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You’re bored of life.
Every day feels like a chore, and you can’t remember the last time you felt any excitement or joy. It just feels like you’re going through the motions and waiting for something to happen.
There are lots of reasons you might feel bored. Maybe life is too easy for you, or perhaps you’re lacking direction in life. You might even feel like there are just too many options for things to do, and you can’t pick one.
Whatever the reason you’re feeling so bored and empty, there are plenty of things you can do to snap yourself out of it and get some joy and passion back in your life.
In this article, I will look at why you’re bored and give you 13 things you can do to find your spark again.
Let’s go.
Why are you bored all the time?
Before you can take action to pull yourself out of boredom, you need to understand why you’re bored in the first place.
You might assume that most boredom comes from simple laziness or lack of motivation, but this isn’t true at all. Your boredom might be masking another issue in your life, including depression or anxiety.
Here are 6 reasons why you’re feeling bored with life.
1. You have too many options
A common reason why you might be bored is that you have too many options in your life. I know that sounds a little counterintuitive, but hear me out.
In today’s world, we are all faced with a massive amount of options when it comes to the things we could do in our spare time. Activities to do, things to eat, places to go, games to play, shows to watch – there’s almost an infinite number of options at our fingertips 24/7.
The amount of choice can feel paralyzing, and half the time, you end up either choosing nothing or wishing you’d chosen something else.
Just think about what happens when you sit down to watch Netflix. There are literally thousands of different shows and films you could pick to watch. It’s easy to spend more time scrolling through shows (feeling uninspired and bored) than actually watching something.
All the options are great for variety, but very little feels special anymore. We end up bored because we aimlessly wander through all the choices without any actual direction.
Having such easy access to everything has also conditioned us into thinking that everything should be available instantly and all of the time. Any time we can’t get what we want, we’re instantly bored again.
2. Your life doesn’t have any hardship
You might be bored because everything seems easy for you at the moment, and there are no challenges to overcome.
You need a challenge so that something feels hard and you can push through it. Once you persevere, overcoming the challenge is incredibly rewarding.
It’s the old adage of ‘no pain, no gain.’ If nothing is really hard or challenging in your life right now, you’ll struggle to find anything that excites you.
Just think about when you actually enjoy exercising – it’s never because it feels easy! It always seems to be that last ten minutes of a workout where things start to get tough but then suddenly become easier again as you finish up your session.
When there are struggles in life, you have something to work towards. Without them, it can feel like you’re not really making any progress.
There’s nothing wrong with having easy-going moments for a while but know that boredom is likely if this becomes your everyday existence.
3. You have unrealistic expectations about life
It’s easy to start feeling bored with life when you see so many successful people on social media or in the news. You feel like your own achievements pale in comparison.
We all know that social media isn’t a true reflection of what people are doing behind closed doors. Still, it can be difficult not to compare yourself when scrolling through social media for hours on end.
Having these unrealistic expectations means that things never seem good enough – you’re always one step away from being truly happy, which is totally exhausting! You get bored because nothing feels ‘big’ enough anymore.
Take some time out where you don’t use any form of social media to focus on achieving small goals without constantly comparing yourself to others.
You might even find once you stop looking at everyone else, you’ll start to appreciate your own life more again.
4. You’re lacking direction
A lack of direction is another reason why you might be bored of life.
We live in a world where it’s so easy to get distracted with things that don’t really matter or achieve anything. When you have no purpose, nothing seems important anymore.
It feels like life has lost its meaning entirely.
Maybe you have a job that doesn’t excite you, and you’re purely doing it to pay the bills. Or perhaps whatever you’re studying at school feels like a massive waste of time and will never give you any valuable skills.
I’m not about to tell you to quit your job or school. But you need to find some kind of goal or direction to make the grind feel more worthwhile.
Your goals don’t have to be grandiose or anything, just something that you can work towards. Maybe it’s as simple as planning what you’re going to do on the weekend to give yourself a reward for slogging through another week.
Having a direction in life means your life starts to feel full of purpose, which will keep boredom at bay much longer than just aimless wandering.
