70 Thoughtful Things to Do Instead of Doomscrolling
Instagram scrolling is the first thing everyone does when they are bored. Twenty minutes in and you’re still scrolling through the same apps, and somehow you feel more tired and restless than before. That’s what doomscrolling does!
I used to reach for Instagram without thinking. Pure muscle memory. And that’s when it clicked, dude, its peak! I need to get out of this social media scrolling life.
If that sounds familiar, and you’ve been searching for things to do when you’re bored instead of scrolling, this list is for you.
There are so many fun things to do when you’re bored that actually make you feel good after. Things to do at home when bored. Things to do alone. Things to do with friends. Productive things, creative things, or just things that get you out of your head for a bit.
But when boredom hits, our brains go straight to the phone like it’s the only option.
Boredom relief doesn’t come from more screen time. It comes from doing literally anything else. Reaching for my phone when I was bored never actually helped. It just filled time.
I still reach out to my phone when feeling bored sometimes but not for Instagram scrolling, I watch those 20 minutes or 40 minutes videos of my interest I saved for later. 😌
So I’ve put together a list of 70 simple, genuinely enjoyable things to do instead of scrolling. Some are really, really cozy, low-effort, and even aesthetically pleasing.
Whether you need things to do at home when bored on a rainy day, ideas for when you’re bored and alone, or ways to stop scrolling and actually feel alive again, this list has you covered.
Real stuff you’ll actually want to try.
Start Wherever You Are
1. Try that new cafe you keep seeing. Order something weird. Sit by the window.
2. Walk a completely different route than usual. Turn down streets you’ve never been on. You’ll find stuff.
3. Go to a pet store and play with the animals. You don’t have to buy anything. Just hold the bunnies and watch the fish tanks.
4. Go geocaching in your area. It’s like a real-life treasure hunt with your phone’s GPS. People hide stuff all over and you find it.
5. Find a park bench and people-watch. Make up stories about strangers walking by.
6. Drive to the next town and explore like a tourist. Their main street probably has something cute.
7. Visit a library you’ve never been to. Different libraries have different vibes. Find yours.
8. Go to a game zone or arcade. Play air hockey by yourself. Try the claw machine. Be twelve again.
9. Take yourself to a matinee movie. Afternoon theaters are weirdly peaceful. Get popcorn. Sit in the middle.
10. Walk around a neighborhood you’ve always thought looks pretty. Look at the houses. Notice the gardens.
11. Find a local museum you’ve never been to. Even small ones have cool stuff. Go on a weekday when it’s empty.
12. Go thrifting in a different area than usual. Rich neighborhoods have insane thrift stores.
13. Take a different grocery store route and actually look at things. Try one ingredient you’ve never bought.
14. Visit a plant nursery even if you kill everything. Greenhouses smell amazing. Touch the leaves.
15. Go to a fancy hotel lobby and sit there like you belong. Read. Have tea. Pretend you’re in a movie.
Cozy at Home Alone
16. Create a “shelf of favorite things” somewhere in your room. Just objects that make you happy. Rearrange it when you’re restless.
17. Press flowers between book pages. Pick them from your yard or buy cheap ones. Check them in a week.
18. Cook one fancy meal from scratch. Not pasta. Something with steps. Plate it pretty. Light a candle.
19. Have a one-person dance party. Close the blinds. Put on the most embarrassing songs. Go hard.
20. Take everything out of one drawer and organize it properly. Junk drawer. Makeup. Whatever. It’s weirdly satisfying.
21. Learn to do something with your hair you’ve never tried. French braid. Pin curls. Those TikTok tutorials.
22. Give yourself a temporary tattoo with eyeliner or pen. Something small. Pretend it’s real for the day.
23. Start a “things I heard today” note on your phone. Random conversations. Funny phrases. Just collect them.
24. Make ice cubes with flowers or fruit inside. Freeze them. Use them later and feel fancy.
25. Cook something in a completely different way than normal. Grill cheese on the stove like a grilled cheese. Try stuff.
