50 Wickedly Productive Things To Do At Home If You’re Bored
A big list of wickedly productive things to do at home when bored or stuck.
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The best way to become super productive is to learn how to use and manage your time, the only resource you can never ever replace. If you want more ideas though, here is a massive list of 50 wickedly productive things to do at home if you’re bored.
My Top Pick
You’re stuck at home and suddenly facing the momentous decision of spending your time (You know what I say about time, right? No? Find out what I say here.), what do you do?
These 50 wickedly productive things to do when you are bored at home will guarantee that you don’t waste any of your days simply trying to make a decision.
Analysis-paralysis is a real thing. So is decision fatigue. You really want to avoid both if you have limited time (and you do!).
Trust me, you may think that you have all the time in the world, but the truth of the matter is, time will pass in the same way it normally does.
If you don’t have a plan for the days when you’re stuck bored at home then those days will pass without giving you anything valuable. In fact, you may find that they pass and you don’t even remember what happened during those days.
Those are particularly painful, especially if you take the time to pause living your life and start thinking about how you’re living it in the first place.
So, if that’s where you are right now – stuck and looking for productive things to do when you are bored at home – this is a mega-list of ideas that you can look at every time you need ideas to use.
Enjoy!
50 wickedly productive things you need to do
We’ve separated our list into the four categories of mind, relationships, finance and home so you get 12 wickedly productive ideas for each one.
That’s 48. The last two are bonus ideas because they’re super ambitious and you need to have a few things in place before you can actually do them. But the rest? Oh the rest, you just need a desire to learn and plenty of time to do it.
Enjoy!
Productive things to do at home #1: Mental health and mindfulness.
One of the most productive things to do when you’re bored at home is to work on your mindset because as Jim Rohn said, “Bad thinking habits keep most people poor – not bad working habits.“
So, if you’re sitting at home or you’re faced with the possibility of having a lot more time than you ever enjoyed but can’t go out anywhere, then I highly recommend you start with these 12 mental health and mindfulness things to do at home when you’re bored.
1. Start a journaling habit. The one habit to rule them all, journalling is excellent for mental health, productive, organisation, lifestyle design, business, success etc. Journaling is quite possibly the most wickedly productive thing you can do if you’re bored at home and you can’t go out.
If you’ve never done it before, click that link and find out more – straight from the master of journaling himself, the inimitable Jim Rohn.
2. Learn the art of zen through adult colouring books. If your mind is cluttered and you could really use a Pensieve just now but you obviously can’t have it because, you know, it doesn’t actually exist, try adult colouring books.
You won’t be able to remove a few memories from your head but you can zone out safely. Did you know that “colouring has the ability to relax the fear centre of your brain, the amygdala“?
3. Learn how to meditate. Another productive thing to do at home when you’re bored or stuck there is to learn how to meditate.
Its benefits, particularly to mental health, are well-known and scientifically proven.
You can listen to our favourite meditation here.
Or, if you’ve never meditated before, I recommend you take this class: Meditation for Beginners. Without the Fluff! As the name states, it will give you all the information you need without the extra bells and whistles that can confuse a total novice.
4. Explore other ways you can meditate. Never heard of the slightly more woo-woo types of audio you can listen to whilst meditating such as subliminal messages, affirmations, self-hypnosis and Solfeggio frequencies?
I think they’re pretty good and, when used right, can be particularly effective. Click the links above to find my favourites.
5. Try the more active forms of meditation. I love Qigong, Tai Chi and other martial arts (search for more here).
Also, try yoga. The Beginners Yoga Workout System For Inflexible People is particularly good if your hamstrings are as tight as a limpet clinging to a rock.
Actually, as long as you’re moving, you benefit. In fact, I think that every single exercise regime can be meditative and soothing if you focus on it.
If you’ve not moved much before, then start slow and just walk – more and often. A step tracker can help.
I enjoy Sweatcoin because it rewards me (with some amazing stuff, like $1,000 in Paypal vouchers) when I hit a particular milestone. I really recommend you check it out.
6. Learn all about self-love. It’s the cornerstone of all love and is, therefore, one of the most productive things you can do for yourself.
7. Create a morning routine. Especially pertinent in these unprecedented times, a morning routine will help you start your day motivated to make a difference and inspired knowing that you have the power to direct your life the way you want it.
Our morning routine, in particular (click the link above) can help you deal with the fear and anxiety currently rampant in the world.
I highly recommend that you start one.
8. Create an evening routine. If you’re struggling with insomnia, then an evening routine can do the trick for you. The best one is simple to do.
I like jumping in the shower or soaking in the bath whilst listening to slow, relaxing music, slathering on some sumptuous lotion or body butter (you can find my favourites here), drying my hair and then slipping in between some luxurious silk sheets.
