Do you have a hard time finding things to do to keep you busy? Perhaps you get bored when on a car ride or sitting in class.
After all, most of us spend a great deal of time doing things that we do not truly enjoy. It is important to remember that we need to keep busy to be happy.
Being productive can provide a sense of excitement for those who prefer doing things that have a positive outcome.
The following list of productive activities will help you keep yourself from getting bored.
Visit a friend
When you are bored, you often become very introspective. Spending time with a friend can help you to improve your mood and your outlook on life.
Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are not the only ones who are bored and that others have gone through hard times.
However, be aware that friendships can be complicated.
Spend time with the friends that you already have, and spend more time with those who don’t have much in the way of close relationships with you.
There are many other productive activities that you can engage in when you are bored.
Why not check out the movie or TV recommendations that your friends have created for you? The TV is probably the most important device in the home.
Ask a friend to join you to watch a movie or even a movie rental.
Take a bath
Baths are often associated with being clean. While that is certainly true, they also are a great way to clear your mind.
Use this opportunity to indulge in a long soak. If you find that you do not have enough hot water, fill the tub up with ice cubes.
Even if you have to use a spoon or a cup to stay warm, you will find that the time spent in the tub is highly productive.
It’s also nice to take the time to read while taking a bath. This can be a very relaxing way to spend your time.
Fix something
We often make fun of people who can only work on projects in groups. However, the right conditions are not hard to come by.
If you are in your house, you can get out some tools and fix something. If you are stuck on a problem, you can find the solution to it.
If you are stuck in traffic, you can use that time to put your problem into action.
If you have something that you are unsure of, the simple fact that you are aware that there is an issue is enough to get you going.
You can make an educated guess, and if you are lucky, you will be right.
Even if you are wrong, you have put your brain to work in the process of trying to solve a problem.
There are a lot of ways that you can spend your time while you are bored. All of the listed activities will help you to find something positive to do when you are bored.
Sit down and do some laundry
According to a study conducted at the University of British Columbia, men are more likely to engage in “non-productive behaviors” when they are bored and thinking of women.
But when they are distracted by a video game, it is twice as likely they will engage in “productive behaviors” like washing dishes.
Another study at the University of Utah found that men actually wash the dishes more frequently when there’s a football game on.
Watch a movie
According to the Psychological Science Blog: a survey of 4,000 people showed that people are 12% more likely to have sex when watching a romantic movie or a romantic-type TV show than when not watching it.
Why? Women were more likely to report they were aroused by scenes in the movies than men, and men were more likely to report the other big sex effect: increased desire.
One study at the University of Chicago found that when watching a romantic movie, the men will rate the emotional content of the video as more pleasurable and will rate the sex scenes more pleasurable, too.
The study was even conducted during the same time as the Super Bowl, and the results were similar, so it wasn’t just because football was on.
Study
I just taught myself how to do math without looking at a book or website.
So I made a video on how to do math with your eyes closed.
More importantly, how many people would be willing to pay for something like this?
You’d pay a lot of money for it, right? Yes, and the results are probably very enlightening.
Make a to-do list
Want to improve productivity in the morning? Make a to-do list.
I do this most mornings before I get out of bed. It has everything on it, including the 2-5 things I need to do for work, my usual check-in with my wife, and 3 things that I want to get done that day.
Once I get out of bed, I go over the list and, if I have enough time, work on those.
If I don’t have time, I just check-in with my wife, and other tasks will have to wait.
