I just want to be real for a second.
We’re all way too online. Like… accidentally-scrolled-Instagram-for-two-hours-and-still-feel-bored kind of online.
It’s weird, isn’t it? How you can have 37 tabs open, 14 notifications, a video playing in the background—and still feel completely disconnected from yourself?
That’s how I was feeling when I started writing this post.
I wasn’t “busy” exactly.
Just burnt out.
Bored.
Overstimulated but underwhelmed.
And honestly? My brain was craving slowness. Something quieter. Something… real.
So I started collecting screen-free ideas.
Not productivity hacks.
Not “get your life together” stuff. Just gentle, screen-less ways to feel alive again.
To tap into joy. Or at the very least, not feel like a zombie in yoga pants.
This list is personal.
Some things I do often.
Some I forgot I loved.
But all of them have one thing in common: they help you come back to yourself. Even if just for a few minutes.
So whether your phone’s dead, your brain’s fried, or you just need a break from the scroll—here are 39 screen-free things to do when you’re bored at home.
No pressure. No perfection. Just presence.
1. Make yourself a cozy drink and do absolutely nothing while drinking it
This sounds simple, but stay with me.
I’m not talking about sipping tea while scrolling Pinterest or checking emails.
I mean making your favorite cozy drink—like hot chocolate with a cinnamon stick, a big mug of chai with too much milk, or that weird lavender latte you love but never make at home—and then sitting down in your comfiest spot and doing nothing.
No phone.
No music.
No “shoulds.”
Just the warmth in your hands and a few quiet sips. Let yourself be fully in the moment. Bonus points if you use a mug you forgot you loved.
2. Write a handwritten letter to someone—then actually mail it
Think of a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
Or maybe your grandma. Or your old favorite teacher.
Grab a piece of paper (even if it’s the back of a bill, no one cares), and just write.
Tell them what you’ve been up to. Share a memory.
Say thank you. You don’t need fancy stationery or deep thoughts—just your heart and a pen.
Then fold it, pop it in an envelope, and mail it. Trust me, it’ll mean more than you think.
I did this with my long-time friend who lives in Edinburgh and she loved it!
3. Bake something just because it smells nice
It doesn’t have to be a Pinterest masterpiece.
Even the act of measuring flour and cracking eggs feels good. Try a small batch of cookies, banana bread with chocolate chips, or those pre-cut sugar cookies with pumpkins or ghosts on them.
Let your hands get messy.
Let your kitchen smell like comfort.
And when it’s done? Eat it warm, with your feet up. Bonus points if you share it with someone you love—or eat it all yourself, no regrets.
I did this with a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe and it only took me 20 minutes from start to finish but I loved every second!
4. Rearrange one tiny part of your space
This is probably my favorite thing to do ever.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with a full room makeover.
Just pick one surface—your nightstand, your bookshelf, your kitchen counter—and play with it.
Move things around. Wipe it down.
Maybe add a candle or a dried flower in a tiny jar.
It doesn’t need to be aesthetic. It just needs to feel yours. When we change our environment, even slightly, our brain gets this weird little refresh too.
5. Sit in a patch of sunlight and pretend you’re a plant
Find the warmest spot in your house, the one where the light hits just right.
Maybe it’s a spot on the living room rug, or that one corner of the bed.
Sit there. Lie down, if you want.
Let the sunlight wash over your skin like you’re recharging your soul.
Don’t overthink it. Just soak it up. Sometimes I literally whisper, “photosynthesis” and pretend I’m growing joy.
6. Color like a kid with zero artistic pressure
Forget adult coloring books if they stress you out.
Pull out a regular ol’ box of crayons and a sheet of printer paper—or heck, rip a cereal box apart and draw on the blank side.
Doodle flowers, weird little blobs, smiley suns, cats with huge heads.
Color with your non-dominant hand just to make it weird and fun.
I’ve done this at my kitchen table with tea and no music, and suddenly 45 minutes passed and I felt… lighter.
Not every moment has to be productive. Some can just be playful.
7. Try on the weirdest outfit in your closet
You know that thing you bought and never wore?
Or the skirt that feels “too much” for the grocery store?
Or those earrings shaped like fruit that you forgot you owned?
Try them on. Mix them together. Play dress up like you’re nine years old again. Stand in front of the mirror and do a full twirl.
You might end up wearing it out. Or you might change right back into pajamas. But for a minute, you’ll feel like a new character in your own life.
8. Sit outside and count the colors you can see
Doesn’t matter if you have a yard, a balcony, or a small window.
Sit somewhere still. Look around and start counting. Green leaves. Blue sky. That one red flower. The faded beige of the pavement.
It slows your brain way down and brings you back into your body. I once sat on my balcony and found 13 different shades of green in the same tree.
The world’s still beautiful when we pause to notice it.
9. Write a list of things that made you laugh recently
Big laughs. Tiny chuckles.
Someone mispronouncing a word.
A meme your best friend sent.
That time you tripped on air and laughed at yourself. Make a whole list.
Decorate it with doodles if you want. It’s like bottling happiness for later.
10. Organize a drawer—just one
Not your whole kitchen. Not your whole closet.
Just pick one messy drawer (you know the one) and tackle it with no expectations. Take everything out.
Put on some background music if silence feels too quiet. Wipe it down. Put back only what you need or love. Toss the rest. It’s not just decluttering—it’s therapy in a tiny box.
If you want to declutter your whole house in 1 day, read this post.
11. Dance around your house like you’re in a music video
No one’s watching.
That’s the whole point.
Put on your most dramatic or nostalgic song, blast it, and let your body move however it wants. Sing into a wooden spoon.
Air guitar like your rent depends on it. Fall dramatically on the couch during the emotional bridge. Give your inner teen the spotlight she deserves.
