Boredom is our enemy. It leads us to bad thoughts and silly actions. Or it leads one to remorse cause they spent 3 hours scrolling content they can't even remember afterward. At least, that's what happens to me. Can anyone relate? 

But what to do when you have nothing to do? Actually, this whole blog is one big story about how to fight boredom. But here are a couple of new ideas.

On today's agenda you will find two categories of ideas:

7 things to do when you don't have anything to do outside of your house

If you don't have anything to do - go try some foreign food

Let's tour the world of taste. 

Nothing to do? Try Indian cuisine, Italian delicacies, or freshly baked Georgian khachapuri. You don't even need a plane ticket - find a local restaurant that offers you to enjoy foreign flavors.

For inspiration - I was in a Korean restaurant. My tastebuds and their flavor palette aren't best friends. However, we had reserved a table with a grill, so the dinner turned into a unique experience. In this adventure, You get all the ingredients laid on a table in front of you, and then you have to cook them yourself on the grill that's also on the table. And for the atmosphere, Korean hits are playing on the TV in the background.  

Find a place where you can see the world from the top (if you are not afraid of heights)

If there is nothing to do, there is no need to turn the world upside down - it is enough to look at it from a different, breathtaking angle. It can be from a lookout tower, a church tower, or a roof terrace. In Riga, my favorite place to look at the world from above is Bumbu kalniņš tower. You can find a little more about it in this article.. 

But there are also beautiful viewing spots in Jelgava, Lielie Kangari, Alūksne , and other places. There should be something in your city as well.

If you don't have anything to do go for a road trip or a hike

An opportunity to move your body, clear your head and see something new. What could be better than a road trip?

And, of course, a shameless plug. You can find 30+ ideas for trips and hikes in Latvia here.

Go to a mini zoo to make friends with animals

What could be cuter than little animals? Plus, our little friends tend to be pretty funny too. Especially if they want treats. A dose of positive emotions is guaranteed.

I like llamas, so my favorite place to meet animals is Rakši Camel Park. It probably doesn't count as a mini zoo, but the idea remains the same - animals bring joy to both big and small.

If there is nothing to do, play an orientation game

You have probably walked all over your city. But orienteering games show you an already known place from a different angle and emphasize the small details many miss. Plus, you get a small dose of dopamine every time you find a landmark or complete a task.

Visiem labi zināma (maksas) opcija ir Roadgames. Bet ik pa brīdim dažādu projektu ietvaros uzpeld arī kāda bezmaksas orientēšanās spēle. Tāpēc, kad šo lasi, ir vērts pameklēt vecajā, labajā Googlē, kas šobrīd ir pieejams. 

Visit a museum

The museum is a multivitamin of knowledge. And if you are not a history enthusiast - don't worry! Not all museums talk about the past. There is, for example, a museum dedicated to cats in Šiauliai. So there will probably be something that you would enjoy somewhere out there. 

If you are in or near Riga, you will find interesting museum recommendations here.

Go play pool

Let's chase the balls in the semi-dark pool arena. Like in the movies. 

Unlike the previous ones, this activity will require at least one other person who is also looking for something to do to fight boredom. But the entertainment is suitable for both dates and groups of friends.

13 things to do when you don't have anything to do at home

If there is nothing to do, create a memory book

A heart-warming activity. You must have had a fabulous trip or a special event with your loved ones, which you carefully stored in your heart. 

But why keep it only in the heart? Relive pleasant emotions on a cozy evening by creating a memory book with photos, quotes, stickers, and other lovely details. Or an alternative - make a poster of all the listed things to put on the wall to remind you of the good times every time you pass by. 

How to create a memory book? I searched the Internet for you and found a nice video made by another author.

Create a herb garden on the windowsill

This will be an adventure over several months. 

At first, you will sit impatiently by the pots and wait for something to start sprouting. Then you will see the first seedlings. Then there will be a plot twist - it will turn out that the seedling is a weed that somehow managed to plant itself in a pot (real story from life). But when the herbs start growing, there will always be something to take care of, pruning and water. 

Plus, experiments with herbs will take your cooking skills to the next level. That is if you won't feel remorse for eating them after all of this (another true story from life). 

