Top 10 fun (and free!) things to do alone at home when bored
Top 10 fun (and free!) things to do alone at home when bored
There may be many reasons why you’re looking for things to do alone at home when bored.
It may be the week before payday and you’re skint or you’ve just been on an epic trip and need to replenish your savings. Or you’ve just forced yourself to take some time out because life lately has just become a bit too much!
Whatever the reason may be, with a mix of good food, entertainment, self-care, home workouts and travel planning – this list will not only keep you occupied, you’ll have fun whilst you’re at it!
Here are the top 10 fun (and free!) things to do alone at home when bored (no tidying or life admin included!).
1) Have an at home spa day
This is hands down one of my favourite things to do alone at home when bored because we seldom have the time or energy to go all in on our self-care.
So D-E-S-T-R-E-S-S and treat yourself to a little spa day!
Run a bubble bath, light some candles, turn the lights off, put some spa music on and give yourself a facial.
Been saving all your expensive products for a special occasion? Well, now it’s time to crack those babies open!
I’m a big fan of Lush and Body Shop which do great vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics. But I was recently gifted a Nurture by Nature bath set and highly recommend it!
It’s got everything you could possibly need for an at-home spa day, including: a hair mask, bath bombs, body scrub, body butter, lavender roll on and a candle.
You can also get the set on next day delivery with Amazon which is a bonus if your alone time at home has been planned last minute!
A little time to take a breath and relax will make all the difference when you’re at home alone.
Also – when was the last time you treated myself to a bit of R&R? If you can’t remember, this ‘time out’ is probably just what you need!
2) Do some travel planning
If you have some time to yourself at home, why not use this valuable free time to do some travel planning?
Even if you’re stuck at home due to financial constraints, you can still enjoy putting a non-committal plan together of where you’d like to go and things you want to do in the future.
A great guide for travel planning in Europe is The New York Times travel book, ’36 hours in Europe’ which helps you transform your weekends into European adventures!
But travel planning doesn’t have to mean booking a big expensive trip. It could be shortlisting some potential weekend staycations to book later this year.
Some of my favourite staycations have been low-key off-grid getaways in the countryside like in this awesome cabin and treehouse in Wales.
3) Catch up on your reading list uninterrupted
I don’t know about you, but the only time I get chance to read an entire book is on holiday. It’s also the only time I fully switch off long enough to get through a book!
If you’re the same, why not treat your time at home alone as a mini getaway?
Take the time to catch up on your reading list without the distractions that come with being constantly on the move.
Reading is also fantastic for our mental health! According to a study conducted by the University of Sussex, reading can reduce stress levels by as much as 68%. Even more than listening to music or going for a walk.
Some of my favourite recent books have been: ‘You are a Badass: How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life’, ‘Happy Sexy Millionaire: unexpected truths about fulfilment, love and success’ and Will Smith’s autobiography.
If you don’t fancy reading a book, why not catch up on your favourite blogs? There’s nothing I love more than catching up on all my favourite travel blogs and getting inspired for new adventures.
4) Learn a new skill
Use this time at home alone to try something new, whilst keeping your mind occupied.
It could be anything – building a big lego set, learning a new language, cross stitching – anything!
If you want to try your hand at something creative, I highly recommend ‘Sculpd’. It’s an air-drying pottery set that allows you to make your own pottery at home without a kiln.
The kit gets delivered to your home with all the clay, tools, paint and instructions you need to make awesome personalised pottery.
5) Do some journaling
Journaling offers a tonne of benefits! Which makes it one of the top things to do alone at home when bored! Especially when you find you barely having a minute to yourself these days!
Journaling provides a safe space to express your thoughts. It helps you process your emotional state, relieves stress and helps you gain clarity about what’s been going on in your life.
Sounds awfully deep I know! But I must say, even though I don’t journal regularly, I ALWAYS feel better afterwards. Plus, it helps me to understand myself better and track my own personal growth over time.
Remember that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to journaling. You can adapt the practice to suit your needs.
Whether that’s through a traditional written journal, digital platform or any other creative space of self-expression.
The key is to find a style that resonates with you and makes the process fun and most helpful!
