...1! And maybe a follow-up of “Well I took one language in high school but I don’t really remember it.” One of my friends learns languages from an online program and she literally walks around her house with headphones in for periods of time and learns them. If you want to step up your efforts, something like the Pimsleur Method can help you speak a new language in as little as a month. Will it be difficult? Oui! But will it be worth it? Si!

Pick up a new artsy habit

Someday I’m going to learn how to knit. I have no idea how I’ll learn, I have no idea what I’ll knit but it’s on my list. I was reminded of this recently when I was waiting for a haircut and the lady next to me waiting was knitting. Oh, the envy. From knitting to calligraphy to water painting, there are so many artsy choices out there that you’re bound to find one you enjoy and that you’re good at. Pick the one that calls out to you most and go from there.

Go on a search for your next playlist

I need to pick the brains of those people who don’t need a great playlist for a run or a workout. If I’m not feeling my playlist during a workout, my motivation can be fleeting. If you’re the same way and you’re at home with nothing to do, search through programs like Spotify, iTunes, or Pandora to avoid any lackluster playlists in the future.

Maybe some of these ideas are right up your alley or maybe you really want to spend time at home doing nothing. Absolutely nothing at all. If you don’t get a lot of down time, the one thing you likely need is some down time. “Stop the glorification of busy” is one of those zingers that puts things into perspective when you feel insecure or guilty for doing nothing. In those moments of hesitance before planting yourself on the couch with no agenda, remember that sometimes doing nothing can genuinely be the best thing that you can do for your mental and physical health.

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