5. You aren’t taking any action
You might be so bored with life that you’ve stopped taking any action whatsoever. It feels much easier to sit back and wait for things rather than putting in the hard work.
This is a vicious circle. You feel bored, which means you aren’t motivated to take any action. And the lack of action fuels even more boredom. And before you know it, the most significant achievement of your day was reaching the bottom of your Instagram feed.
This is a common problem for younger people who are constantly looking at their phones or gaming consoles. It’s easy to feel like life is passing you by, and taking part in the real world is more and more difficult.
You can’t expect life to be exciting all of the time, so if you’re bored, it’s important that you take some kind of action. Even something small like getting up and going for a walk will help shake things up and bring benefits to your life.
The only thing worse than being bored is living with regret. You never want to end up looking back, knowing there are things you could have done but didn’t at least try.
6. You don’t embrace new opportunities
If you don’t embrace the chance to try new things, you’ll probably get bored of life pretty quickly.
So when you see a new opportunity come up, don’t be afraid to go for it even if you’re scared or worried about whether it will work out.
It might not always pay off, but at least you tried something different. The alternative is to stay in your comfort zone where nothing ever changes – which means more boredom!
When you see the world as full of opportunities rather than barriers, you’ll soon start having fun again – even if the outcome is uncertain.
7. You don’t like being alone
Have you considered that it’s possible you’re bored of life because you hate being alone? You might actually be bored with your own company!
If this sounds like you, then you’re probably putting too much pressure on yourself to have fun all the time.
Spending time by yourself doesn’t need to be boring – there are so many things that can keep your mind occupied when no one else is around.
Try reading a book or watching some TV without feeling guilty about wasting time. Find a new hobby or passion that you can enjoy all by yourself.
And if none of these things are interesting enough, then maybe it’s time to start making some new friends or reconnecting with old ones!
8. Are you actually depressed?
If you’re feeling bored with life all the time, you need to make sure you’re not actually suffering from depression.
It’s easy to mistake bored feelings for being depressed when they are two completely different things. Depression is a mental health condition that can affect your whole life – where boredom just makes the world feel less interesting than usual.
If you’ve been feeling down or struggling with motivation, it might be worth speaking to someone, so the issues don’t spiral out of control and worsen over time.
Boredom isn’t something that needs to be fixed, but if all of these problems sound like you, then maybe it’s time to take action before the problem gets too big to solve on your own!
How to stop feeling bored with life
Now that I’ve discussed all the reasons you might be feeling bored, it’s time to look at what you can do to stop feeling so empty all the time.
Don’t wait too long before taking action – being bored with life is a problem you shouldn’t ignore. It will only get worse over time if you don’t make some changes in your life.
1. Set goals
Setting goals is a great way to make sure you’re not bored with life.
Having something to work towards will give your life more purpose and help break up the monotony of everyday existence.
When you have goals, it’s easy to lose track of time because all of your focus is on achieving them as quickly as possible.
The best part about setting goals is they don’t need to be complicated. Even something as small as committing to reading a book each week is a great goal.
Just find something that you enjoy and focus on it – soon enough, your life will be so full of exciting things to do, boredom won’t have any space left at all.
And once you’re out of the rut of boredom, you can start to set more ambitious goals like figuring out what you want to do with your life.
2. Start exercising
Take the time to exercise each week, and you’ll soon start noticing how your bored feelings are replaced with motivation.
It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re working out, which helps your mind stay focused. It also helps create a routine in your life – which will help you feel more in control of how things are going.
Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated either. Even simple things like taking a walk or going for a run are enough to get your heart pumping and boost the endorphins in your brain.
The trick is to find a form of exercise that you enjoy – this way, it won’t feel like a chore and can be something to look forward to.
Exercise has also been proven to be good for your mental health as well as physical health. It releases chemicals that make you feel good about yourself and can help fight against depression.
3. Meet new people
Meeting new people is another excellent way to stop feeling bored with life.
You don’t have to go out and meet new people every weekend. Just being around some different faces occasionally will help your mind feel more stimulated again.
If you’re unsure where to start, why not look for a class or club that covers topics that interest you?