Once I’m ready to fall asleep, I just put my Sleepphones on so I can listen to meditation music whilst sleeping. I find this to be particularly effective when I’m trying to change something that my mind is resisting – like stopping procrastination.
9. Create a self-care routine. The current state of the world can be particularly alarming and stressful, if you need help processing all this negativity, then a self-care routine will help.
It need not take that much time. Sometimes, a few precious minutes is all you need. For more ideas, read this.
10. Indulge in a spa day. What can be more luxurious than a spa day? Obviously, if you can’t leave the house, then you can’t go to a spa. But the battle is not lost, so to speak.
You can totally have your spa day in the comfort of your own home. All you need are some supplies (that you may already have and the rest you can order off Amazon) and a whole lot of time.
Click the link above to find out how I do spa days at home.
11. Go into the garden. Or open the window if you don’t have a garden and just watch and listen to the world around you.
The sound of the world can be soothing. The feel of the tree under your palms. The twittering of a bird. The rustle of the wind against the grass. The clouds moving in the sky.
All these can ground you.
If you have a garden, then go and spend some precious time there. If you don’t, open your window and feel the world.
12. Feel your feelings. And write them down in your journal so you never forget what you did, what came up and what happened afterwards.
We don’t always process our feelings. In fact, very few of us have been taught how to to do that in the first place. Far too many of us just stuff negative feelings down without ever examining them or setting them free.
This creates a whole host of problems, most of it mental and emotional. Want to be super productive when you’re stuck bored at home? Learn how to process your emotions effectively.
Productive things to do at home #2: Relationships.
Another set of wickedly productive things to do when bored at home is working on your relationships – with yourself and with others. Obviously, if you can’t leave the house, it presents some challenges.
You can’t, for example, go on a dinner date with that man your best friend was setting you up with. You can’t go to a spa for some R&R.
But, thanks to the internet and online delivery, you can simulate these experiences from the comfort of your own home.
You might not be able to get that good-night kiss or a romantic hand-in-hand walk in the park, but you could get the heartfelt conversation whilst gazing into each other’s eyes.
For wickedly productive things to do when you are bored at home and want to socialise, then this is your list.
13. Read these books: How To Win Friends & Influence People, anything by Dr John Gottman but if you had to choose one, then choose The Relationship Cure and at least one of these top self-love books.
14. Get in touch with old friends. Use social media, email or a phone.
15. Stay in touch with family and close friends. Same. Use social media, email or phone frequently. Ask how they’re doing. You never know what could happen and regrets can last a lifetime.
16. Work on your self-love. Once you’ve learned about the importance of self love (#6 above), you can add to that by now practising self love.
It’s one of those things that can be difficult to do despite knowing the many benefits it can grant you. Don’t know how to do it? Check out #17.
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17. Date yourself. We go on romantic dates and play dates but we don’t really do self-dates.
And I personally think that there are no two ways about it. You need to go on a date with yourself. Obviously, if you can’t leave the house, then you just stay at home (the tips in that link will give you a few ideas you can do).
18. Spend more time with your children if you’re a parent. Play with them (find out why here). Don’t know how to play with kids? Let them take the lead. Or get this book ASAP.
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19. Spend more time with your partner. It sounds bad but one of the best things you can do when you are bored at home with your partner is to actually engage them in conversation.
Yes, you’re a parent so you’re exhausted and touched out but it’s also vital that you still nurture your relationship with your partner. Use this time to go on date night indoors with your other half.
Admit it, you’re dying for some grown-up conversation.
19. Go on a virtual date. Stuck in different homes for some reason? You can now enjoy that date with a potential partner online. Major perk: You don’t even have to stress about the goodnight kiss anymore.
20. FaceTime your grandparents. If you can’t visit, use Skype, Facebook Messenger, Viberr or WhatsApp.
You can also phone but video chatting can be much more social.
21. Hang out with friends If you want the company but can’t or don’t want to leave the house, then have a virtual chill party whilst you’re all each in your respective homes.
22. Simulate happy hour. You don’t have to go to a bar to still enjoy the atmosphere with your friends.
23. Travel. Got itchy feet and having a tough time coping with your current inability to travel? Go virtual and still see the world with these virtual travel experiences.
24. Get artsy. Want to immerse yourself in art but can’t go to a museum or an art gallery? These 10 virtual museum and art gallery tours might suffice.
Productive things to do at home #3: Finance.
One of the most productive things to do when you are bored at home is to take a close look at your finances.
Yes, it’s nowhere near as sexy as, for example, working on your relationship with yourself and splurging on some pretty kickass self love gifts. But in the long-term, it could be equally satisfying.