26. Record voice memos to yourself about your day. Talk like you’re updating a friend. Listen back months later.
27. Try on everything in your closet and take mirror pics in different combos. Find new outfits you forgot about.
28. Create a playlist for a specific mood you want to feel. Happy morning. Rainy afternoon. Summer night.
29. Light every candle you own at once. Turn off the lights. Just sit there.
30. Learn the words to a song you’ve always mumbled through. Sing it properly. Perform it.
31. Give yourself a head massage with oil. Like really do it. Scalp, temples, behind your ears. Rinse later.
32. Make a “rainy day box” and fill it with things that make you happy. Notes. Photos. Trinkets. Open it when you’re sad.
Creative stuff that’s actually fun
33. Start a one-line-a-day journal. Just one sentence about today. That’s it. You’ll actually keep up.
34. Make a Pinterest board for your dream apartment. Go wild. Save everything you love.
35. Try drawing something from your room without lifting your pen. Continuous line drawing. It looks cool even when it’s bad.
36. Write down every place you want to visit. Not bucket list. Just places that sound nice.
37. Film a day-in-the-life video you never post. Talk to the camera. Narrate your life. Delete it later.
38. Make a collage from magazine cutouts or printed pics. Glue stick. Scissors. Vision board energy but fun.
39. Start a list of things that made you smile this week. Keep adding to it.
40. Learn to whistle parts of a song. Random notes. And maybe later the whole song. Pick one song and master it completely.
41. Try watercolor painting even if you think you can’t. Mess around. Abstract is valid.
42. Write a fictional story about the weirdest thing that happened to you this month.
43. Make friendship bracelets while watching something. Embroidery floss from the craft store. Those patterns you made at camp.
44. Design your ideal day from morning to night. Write it out detailed. Time stamps. Everything.
My Personal Favourites
Niharika X NykaaMove your body without trying
45. Dance around while cleaning. Put on music that makes you move. Clean and dance at the same time.
46. Learn to do a cartwheel or handstand against a wall. You probably haven’t tried since you were ten.
47. Walk to get one specific thing. Coffee. A snack. Make the walk the point.
48. Have a solo photoshoot. Set up your phone. Timer. Pose like you’re in a magazine. Delete most of them.
49. Learn a TikTok dance that looks hard. Slow it down. Practice. Feel accomplished.
50. Practice walking backwards through your house. Sounds dumb but it uses different muscles and feels weird in a good way.
51. Do a workout video but the fun kind. Dance cardio. 2000s aerobics. Not the punishing stuff.
52. Rollerblade or bike somewhere. Remember when that was just what you did? Do that.
Small things that feel good
53. Wash something you rarely wash. Your pillows. Your makeup brushes. The inside of your bag. Gross but it’s for the better. 🙈
54. Take a random shower just to feel clean. Not because you have to. Good smelling soap. Take your time.
55. Drink something hot from your favorite mug. Tea. Hot chocolate. Hold it with both hands.
56. Open all the windows. Let air move through your space. Even for five minutes.
57. Put on an outfit you love but never wear. Wear it at home. Feel cute for no reason.
58. Charge every gadget that’s dead. Phone. Laptop. Headphones. Kindle. All at once. Organized person energy.
59. Delete 100 photos from your camera roll. Screenshots. Blurry pics. Memes you saved eight months ago.
60. Unsubscribe from five emails you never read. Do it now. Instant satisfaction.
61. Light a candle and just sit near it for a while. Watch it flicker. Zone out.
62. Make your favorite childhood snack. Exactly how you used to make it. Eat it slowly.
Things with people
63. Send your long-time friend a random photo from your camera roll with zero context. From three years ago. Make them confused.
64. Call someone instead of texting. Your mom. Your friend. Anyone. Hear their voice.
65. Invite someone over for no reason. Not a plan. Just “want to come over?”
18 Fun Things to Do With Friends at Home
66. Go for a walk with a friend but no destination. Just walk and talk.
67. Start a two-person book club with one friend. One book. Coffee after. That’s it.
68. Play a card game or board game you haven’t touched in years. Uno. Monopoly. Something physical.
69. Cook something together virtually. FaceTime. Both make the same recipe. Eat at the same time.
70. Plan something months from now with someone. A trip. A concert. Something to look forward to together.
21 Things to Do When Bored and Mentally Tired
Bookmark this. Screenshot it. Save it somewhere you’ll actually find it again.
Anything is better than scrolling.