If there is nothing to do, call or write to someone you haven't spoken to in a long time

Is there someone waiting for your call? Who would you like to call? Some people are always nice to talk to. Take this as a sign that it's time to find the contact on the phone and press the call button. 

And I would especially encourage you to call if you have an older relative for whom your call could be the greatest joy of the day.

Read an entertaining blog article on a topic your are interested in

You could answer - I am already reading a blog article. That's true. But read another one on a topic that interests you. Blog articles are a great, entertaining way to read and gain valuable information for those who aren't ready to commit to reading an entire book. 

What have you always wanted to learn more about?

If it's travel you are interested in, check out some adventure stories here. here.

If there is nothing to do, cook something fun

Trying a new recipe is an adventure for both you and your taste buds. Although, it can sometimes become a nightmare for the taste buds instead. But that's okay. At least it will be fun. Find an interesting, complicated recipe and try it. Here are some examples:

Need ideas? Pinterest is a gold mine.

Put on music and paint mandalas

It's an anti-stress activity to calm your nerves after a long day. Just put your favorite tunes on your headphones, curl up in a blanket with a cup of tea at your fingertips, and color "adult coloring books" aka mandalas. 

PS - if you don't want to run to the bookstore for the mandala coloring book - you can find free printable versions here.

Start a 30 day challenge

Did you know that 30-day challenges are a great way to start new hobbies? 

I once used a challenge to trick myself into doing sports for a month. But if squats aren't your thing, don't worry. There are many other interesting challenges. For example, you could try a 30-day photo challenge.In it, you have to take a photo on a predefined topic every day. Or try a walking challenge, a writing challenge, or even a crochet challenge... In other words, anything can become a challenge as long as you do a specific task for 30 days in a row. 

And if you lack motivation - persuade your friends to complete the challenge with you. You will be able to hold each other accountable.

If there is nothing to do, organize the files and pictures on your phone

Smartphone memory is often like a pile of clothes in a teenager's room. Everything gets thrown into it, and you can't find what you need. When there is nothing to do, it's time to organize everything - delete unnecessary pictures, notes, applications, and contacts. And put everything you need in folders so that it is easier to find later.

Make a list of recipes you would like to try.

When your stomach is grumbling, and you are thinking of what to cook for dinner, you will be very grateful to your past self if, on that day when you had nothing to do, you had made a list of interesting recipe ideas to try. 

Set a 15-minute timer and find as many recipe ideas as you can that you want to try. Then save them to a Google Doc, Pinterest board, or another convenient platform. 

Sort out clothes you don't wear and donate them to charity

It's always nice to help someone. By donating clothes, you will help someone get items that they otherwise could not afford. At the same time, you will also be helping the planet because your used clothes will not end up in landfill. And you will help yourself by freeing up space at home and reducing the pile of clothes you have to rummage through every time you are looking for something in the closet.

That sounds like a way to earn a nice stack of karma points, right?

Where to hand over used clothes? Here is a bit of information about donation collections in Riga.

If there is nothing to do, plan your next vacation

It's always nice to dream. But this is productive dreaming because, at some point, the dream will turn into a real plan, which will save you time in the future. 

And if you are planning a trip abroad, take a look at my article on travel planning.You will find some useful tips there.

Throw out expired items

Do you have items lingering in your kitchen or your bathroom cupboard that was supposed to take the highway to the trash can months ago? I have to admit - there are often things lingering in my closet that are at the point of not being advised to be used. So take this as a sign. It's time to get rid of all the expired stuff.

Learn how to properly prepare your favorite drink so that it tastes great

Making your daily cup of coffee has probably become a routine task for you. But did you know there are tricks and tricks to make coffee even tastier? For example, it's not as simple as just boiling water - the water temperature matters.

Also, different coffee brewing techniques give different results. And somewhere out there, there are dozens of different coffee drink recipes to try. 

It's time to become a coffee expert!

Where to study? Youtube, blogs, and online courses.

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Did you find an idea that you will try today to beat the boredom?

I will add more stuff to this list as soon as I get new ideas about what to do when you are bored.

PS - pictures used in the article are not mine. They are from other talented authors on unsplashed.com.