Just imagine finally having enough money that you never ever have to look at the price tag just to see if you can afford it ever again.
You’d be able to, as soon as you take a close look at your finances and create a sound financial plan (find out why here).
25. Look at your bank statements. Take a note of how your money flows and how much. Is there more coming in than there is going out? Excellent! If it’s the reverse, do some damage control.
26. Find your bliss. Another thing to do when you are bored at home is to find out if you’re on the right path. Is the job you’re doing a career you can see yourself giving your entire life to or is it just a dead-end job that serves nothing but help you pay the bills?
Side Note: Paying your bills is fine but eventually, you’d want something that calls to your soul. Don’t forget that you’re here to design a life and not just to make a living.
27. Upskill or learn a new skill altogether. Check out Udemy, which is currently offering excellent courses up to 75% off.
28. Sort your direct debits. Comb through your direct debits and subscriptions. Cancel the ones you don’t need anymore.
29. Pay off debts. Debts, particularly large debts with looming deadlines, can seem like a proper Sword of Damocles.
That’s why I personally think that one of the most productive things you can do whilst stuck at home, bored out of your mind, is to start shifting your finances so you can pay off debts. Nothing can be more freeing than the knowledge that you’re finally in the clear.
30. Set saving goals. Goals are dreams with a deadline. Set ambitious goals and then go to #31.
31. Actually start saving. Open a savings account online and start putting money in. Even if it’s just $1.
32. Get benefits. Look at what benefits your government is giving and apply for those that you qualify for. There is no shame in asking for help, especially in these strange and scary times.
We all need support and if you can qualify for benefits that you badly need, then go for it.
33. Spruce up your resume. Are current events making you rethink your career plan? If so, then use this time to spruce up your resume. In fact, make a few different versions for different jobs.
Nobody likes getting a generic application. I don’t actually know how hiring teams know but they do.
So, if you’re applying for new jobs, look at your resume carefully before you send it over. You might also want to write a strong cover letter to attach to your resume.
That could spell the difference between getting to the interview stage and getting an apology.
34. Look for remote work. Strange, isn’t it, that something which used to be deemed impossible is now required for most of us?
Many of us are now working from home and if you realise that you don’t want to go back to the traditional office environment when this all blows over, you could use this time to look for remote work? Or prepare to ask to make your current work from home setup a more permanent arrangement?
35. Look for side hustles to supplement your main income. It’s always a good idea to diversify your income streams and some of these side hustles can earn you some serious money.
Side Note: Remember, safety is important. For example, if you’re selling something on Facebook Marketplace, it would be best to arrange how to do this beforehand. Pay using PayPal and maintain a distance of 2 metres from each other.
As always, make sure you go with a family member when you collect an item.
36. Start a money-making blog. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme so don’t expect to earn income immediately, but if you nurture it the way you would a brick-and-mortar business, it could soon start earning a full-time income and all from the comfort of your own home.
Productive things to do at home #4: Home.
This bit might be slightly boring for most people but that’s only because very few people actually like cleaning the house.
It’s a wickedly productive thing to do if you’re going to be stuck home anyway, but a million other people will already be telling you to do that and also, there are other things that you can still do for your home without resorting to cleaning and decluttering.
Although I do recommend doing both – cleaning and decluttering, we won’t count them as a part of the list so just treat them as a bonus.
For our real checklist of wickedly productive things to do when you are bored at home, take a look at the twelve things below:
37. Make a list of all house-related tasks. These are the ones you’ve been meaning to accomplish for some time. For example, I only have the following three things on my list but they’ve been pending for a year and a half: oil the doors, seal the skirting boards with painter’s caulk or clear silicone (or both) and repaint bathroom walls.
Then, do everything (or at the very least, the top 3) on your list.
38. Put art up your wall. Admit it, you have something gathering dust that you’ve been meaning to get a frame for. It could be a photo or a painting or even a wee shelf that’s supposed to hold some decorative knick-knacks. Whatever it is, now is the time to get it out of storage and put it up.
We love getting photo frames from Amazon instead of getting a professional to do it. Most of the time, the frames are cheap but still look tasteful. They’re also quite durable so win-win.
39. Start a library. Select an area of your house you can transform into a library and put all your books there. It doesn’t have to be big (mine is actually just half of my closet) but make sure you have a space in your home that you can call a library.
Again, Jim Rohn: “Nearly every house valued over $200000 has a library in it. Now why do you think that is?”
So, if you want to be wickedly productive, you need to create a library.
40. Hygge your home. Don’t know what that is? Get this book now. It’s available on Kindle so you don’t even have to wait for delivery.
Seriously, there is a reason why the Danes are considered the happiest people on earth and this book will tell you why.
