Ever feel like you're bored? All the things that used to keep you entertained are not working anymore? You have so many things planned, but nothing ever seems to happen. It's time for some new things to try! There are so many things for teens, and it can be hard to decide what is right for you. That's why this blog post will include 11 things that teens can do when they are bored at home.
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1. Bored teen? Find a topic that sparks your interest.
Take a masterclass, whether it's online or in person. It might be anything from a Gordon Ramsay sandwich-making lesson on Masterclass.com to a survival training session in your neighborhood. If you're sitting behind your computer right now, go to Masterclass.com for a free trial and see what type of class piques your interest. In the end, if something takes your fancy, then go for it. You may want to master a particular subject on a deeper level and make it your passion.
Consider the activities you've done since you were five years old and ask if you'd want to repeat any of them. Perhaps you'd like to learn to draw or play the guitar; maybe you remember your elementary-school karate sessions? You have to be yourself for this process of finding your passion for life. The more interests you list, the easier it is to find a key to unlock your true calling. Or at least you may find a new passion so that you'll never feel bored again.
RELATED: 40 Fun Summer Activities for Teens
2. Play board games.
Even if you believe that board games are only for losers, give it a go with your family or close friends. You'll probably discover that they're enjoyable. There are so many different board games for teens available that you'll almost certainly find one you enjoy: Munchkin, Terraforming Mars, Concept, Andor, 7 Wonders, Pandemic, Codenames, Cashflow, Sid Meier's Civilization, Dixit.
3. Challenge your skills.
Do you have a favorite pastime or sport that always thrills you but that you believe you've lost interest in? If you enjoy skateboarding or drawing, for example, but do not feel as passionate about it as previously, it is an indication to raise your skill level. Thus, you can learn to play drums or an electric guitar if you've already learned how to play the piano. Start selling your work on marketplaces like eBay, Etsy, or Facebook if you're a seasoned artist. As a result of this, your pastime might develop into a tiny side business that generates genuine revenue.
4. Begin a diary.
Teens are frequently seeking answers to the questions of life and self-actualization. You may begin writing a diary by collecting all the things that come to your mind when you think about yourself. There are great diaries that can assist you in determining who you are and what you want from life:
"The Question Book: What Makes You Tick?" by Mikael Krogerus, Roman Tschäppeler ;
"What Do You Really Want?: How to Set a Goal and Go for It! A Guide for Teens" by Beverly K. Bachel;
"Motivation for Creative People: How to Stay Creative While Gaining Money, Fame, and Reputation" by Mark McGuinness.
5. Read books.
Reading is probably the last thing a teenager wants to do. However, reading books is much more entertaining than you thought. For example, the latest movie "Dune" is based on Frank Herbert's book written way back in the 60s. This novel is a must-read for all teens because it centers on a young person who overcomes substantial challenges and searches for answers to achieve endurance, resilience, and leadership qualities. The book demonstrates how teenagers can transform into genuine leaders by growing and improving their personalities. Try to read the book before watching the movie, and you won't regret it.
Also, there are so many inspirational books suitable for teens that can help you learn about the world and its opportunities. For example:
"From Silk to Silicon: The Story of Globalization Through Ten Extraordinary Lives" by Jeffrey E. Garten;
"Read People: Understand behaviour. Expertly communicate: 20 thought-provoking lessons" by Rita Carter.
If you do not like to read, try audiobooks instead.
6. Look for gurus.
I mean, consider who you would like to be or what you want to accomplish in life. Then look for a figure that represents the lifestyle you desire and study their biography. Learn all you can about their life, including their accomplishments, and consider what actions you could copy.
7. Take exercise to beat the boredom
Whether you choose yoga, powerlifting, or just jogging in your area, exercise can improve your mood by increasing the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain - dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, etc., which make you feel better about yourself and things around you. When you exercise, you drive energy to your brain and start thinking better. Maybe after the exercise, you will come up with an idea about how to conquer your boredom.
8. Meditate.
Meditation is one of the things you can do when you are bored because it takes only 15 minutes to sit down, close your eyes and calm yourself. It might sound complex, but there are great apps for meditation like Calm or Headspace that will help you learn how to meditate in a couple of weeks. Moreover, the most successful people in our world master meditations and practice them daily, which allows them to control their thoughts and behavior in stressful situations. Learn from the success of others and give meditations a try.
9. Redecorate your room.
Think of how long ago you changed something in your room. Was it last year? Or five years ago, when you still played with toys from time to time? Since you are a teen now, your own space is your shelter, your cave, and it must fit your current lifestyle and mindset. Think of what you can change in your room. Can you paint the wall in a different color? Can you move the furniture around? Or maybe you can put some of your artwork on the wall.
Whatever change you make, you must feel that your space inspires you. Make changes until you have that feeling of driving energy coming to you. Do you share the room with your sibling? Ask parents to divide your space with a curtain or at least a folding screen so that you can have more privacy. I know how important your privacy is for you, so do not hesitate to ask parents about this.
10. Get into an art flow.
Even if you lack any artistic ability, the simple act of mixing colors and smearing paints on paper can help you relax and clear your thoughts. It's no surprise that painting is a significant aspect of art therapy. Also, you can use paints not only as a way to unwind but to self-express and understand yourself better. So grab some vibrant and thick paints, better tempera, and start creating your very own abstract masterpiece.