It doesn’t matter if it’s something practical like learning how to code or fun like joining an improv show. What matters is being social, so boredom can never take hold of your thoughts again!
Meeting new people also exposes you to new ideas and can be a great way to learn more about yourself. You never know, you might end up finding a new hobby that will become your passion in life!
And once you’ve made new friends, ask them to hang out outside of the class. You might be surprised at how easy it is to make plans after years of being bored with life.
Related: How to talk to people: 12 tricks to communicate better
4. Spend more time with your friends and family
When you’re bored with life, your friends and family can seem even more boring.
You’ve seen them so many times, and you always go to the same places and have the same conversations.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Spending time with your friends and family can help boost your mood and cure your boredom.
Ask your friends and family new and interesting questions that you don’t already know the answer to. This will help your mind stay stimulated and make your time with them more entertaining.
Or ask them to join you in a new activity or hobby. This can be a great way to bond and create memories that you’ll never forget.
You can also ask for their advice if you’re feeling bored with life. They know you better than anyone else and might have some good advice to shake you out of it.
Related: 16 signs your family doesn’t care about you (and how to deal with it)
5. Learn to make something
Learning to make something is a great way to cure your boredom because it can become something you enjoy doing.
You don’t have to pick an activity that will take years of practice. Even simple things like learning how to cook or knitting are enough to keep your mind busy and get it thinking in new ways.
The great thing about the internet is there’s no shortage of easy-to-follow tutorials for pretty much anything you can think of.
You can also learn a new skill that will help you make money, like coding or financial planning. You might even enjoy it so much that it becomes a new career opportunity.
Creating something tangible that you can hold onto will make all your hard work seem worthwhile. This is why people get so excited when they finish their first drawing or write that book they’ve been thinking about for years!
6. Start a journal
Journaling can seem like a pretty dull activity, especially if you’re already bored and don’t have anything to write about.
But journaling is a great way to combat boredom because it forces you to think about your life.
Writing down all of the things that bore you will help put them into perspective and make it easier for you to let go of what’s making you feel empty inside.
Of course, if writing isn’t really your thing, then why not try drawing or painting? This is another creative activity that can stimulate new parts of your brain and give you space to think about your life.
You could even use journaling as an opportunity to practice mindfulness by focusing only on how you feel as you write. This might be hard at first, but it’ll become easier with time, like anything else.
Just remember that there’s no right or wrong way to journal – just keep writing, and you’ll find a system that works for you!
7. Push yourself out of your comfort zone
Sometimes you just need a push to get out of your comfort zone and see the world differently.
There are so many opportunities around us that we never take advantage of because they seem too intimidating.
But trust me when I say it’s well worth pushing yourself beyond what seems like your limits. You might end up learning something completely unexpected about yourself along the way!
There are plenty of activities out there that will scare you out of your boredom, so don’t limit yourself! Just remember to go at a pace that feels comfortable and take things slow if needed.
8. Help someone less fortunate than you
If you’ve got nothing better going on in your life, why not go out and help those less fortunate than you?
Helping others can not only give your bored mind something to think about, but it’ll also make you feel like a better person.
If you’re able, why not donate some of your time to charity? You might even find that the simple act of giving is enough reward for yourself!
This will really take your focus off whatever’s making you bored in life and hopefully, turn things around – who knows what could happen if we all helped each other just a little bit more?!
9. Travel somewhere new and different
Traveling is a great way to jolt you out of boredom because it can bring you face to face with new people and places.
Even if it’s not somewhere completely different, just getting out of your own town or city for a while might be enough to make you see things in a whole new light!
Traveling is so valuable because it gives us perspective on our lives – whether that means appreciating what we have more or knowing exactly where we want to go next.
And sometimes, all you need is some time away from everything familiar before realizing that there are no problems worth worrying about at home!
10. Start dating
If you’re bored and single, why not try dating? It might seem like a hassle, but I promise you’ll feel so much better about yourself if you go on a few dates.
Online dating gives you so many options and chances to meet people who share your interests. It might be a bit intimidating at first, but the more you try, the easier it gets.
