It is now the second week of the summer holiday for me, and I found out that after I finish all my homework, the afternoon is always quite boring and mundane. Maybe your summer has been uneventful so far, you’re spending hours scrolling to cure your boredom, and you found this article hoping to give you some ideas.
So, what can you do to cure that boredom? After some trial and error, I’ve come up with these seven ways to keep me occupied in this time.
1: Read
This sounds very cliché, but since the end of summer is still months away, try to make it a daily habit. Find a book that you are interested in (maybe you might find yourself getting into a new genre) and read it daily and take note of your thoughts on the book. If reading is not your daily habit yet, you might find that the notes you take during the first few days of your reading journal are detailed descriptions of why the book is boring and useless to read. However, you might find that you are taking note of your own thoughts on the book as the days progress. This ritual of reading and reflection can help you establish a steady routine and strengthen focus skills.
2: Bond with family
Another cliché, but again with a little twist. Make it a commitment to spend time with your family instead of fragmented or occasional bonding times. It is good to set a weekly or, even better, daily time to meet with your family to perhaps talk about problems that you have been facing or things you want to work on, etc., to improve relationships between family members and to also reflect on your own life. Beijing City International School (BCIS) recent graduate, Helen W., who is about to leave her family for the United States for college, said, “I will miss them a lot and will definitely have a lot to share when I come back.” This shows the importance of communication between family members, even when they might not be together often.
3: Go for walks
If meditation and exercise are not your jam, try going on walks! Not only can spending time outside, in nature, help us calm down and reflect on ourselves, but it can also help us get our exercise in, especially if you hate cardio. If walking by yourself is too boring, go with family members or friends! If it’s too hot, maybe doing some low-impact workouts following online workout videos could be a good choice.
4: Let the spinning wheel of destiny pick what you do:
Fill the wheel with activities that you might not have done before, and whichever activity it lands on will be the activity you will do.
5. Finish chores
Yes, you heard that right. There may be a few dishes lying around or clothes in the laundry that haven’t been hung yet. If you don’t have enough motivation to do these chores, set up a camera beside you at an angle that can film you while doing the chores and start filming on time-lapse mode whenever you start working. After you finish and stop the filming, you will get an insanely satisfying and therapeutic video (and have the chores finished, hopefully)!
6. Set up a routine for yourself
During summer, things can get overwhelming at first as it may seem like everything has stopped. However, if a routine is set and a list of tasks is made, keeping yourself busy and organized will not be hard. Studies have shown that it takes 66 days to form a habit; setting up a routine and a schedule can help us become more organized. So use this summer as an opportunity to become a better version of yourself!
7. Journal
You can do this whenever and wherever – just grab a notebook or a piece of paper and jot down your thoughts or ideas. Just like going on a walk or meditating, it is a really good way to calm down and reflect.
Perhaps you thought of some new ways to kill time in the summer as you were reading. Don’t hesitate to comment below!
Images: Margaret Y., familysearch.org, Pexels
