It is hard not to go stir crazy when cooped up at home for an extended period of time. You probably are not used to spending this much time alone. Up until recently, your calendar was driving you insane. You were complaining about how much you had to get done as you drank out of your “I am always busy” mug.
But we can look at this time as an opportunity to finally do all of the things you talked about wanting to do but never had enough time for. A chance to stay in, practice self-care, and get your mind right without fear of FOMO.
It is easy to spend this time scrolling through TikTok or watching reruns of Gossip Girl, but there are more creative ways to spend your time. The Edit team presents you with 100 ways to spend your time when social distancing at home.
100 Things To Do When Bored
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Make a series of niche Spotify playlists and give them fun album artwork.
This time alone is a great opportunity for you to expand your musical tastes and share them with friends and followers. This also means when you finally do get to go back out, you’ll have an awesome playlist to jam out to while you get ready.
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Start a YouTube channel to vlog your daily musings.
Not only can this YouTube channel act as a fun video diary for you to look back on, maybe you’ll strike gold and get famous as a YouTuber!
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Watch all of the Academy Award-winning movies.
Time to actually go back and watch all those movies you heard were so great and said you would add to your watch list.
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Start a memory box with old movie ticket stubs, photo booth print-outs and other memorabilia.
Organize all your nick nacks and memorabilia by creating a fun memory box that you can look back on when you’re older.
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Reorganize and deep clean your room.
Let’s be honest: your room probably needs a deep clean. And a new look for your room can make your day seem a bit brighter.
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Learn how to make bread and start a bread Instagram to document the journey.
Not only is breadmaking a good skill to have – it’s a tasty one, too! You can also find new friends as you share this journey online.
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Train for a half marathon.
Time to finally pick up running! Driving off your boredom with exercise means you can get in shape and find a new form of entertainment.
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Film a mukbang (a video of you eating) for your newly started YouTube channel.
Keep your new YouTube channel interesting with different kinds of videos. Who knows? Maybe you’ll break into a mukbang niche.
Emerge from this pandemic with the most flawless skin by perfecting your skincare routine. Test all the different serums and cleansers that you’ve wanted to try now.
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Build a thousand-piece puzzle.
Exercise your mind by building a challenging puzzle – and then show it off to your friends and family once you’ve finished.
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Try out a difficult eyeshadow look you have had saved to your IG folders.
It’s time. You’ve probably been looking at the picture every time you flip through your saved images and passed it by because it looked too difficult. But now that we’re indoors all the time, there’s no one to judge if you don’t do it perfectly.
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Start jade rolling your face each morning.
Rejuvenate your skin with a jade roller. Even though we might be at home and bored, that doesn’t mean we should slack on our skincare routine.
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Write to your friends and family members handwritten letters or postcards.
Use creative new ways to keep in contact with friends and family by making use of letters – and practice making your handwriting all the neater.
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Create a physical vision board by cutting up magazines.
Make use of all those old magazines you have lying around by creating a vision board for the future so you can manifest all your hopes and dreams.
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Watch Love is Blind so you can make small talk at parties in the future.
Binge-watching a reality TV show can give you some really great ways to break the ice at parties – ask everyone who their favorite couple was to start some drama.
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Write a haiku poem.
Get in touch with your creative side by returning to your poetic roots. Just remember – it’s five, seven, five syllables. It can’t be that hard!
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Update your LinkedIn and polish your resume.
Keeping your professional socials updated and polished can only help you in the future – so you might as well take advantage of the time you have now to do so.
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Knit hats to donate to the hospital.
Not only are you learning a fun new hobby by doing this, but you’re also helping out those in need.
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Download Duolingo and learn a new language.
Have you been dreaming of traveling to a foreign country but worried you won’t be able to communicate with the locals? Start learning that foreign language now so you’ll be prepared.
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Launch your TikTok career.
Time to learn that fun new TikTok dance so you can try your hand at TikTok fame.
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Learn how to a handstand.
Dust off those childhood gymnastic skills. First, learn how to do a handstand. Second, cartwheel. Third, maybe even a backflip, if you’re feeling ambitious.
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Bake an old-school family recipe.
By taking up this hobby, you’re making delicious food and also keeping in touch with your family roots. Make sure to share the fruits of your labor with your relatives when you’re finished.
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Organize your Pinterest boards.
The time has come; organize your Pinterest boards to perfection so you have an aesthetic board to go to for inspiration.
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Replicate a fancy hairdo off YouTube.
Learn how to do that fancy updo you’ve always dreamed about so you can take dramatic pictures to post on your Insta.
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Learn to play chess.
Weren’t we all a little inspired by The Queen’s Gambit? Time to learn how to play chess so you can try your hand at the game (and understand what’s going on in the show).
It’s important that you’re taking care of your mental and physical health. Taking a moment to relax in the mornings can help with stress.
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Update your personal website.
Time to polish off that personal website; make it look bright, shiny, and appealing to attract interested users.
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Start a newsletter of non-viral content.
Learn email marketing and make new friends by starting an online newsletter.
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Record that podcast episode you’ve been talking about for months.