11. Create your goal map.
The last idea is probably the best and most valuable among all. Teen years are the best time for this activity, and if you dive into the process of goalsetting, you will not be bored for at least a couple of weeks. I wish I had learned about It in my teen years. This map will help you tune your subconscious mind on working toward your goals and helping you achieve them.
Moreover, this activity will help you to see the bigger picture of your life and understand what you really want in future.
Step 1. Describe your perfect day
So to start, write down a perfect day of your life. Like, when you wake up, what you do after that, what you eat, drink, where you work, all the details about your work, people around you, your family. Write down an essay, "One day of my life," which describes everything you would like to have and do in tiny details. Pay attention to the feelings you have throughout your perfect day. Is it enthusiasm, drive, happiness? Write down all the emotions you want to have during that day.
Step 2. Set your 10-year goals
Now think of your 10-year goals. Can you live your perfect life as you've imagined in the previous task if you achieve them? How far or close are your goals from your dream day? Are they realistic? So, write down all your 10-year goals in tiny details. Do not forget to include how many hours you sleep, exercise, what exactly you do for a living, what relationships you have, what friends, lovers, spouses, children. Also, what car do you drive, the house you live in, where your office is, vacations—literally every single piece of your life in 10 years.
Step 3. Plan your 5-year goals
Think about your 5-year goals. They should be smaller, of course, than your 10-year goals, but they must have some connection to the 10-year ones, precede them. Again, write down all you want to have in 5 years. Do precisely the same as for your 10-year plan. But this time, downgrade your goals. For example, if you want to become a CEO in 10 years, set a goal to become a marketing director in 5 years. Or the best sales manager, or ahead of the department, or entrepreneur with a small team.
The same downgrade makes for all your other goals, except the sleep time, which always must stay of a healthy length; time for your relationships and family, etc. For example, downgrade the size of a house, a car brand, vacation destination. Remember that all your goals must be real but still excite you.
Step 4. Think of your 3-year goals
Repeat the same procedure with the 3-year goals. Again downgrade them accordingly to your 10- and 5-year goals. But do not squeeze the time required to keep you healthy and in good relationships.
Step 5. Now, it is time for your 1-year goals
After planning your long-term goals, you can set your 1-year goals. Here, they must be as real as possible but still feel sexy to you. If you are graduating from school next year, write down what college you are accepted into, your GMAT scores, what dorm room you'd like to have, where you will work after classes, what type of internship you have, and in what company. Think of every aspect of your life 1 year from now. Of course, these goals also need to correspond with your long-term goals.
Downgrading your goals this way, you will get much more confidence in yourself and get the working plan for your next 10 years.
Step 6. Create 6 mood boards
This is just the beginning of your goalsetting process. The most difficult part starts now. Now you need to create a mood board for every period of your goal plan, so for 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year goals. AND you need to create the mood board for your perfect day. And at the beginning, you must start with your perfect-day mood board. Then move backward from 10 to 1-year goals.
To create a mood board, you must find on the Internet pictures of precisely those things you want in your life at a certain period. So you'll need to find the real existing house for your dream mood board. Or at least the land where you want to have it built and a house model to be built there. Do it with everything, including your achievements, health goals, relationships, possessions, fame, etc.
Important! When looking for pictures, pay attention to the feelings they trigger. Ideally, you should feel the same emotions you wrote down when you described your perfect day in task 1.
Repeat the same process for all your goal plans. In the end, you'll have 5 mood boards (dream mood board, 10-, 5-, 3-, 1-year goal mood boards).
You need to put your picture in the center of the mood board but the one you love, where you are 100 % satisfied with yourself. You can even make new pictures where you look more like the future self you want to become.
Place all the pictures you found around your photo on the mood board. Such a visual board is a great tool to connect with your subconscious mind and explain your goals. Only visual images can connect with our subconscious and enlist its support in achieving goals.
Step 7. Observe your mood board with 1-year goals daily
Keep your mood boards and your essays in a safe place where no one can find them. Put the mood board for the 1-year goals in a place where you can observe it daily. It can be your journal, some book, whatever. But it should not be in a place where other people can see it. Keep your goals secret so no one, especially the closest people, can discourage you or criticize your goals.
The goal-setting process described above is a powerful technique that profoundly impacts your subconscious, personality, and life. I think every teen must do such practice to really understand their personality, desires and develop a unique focus that can lead them to outstanding achievements. If you find the time to go through this process, I can promise that you'll become a more confident and satisfied person.
Want to read more about goals? Here are excellent books to help you with that:
"Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World" by Mark Wallace, Mike Williams ;
"Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life" by Bill Burnett, Dave Evans;
"Mastering Fear: A Navy SEAL's Guide" by Brandon Webb
Important notice!
If you feel bored and unenthusiastic for quite some time, nothing really sparks your interest, maybe you are stressed out from all the school burden. But sometimes, such feelings might have more serious reasons, for example, teen depression. In my opinion, every teenager from around 14-16 years needs to undergo some sort of counseling. This is because a teen's brain is still developing, and hormones are shaping it at a high rate. All this is very stressful for the physical and mental state of a teen.
Most teenagers do not have the proper self-reflection to understand their feelings, motives, and reactions. It depends on the level of emotional intelligence of a teen. (More on EQ read in our blog post here.) Thankfully, in our day and age, there are advanced psychotherapy methods, like CBT, that can effectively help teens with characteristic problems of this age like social anxiety, insecurity, low self-esteem, and teen depression. So if you feel that something is wrong, I strongly encourage you and your parents to seek professional help and solve the issue ASAP.