Sometimes during these colder months, it’s hard to find things to do. It’s frighteningly easy to catch cabin fever when it feels like you can’t resist welcoming the tempting offer of laying down and rotting. However, multiple indoor activities are still available to choose from, all of which are both entertaining and easygoing. This way, you can stay in the comfort of warmth while still stimulating your mind and body.
- Have a movie marathon
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This is the perfect activity while being bored because if you don’t want to do anything that requires a lot of effort, movie watching is guaranteed to entertain you while still being low-maintenance. Fire up the Harry Potter, Star Wars, or any other long-series films and lie back with a warm blanket and a bucket of popcorn. There’s just something about watching movies that comforts the soul: it brings back memories of days off and relaxation.
- Make a playlist or Pinterest board
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If you want something a little more interactive, I recommend creating a Pinterest board or playlist corresponding to a theme or inspiration of your choice. I like to organize my Instagram mood according to the upcoming season, choose my color-codes, and look for potential picture ideas on Pinterest. I also think curating playlists for specific weather, activities, feelings, or holidays is a good basis for thoughts. This can also work as motivation by helping you to visualize the life, person, interests, or qualities that you might want to emulate!
- Color, draw, or journal
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I am partial to this option because you can do numerous things at once, multitasking and doubling your productivity even while you unwind. Coloring in a cozy themed book, doodling in a notebook, or writing down your thoughts can be a very cathartic way to squash boredom and encourage introspection. In addition, you could grab some headphones and listen to a playlist (that you made) or an audiobook. You can even watch a film in the background to set the mood while your hands are occupied with another task.
- Customize your phone
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There are so many cute electronic apps and widgets that you can add to your phone to make it reflect more of your personality. The first step is finding photos that you like and making them your lock screen and home screen. Then, through an app called Shortcuts, you can create aesthetic app icons corresponding to the colors or images of your choosing – most of these pictures and phone layouts are also found on Pinterest (the home of inspiration!). Lastly, through the app Widgetsmith, you can add useful items to your screen through icons like the weather, moon cycle, calendar, reminders, and more!
- Upcycle, sell, give away, or plan your outfits
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This is a more frugal way to spend your time but is still constructive. Cleaning out your closet to the best of your ability can help make your wardrobe easier to manage – ask yourself if you would want to be seen in it at your funeral (a tip I learned from Gilmore Girls!). You can give the clothes you don’t want away to a donation center like Goodwill, or if you’re feeling a little more profitable, you can sell them online on apps like Poshmark, Mercari, and eBay. This clearing-out will make it much more feasible to plan your outfits for the week, so you always have something to put on that you feel good in, even while running late.
- Deep-clean or makeover your room
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Cleaning is admittedly more productive than lying around, but it can really bring a sense of calm to your space and self. Having a neat room around you allows for more room to breathe and decompress – so pick up any lingering laundry, tidy and wipe down surfaces, and reset your bed with clean sheets. I guarantee that it will boost not only energy and focus but also decrease stress. Next, personalizing your room with more posters and decorations can help it feel more like yourself. I would suggest making an inspiration board for what you want the end product of your room to look like and searching through local thrift shops. There are a lot of small, cute treasures that you can add like wall art, candles, curtains, greenery, and lights.
- Find a way to move your body
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Last and most strenuous, you could find a way to gently exercise your muscles. You do not have to pick anything hardcore like running or lifting (although I commend you if do): it could be a session with simple movements like yoga stretches, bike riding, guided meditations, or going on a walk. Not only will some of these get you out of the house, but exercise can stop the never-ending scrolling on social media and get you out into the scenery and fresh air (even if it’s cold and just for a moment).