You’ve been talking about it forever and it’s time to put your voice where your mouth is and get to recording.
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Map out what you want your future to look like.
This can be as fun or as serious as you would like! You can even use that vision board that you’ve made earlier to add some aesthetic imagery.
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Watch all TED Talks people have sent you over the years.
You can finally go back to that friend and let them know you watched that video and you loved it as much as they said you would (and learned something new).
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Practice shadow figures on the wall.
You’ll be the life of the party when it comes time to show off skills learned during the pandemic.
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Make a donation box of clothing you always say you will wear but never do.
Clean out that closet and finally get rid of those clothes you kept saving for summer so you can make room for your next shopping trip.
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Jumpstart your cooking career.
Always wanted to learn how to make creme brulee but never had the chance? Make a delicious meal, learn a new skill and jumpstart your cooking career!
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Get your inbox to zero.
Finally, get those a thousand something emails down. You’d be surprised how much better you feel when you’re down to the double digits.
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Floss and tongue scrape.
Look at how much gunk you get off your tongue when you’re done with that tongue scraping, too. Enjoy the knowledge that your breath will be fresh and clean when finished.
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Create a list of favorites. Do you know what your favorite color is? Dog? Vegetable?
Once you’re done, you can make a quiz out of your answers and share it with friends and family to find the person who knows you better than you know yourself.
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Do a sit-up challenge. Ex. 100 sit-ups a day.
Keep your body happy and healthy by partaking in a physical challenge!
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Research award-winning podcast episodes and listen to one every morning.
Learn something new and expand your recommendation list so you have something exciting to bring up when you’re on long Zoom calls.
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Set up a pretty photoshoot backdrop at home and have a mini self-portrait shoot.
Pair this with your new eyeshadow and hair look, and you’ll have photos to treasure for years to come.
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Stretch daily so you can get to the splits.
Sure, you probably haven’t been anywhere near accomplishing a split in years, but you have the time to get there again.
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Create itineraries for cities you want to visit in the future.
Just because we’re cooped up indoors and bored doesn’t mean we have to stop dreaming of travel. List all the cities you can’t wait to see so you can start planning!
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Scan old family photos and back them up to a computer.
Finally, clean up your phone and camera then back up those important photos to your computer.
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Create new outfits from the clothes you have in your closet.
Sure you always say you have nothing to wear… but it’s time to see if you can make any new combinations with what you have!
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Put hot oil in your hair since no one is around to see you.
Moisturize your dry, color-treated hair and prevent future split ends by treating yourself to hot oil treatment.
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Plan what you are gifting your friends for their birthdays.
That way you don’t have to just give them a gift card or ship something overnight because you forget about it until the last minute.
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Take a luxurious bath filled with salts, bath bombs and candles.
Take some time to finally relax and enjoy all those wonderful-smelling candles and bath bombs you bought.
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Spend time playing board games – Catan, Ticket to Ride, Exploding Kittens.
Become the expert in all things board games so when you finally can have friends and family over, you can beat all of them. Or better yet – host a virtual game night so you can beat them now!
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Plan a housewarming party or a virtual hang with friends.
Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Plan a virtual hangout so you can reconnect with friends and family.
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Ride bikes around the neighborhood.
Explore your neighborhood and maybe say hi to a few neighbors.
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Shoot some hoops.
Time to perfect that infamous layup so you can show it off to friends later.
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Splurge on one thing you have really wanted for a long-time, straight from your couch.
You’ve been wanting to buy it forever. With all the stress in your life, don’t you deserve it?
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Write the first chapter of your autobiography.
Time for the world to know more about you. Figure out where in your life you would want to start and share the first chapter of your life.
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Paint one wall of your home a fun color.
Sure, you love hot pink and everyone always told you it would look terrible, but it’s just one wall. What’s the harm?
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Read at least one literary classic. Ex. The Canterbury Tales, Lolita, or Pride & Prejudice.
When you’re finished, maybe message your high school English teacher to let them know you’ve finally read that book instead of Sparks Noting it.
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Write a love letter to your crush, and do not even send it, a la To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Or just send it because #yolo.
Time to confess. Who knows? Maybe they’ll respond!
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Have a solo dance party, or at least learn a new dance move.
Turn up that music loud and let yourself go. Dance like no one’s watching!
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Give yourself a spa-like manicure and pedicure.
You’ve probably always wanted to do some kind of fancy nail art. Take your time and maybe break out some candles to treat yourself.
Scrub off all that dead skin, dirt, oil and other buildup from antiperspirant and deodorant for squeaky clean pits. Get yourself not only feeling good but also smelling good with an armpit detox.
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Perfect your matcha latte recipe.
Learn how to make the most refreshing drink so you can brighten your morning – and then you can show off to your co-workers once you’ve become a pro.
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Read and understand your birth chart.
Time to better understand yourself. Look up your birth chart and learn why you do the things you do.
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Stalk your crush. Go past the first page of the Google search.
Have you ever gone past that first page? Maybe they’re hiding some dark secret you can finally uncover…
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Write down what you are grateful for.
It’s always good to take time and enjoy the things in life that make it worth living. Take a moment to notice the things that make you happy.