If you need some inspiration, check out this guide with lots of fun and creative ways to start journaling.
6) Catch up with your friends and family
Possibly one of the only positives that came out of the pandemic was how much we reconnected with friends and family.
Whilst being stuck at home, we had to forge a new way to stay up-to-date with people.
Since the end of the pandemic I have felt myself moving back into old patterns. Taking time to return messages and phone calls and losing touch with people I had reconnected with during lockdown – simply because I’m back being busy again.
Well friends, now you’re home alone (and bored!), you can use this time to catch up with friends and family you’ve not caught up with in a while.
If you live on your own, this is also a great way of checking in with loved ones. It’ll also make sure you don’t go too crazy from lack of human contact (depending on how long you’re planning to stay home!).
7) Enjoy some guilt-free TV time
One of the greatest joys of being home alone is that you don’t have to be in constant productivity mode.
With a limitation of things you can do, you have a built-in excuse to spend some time putting your feet up and binging your favourite shows.
I always feel unproductive when I’m watching TV but then get annoyed for not letting myself enjoy a little down time! But whilst you’re at home alone – you have been given the gift of time my friend.
Whilst you’re enjoying a little guilt-free TV time, why not indulge in watching movies set in some of your favourite places? Or, compile a list of travel movies you haven’t got round to watching yet and get inspired!
So many of my best trips were booked off the back of seeing amazing places in movies.
I went to Iceland after seeing, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and Las Vegas for my 30th after watching epic party scenes in movies like, ‘The Hangover’ and ‘What Happens in Vegas’.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out: ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Into the Wild’ and ‘In Bruges’. They’re some of my favourites!
If you’d like more tips on travelling from home without leaving the house, check out this post.
8) Test out some new recipes
Now you’ve got some time to chill, why not get creative in the kitchen and try some new recipes?
With some free time and only yourself to cook for, it’s the perfect opportunity to experiment in the kitchen.
Trying out recipes from some of your favourite countries from around the world is also a great way to indulge in your love of travel without leaving the house.
All of us have memories of food that take us back to a certain time and place. For me, whenever I eat crispy spring rolls and Thai red curry, I’m transported back to my time in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I had a cooking lesson there with a local chef and loved it. I even went food shopping with her to a local market to get fresh ingredients so this is a very sensory memory!
No matter the importance of the memory though, any memory involving food is vivid and sometimes feels more evocative than other types of memories because they’re linked to our senses.
So try to resist hitting ‘order’ on Uber Eats during your time alone at home. Spend some time preparing and cooking a national dish from one of your favourite countries and let those sweet travel feelings wash over you.
9) Do some home workouts
The health benefits of exercising regularly are undeniable.
NHS research shows that physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy. As well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, heart disease, cancer, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
It’s an absolute win-win: keeping you occupied whilst you’re at home alone bored AND staying active.
YouTube has a plethora of free exercise videos you can do at home, including: aerobics, dance, yoga, spin and HIIT. There is so much to choose from and no equipment needed!
You have thousands of free classes available to you when you want, where you want.
10) Create a vision board
We hear a lot on social media about ‘manifesting’ our best life. Well, I don’t know about you – but I’m too busy living my life to manifest anything! Unless it’s “manifesting” what I want for dinner or what to do at the weekend – I need a little help.
Enter, the vision board.
If you haven’t come across vision boards yet, they’re essentially a collage of words and pictures that represent your goals and dreams. It’s an easy way of ‘visualising’ or ‘manifesting’ what you want for the future.
Designing a vision board is so therapeutic! They’re great to do when you’re taking some time out as you have some space to think and reevaluate things.
Things like: what you want to do and where I want to be in a year’s time.
Beforehand, these thoughts are likely just a collection of random ideas floating around in your busy brain with no correlation.
By creating a vision board, you’re able to put these ideas and goals in one place as a visual reminder of what you’re working towards.
And there is no better time to think about this than when you’re home alone bored!
It’s also a great way of getting creative and feeling like you’re coming out the other side of your time out with a plan.
What are your top picks for things to do alone at home when bored? Add your favourite things to do when you’re chilling at home in the comments below! 😊
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