There are thousands of amazing people out there waiting for someone like you. You never know. You might find the love of your life.
Related: Will I ever find love? 19 ways to increase your chances
11. Try new hobbies or activities
Curing your boredom with life could be as simple as forcing yourself to try a new hobby.
There are so many activities out there that you might be missing out on just because they seem too complicated or exhausting.
The trick is to just get up off the couch and try something new. It doesn’t require a lot of money or commitment – it could be as simple as trying out a new workout or taking up sketching in a notebook.
Don’t be afraid if you suck at first. That’s the whole point of trying new things! Just give yourself a chance and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.
If finding the perfect hobby for yourself seems too difficult, why not go out and try new things with friends? It might be a more social approach, but there are plenty of benefits to learning something new together!
12. Explore new foods
There’s no point feeling bored with life when we have access to so many different foods.
Take a trip down your local supermarket and pick up something completely new. It’s a great way to learn about new flavors and cultures.
Even better, why not learn to cook? Cooking is a fantastic skill, and mastering new recipes will give you a tremendous sense of achievement.
It also gives you an excuse to invite all your friends over for dinner parties and make them try all the weirdest things you can find.
Or if you can afford it, go out to dinner more! Exploring new restaurants is an adventure in itself, and you can have fun trying different cuisines from around the world!
13. Hang out with kids
One of the best ways to remind yourself that you don’t have to be bored with life is hanging out with kids.
Kids are so funny and unpredictable that it’s impossible to be bored when you’re trying to keep up with their every move.
And little kids are masters at entertaining themselves. They remind you that having fun doesn’t need to be complicated, and you don’t need fancy toys or gadgets.
14. Discover what you really want from life
This is easier said than done, but one of the best ways to stop feeling bored with life is to figure out what you really want.
It can be as simple as asking yourself the right questions and thinking about the things that make you happy and fulfilled.
The hard part is taking action and actually building the kind of life that you want. Just remember that it’s never too late to make a change and start living the life you want!
And if you don’t have any clue what you want from life, you just need to start trying things until you find something that motivates you.
15. Learn to be grateful
For a lot of people, feeling bored also makes you feel kind of selfish. That’s probably because bored people are always focusing on what they want and don’t have.
But I promise you, there’s so much to be grateful for in life. Not just things like good health or family but also the little moments that often get ignored because we’re trying too hard to find something more exciting!
Start by thinking about why being bored with life might actually be a good thing – maybe it gives you time to think about what really matters in your own world.
Then focus on all the fantastic things in your own life instead of wishing for something else.
16. Change your career
It might sound like a big step, but switching careers can be one of the best ways to stop feeling bored with life – even if it’s just for a little while.
You’ll have so much more time and energy when you don’t feel stuck in an unfulfilling job, making it easier to find new hobbies or try new things.
Few people can afford to quit their jobs and try something new, but changing careers doesn’t have to mean quitting your job! You could just look for a new role within the same company or try out freelancing on the side.
The point is to explore what else you can do and what might make you more satisfied and less bored.
Is boredom the same as depression?
It’s important to remember that boredom is not the same as depression.
Depression is a severe mental illness that can happen to anyone. While bored people might be feeling kind of down, they aren’t actually suffering from depression, and it’s not something you need to feel ashamed about.
If you’re experiencing symptoms like fatigue or sadness for more than two weeks at a time, then please seek help immediately! You don’t have to suffer in silence – there are mental health organizations that will listen and advise you on what steps you can take next.
Why it’s good to be bored sometimes
I’ve talked a lot about how to cure your boredom, but it’s also totally okay to be bored sometimes.
In fact, being bored can have positive effects on your life.
It’s an excellent opportunity to learn how to be alone with your thoughts and take some time for yourself. You can focus on your own happiness, which we all seem to neglect too often these days!
When you’re bored, it also means that you have fewer distractions and can focus more clearly on what’s important in your life.
It can also give you the space to be more creative and spark new ideas or ways to think about a problem.
So next time someone asks if you’re bored with life, just remember that there are way more important things in this world than being entertained every second of the day.