Appreciate yourself and your body. You know you deserve the attention.
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Create a sacred space somewhere in your home.
This place can be somewhere you recharge and relax or a place you can draw inspiration from. Either way, it should be a place specifically devoted to you.
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Practice breathing techniques.
Calm and ground yourself with breathing techniques that you can apply whenever you need to relax.
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Start an herb garden.
Work on your green thumb and spice up your dishes with fresh and delicious herbs.
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Make a list of jokes to pull out at the next dinner gathering.
There’s no better way to break the ice than a good joke! Doesn’t hurt to look more into some common puns too to lighten the mood.
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Call a friend you haven’t talked to for years and spend hours catching up with them.
Time to reach out to that old high school friend and see how they’re doing. They’re probably pretty bored too!
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Write a monologue and practice to perform it somewhere.
Maybe it’s time to do that stand-up comedy monologue, after all, you’ve always thought about it. Perform until you move yourself to laughter, then you’ll be ready.
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Rearrange your room or your living room.
Spending all day, every day in the same place can be exhausting. Rearrange some furniture for a new, fresh feel.
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Dust off your Wii and play “Just Dance.”
Time to perfect those “Just Dance” moves. Bring them to the next family gathering once you’ve mastered every song.
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Create a music mix and post it on SoundCloud.
You’ve probably always had some little beat bouncing around in your head. Well, now is the time to share!
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Practice hand-lettering or calligraphy.
Perfect your calligraphy so you can create a beautiful piece of artwork to liven up your home.
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Get familiar with your finances, get to know your 401K, and learn about investing.
Time spent researching finances is always well spent; see how your 401K is progressing and maybe look into a Roth IRA.
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Watch all the music videos you never had time for.
An hour-long music video is easily accomplishable now. Buckle up for a music video marathon.
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Create a dating app profile.
Sure, you might have scorned dating apps in the past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try your hand at Tinder or Bumble (again). Take some cute selfies and spruce up that profile!
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Learn how to trim your own hair.
Save money and get cute bangs? That sounds like a good idea!
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Plan your next weekend trip somewhere cool, for whenever the travel ban is lifted.
Always wanted to take a flight to the tropics but never had the time to plan? Work out the logistics now so all you have to do is book the plane later.
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Memorize your favorite poem.
Work out your mind and maybe even prepare for a competition where you can test your memorization skills against others.
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Practice preservation in the kitchen, then gift the jars of preserved blueberries as mementos when it’s safe to do so.
You probably have had fruit go bad on you millions of times before. No more of that now! You can preserve your old fruit and make it a gift for later.
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Record a “20 Things You Didn’t Know About Me” video.
Maybe this can be added to your new YouTube channel?
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Make friendship bracelets.
Show your love for your friends and get started on their next birthday or holiday present.
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Work on a New York Times crossword puzzle or a Sudoku book.
Sharpen your mind by working through a good puzzle.
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Download Alo Moves and do a daily yoga class.
Use your new yoga classes as a way to work out in the morning or even relax in the evening.
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Give yourself a massage.
Working from home does not absolve your shoulders and necks from painful knots. Massage away your tension and troubles.
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Deep clean your home. Ex. Sheets, linens, carpet wash, etc.
Time to give those linens and carpets the wash they deserve with a good cleaning.
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Develop/print pictures and frame them, then make wall art.
Trying to figure out a cost-effective way to add a personal touch to your home? Create your own wall art!
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Learn how to brew your own coffee.
Liven up your mornings by brewing your own coffee and so you can have a delicious and refreshing start before heading to work or school.
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Research the healing powers of Ayurveda.
Research this alternative medicine system and use Ayurveda as a way to rejuvenate yourself, improving both your motivation and your energy levels.
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Pretend you are a contestant on chopped and create new unique recipes.
Make sure to talk into the camera and host. You can’t leave your audience hanging while you whip up that new dish.
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Jump rope.
Not only is it good exercise, but it’s also a fun hobby!
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Build Ikea furniture.
You might have that one box you picked up from the store months ago that you’ve been putting off the building. Time to open it up and assemble that chair!
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Make your own nut milk.
Dairy products can sometimes be hard on the stomach. Try making your own cashew milk and test it over your cereal or in a smoothie.
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Create your own signature cocktail.
It’s time to find the best tasting and best-looking drink.
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Play Mad Libs.
Alleviate all of your boredom by playing a fun and entertaining game. Fill in the blanks for Mad Libs word puzzles for hours of laughs.
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Delete all the strange screenshots off your phone.
You probably have half a dozen accidental pictures of your thumb (or worse, your ex) taking up space on your phone. Maybe it’s time for those to finally remove those.
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Do your taxes.
Better to get them done now than to get them done late.
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Write down 100 things you would like to do before you die.
Time to tackle that bucket list you always referred to but never had the time to get started on.
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Start studying for the GMAT or GRE.
Time spent studying now can only help you in the future.
We only recommend products we have independently researched, tested, and loved. If you purchase a product found through our links, Sunday Edit may earn an affiliate commission.
The above ideas have been provided by various Sunday Riley Edit team members and co-authored by Kat Edwards.