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41. Decorate with candles. Most of us have some just lying around the house, gathering dust in some junk drawer. Take it out and give it pride of place.
Candles and light are essential Hygge elements (look at #40 for first mention of the word). You might get away without them if you have Philips Hue Bulbs that allows you to adjust the ambience but other than that, you need candles.
Nothing quite beats the warm and cosy feeling that candles evoke. It’s like you’re cocooned in a warm embrace of safety and security. Well, maybe except Himalayan salt lamps.
Choose organic beeswax candles if you can and avoid scented ones if you have any respiratory issues like asthma or allergies.
42. Make edible potpourri. Get your house smelling nice and good enough to eat. Choose the scent that speaks to you the most.
I love the Christmas scent because it always brings back lovely memories so I try and make these even when it’s not Christmas.
43. Cook a homemade meal. Nothing is more comforting than a home-cooked meal. If you’ve been super busy before and were just relying on take-out, then this is your chance to slow down and cook that fine meal you’ve been meaning to do for ages.
Don’t know how to cook but would love to learn? Start with simple recipes. I actually started with a toddler’s cookbook. Alternatively, you can sign up for a Beginners Cooking Course to speed up the learning process.
44. Check expiration dates. Nothing can cramp your Martha Stewart style faster than a pantry full of expired stuff.
Have you tried cooking a fantastic meal only to find out that one of your key ingredients expired two years ago? Take it from me, it is not a fun experience.
So, take this time to be super productive in your kitchen and comb through all the ingredients. Be thorough. Check all expiration dates and replace those that have gone off.
45. Renovate. If you’ve been meaning to renovate a part of your house and just never had the time, now is your chance. All you need to do is make sure you have the materials ready, many of which you can buy off Amazon (even during lockdown).
46. Create a family manifesto. A house is not always a home. If you live with family members who do nothing but fight, then a house could be nothing an empty hostile shell that provides you with a place to sleep and little else.
A family manifesto can help strengthen family bonds and decrease fighting. And if you’re all bored and stuck at home, then this might be the most productive thing you can do.
47. Create a family command centre. This is particularly important if you’re always forgetting appointments, or bills or urgent deadlines.
If you don’t know what a family command centre is, you need to check out this post. It also has 50 ideas to help you set it up with a minimum of fuss.
48. Set an alarm for all important dates. One of the most productive things you can do when bored at home is to go through your current calendar system and make sure that all the important dates are highlighted.
You know those dental appointments you keep having to reschedule because you remember that you had them just as you got yourself to a GP appointment for your child?
Or maybe that birthday party you promised you’d attend on the same night you’d volunteered for a charity event?
Make sure that you never forget these dates again by setting an alarm for each of them. You can just use Google Calendar or you can go one step forward and sign up for a Todoist account.
You can get by with the free account but the Premium has a lot of nifty little tricks that can really help you organise your time. I especially love the comment function as well as the capability to sen an alarm directly from the one app.
Sign up here and you’ll get two months of Todoist Premium for free.
Bonus ideas
These two are bonus tips really (since cleaning and decluttering didn’t count) and they’re bonus tips for a reason.
You need to have all the tools in place, all the skills required and a whole boatload of persistence in order to get these done quickly.
Obviously, the urgency comes from the fact that many of us are only stuck at home because we’re following government directives. These could be lifted at any time, which means we could be back to our normal 9-5 with little warning.
If you don’t have such a time limit, then you can certainly take your sweet time doing these things.
Regardless, these are ambitious projects for the most part but totally doable.
49. Write and publish a book. This sounds intimidating but if you love to write anyway and the only thing stopping you was lack of time (instead of a plethora of resistance to the writing process), then being stuck at home with nothing else to do is is truly the chance of a lifetime.
Get a journal to write on or a laptop to type on and let your imagination soar.
Want to become a writer and self-publish on Amazon or your own website? You need to take this course now.
50. Build a new house or a shed. If you have the land, the kit and the knowhow, you could totally build your own house or shed on your own (or another adult in your house if there are two of you in self-isolation).
Believe it or not, you can get tiny home kits on Amazon and this easy-to-digest Idiot’s Guides: Tiny House Designing, Building, and Living.
So, if this is your jam, there’s no better time to do it than now.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there are so many productive things to do when you are bored at home. We’ve separated them into different categories and even included two things super ambitious bonus ideas you can use.
The world really is your oyster, even if that world is currently limited to the four walls of your home. But hey, you’ll never be bored again.
If you love this list, please don’t forget to pin and share with your family and friends. Thanks! 🙂
Awesome Jade. We have ample time and energy to do plenty of mental science these days.
Ryan
Thanks, Ryan! That’s what helps me get through the long days and nights. 🙂