12. Write a list of 25 tiny things that bring you joy
Not the big life stuff.
The tiny, quiet joys.
The smell of rain. Freshly washed bedsheets. Chocolate in the fridge.
Laughing so hard your eyes water. A soft sweater. A good hair day.
Once you start, you’ll surprise yourself with how many beautiful things are around you all the time.
13. Try doing something really slowly
Like brushing your hair.
Or folding laundry.
Or eating a peach.
Intentionally slow. Like, “my only goal is to feel this moment” kind of slow.
We rush through so much—slowing down on purpose can feel awkward at first… and then oddly sacred.
14. Water your plants with love
Don’t just splash and dash.
Spend time with them.
Wipe their leaves with a soft cloth.
Check how the soil feels.
Talk to them if you want (I do, no regrets).
If you don’t have plants, pick one up next time you’re at the store. Even a $3 pothos can bring a little life to your day.
15. Build a fort (yes, like the blanket kind)
Throw a sheet over two chairs.
Toss in pillows.
Add fairy lights if you have them.
Crawl inside with a book, a drink, or your dog. It doesn’t matter how old you are—blanket forts are still magic.
I did this with both my dogs and although at first they were so confused, they slowly got into it and I lay there just petting them and eventually falling asleep.
16. Journal what’s on your heart without trying to make it pretty
I got a few cute notebooks from Thailand recently and I absolutely adore them.
Forget prompts. Forget perfect sentences.
Open a notebook (or even a napkin if that’s all you’ve got), and just write. Vent. Ramble.
Ask questions you don’t have answers to.
Start with “I don’t know what I’m doing but here I am” if you need to. There’s something freeing about dumping all the noise in your head onto paper. It doesn’t have to make sense. It just has to get out.
17. Make a snack board and eat it like a queen
Grab a tray or a big plate and throw on everything that sounds good—cut fruit, cheese, crackers, a couple cookies, some leftover popcorn, a square of chocolate.
Don’t worry about aesthetics.
Arrange it how you want and eat it somewhere unexpected. On your bed. On the floor. On the balcony. A snack board is basically self-care in edible form.
18. Lie on the floor and do nothing
Yes, literally nothing. Just lie down. Stare at the ceiling.
Let your limbs feel heavy. Breathe slowly. It sounds silly but something shifts when you stop trying to be upright and in control.
I do this when I feel like my brain has 87 tabs open. It’s the laziest, easiest reset button ever.
19. Play with your hair like you used to as a kid
Braid it. Twist it. Put it in space buns.
Try a style you saw in a tutorial two years ago and never tried. You’re not going anywhere. This is for fun. It doesn’t have to turn out cute.
It just needs to feel like you’re playing again.
20. Sit near an open window and listen
Just… listen. What can you hear? A bird? A dog? Cars in the distance?
Leaves rustling? Let the sounds anchor you in the now.
Sometimes the world outside has a rhythm that calms the chaos inside.
21. Write a fake diary entry from your dream life
Pretend it’s 5 years from now and everything you’ve ever wanted happened. Where are you waking up? What’s your morning routine like?
What job do you do? What do you wear? Who’s around you? Write it like it already exists: “Woke up in my little cottage by the sea today.
The air smelled like jasmine. I made oat milk lattes for me and the neighbor before heading to my studio…” It’s a beautiful way to tap into hope, creativity, and your deepest self.
22. Make a paper vision board
Don’t use Pinterest this time.
Grab old magazines, printouts, junk mail—anything with pictures—and cut out whatever feels like you. Paste it on a piece of paper or your wall.
This isn’t about goals. It’s about feelings. What kind of life do you want to feel like?
23. Write a letter to your future self
Start with “Hey you. I don’t know how things are going, but I hope you remember…” Talk to her like she’s a friend.
Hide the letter somewhere. Or schedule an email to yourself using futureme.org. Reading it later will blow your mind.
24. Press flowers or leaves in a book
Pick something pretty on your next walk (or from your yard), place it between two pieces of paper inside a heavy book, and forget about it for a few days.
Come back to a delicate little reminder of summer. Bonus: tape it into your journal or pin it to your wall.
25. Build a “boredom jar”
Write down every single one of these ideas (and any more that pop into your head), cut them up, and stick them in a jar or box.
Next time you feel blah or aimless, pull one out like a little love note to yourself.
26. Wash your sheets and make your bed like you’re in a hotel
Add a little fabric spray. Tuck in the corners like you’re fancy. Fluff the pillows. Then jump in with a snack and a book.
Turn off your phone. Pretend you’re at a cozy B&B and the only thing on your to-do list is rest.
27. Sit in silence and breathe
No music. No talking. Just sit. Inhale slowly. Exhale slower. Do this five times. Your body might fight it at first. But keep going.
Your nervous system will thank you.
28. Try to draw your emotions as shapes
Not as people or objects. Just colors and squiggles and lines. Let your hand move based on how you feel.
This one helped me during a weird spiral—my page looked chaotic and sad and messy… and after?
I felt oddly okay again.
29. Make up a silly song or poem about your day
Even if it’s ridiculous. Especially if it’s ridiculous. “I cleaned a spoon, I danced alone, I spilled my tea, then stubbed my toe…” You get it.
Sing it if you want. Be your own chaos bard.
30. Make something with your hands
This brings back so many memories because Art Attack was my favorite show. I will always be super grateful to Neil from Art Attack because he could do anything with PVA glue and paper. I’ve passed so much time as a child watching his show and replicating his art projects.
Knit. Sew. Sculpt. Whittle a spoon.
Build a paper airplane army. Doesn’t matter what. Just remind your brain that it’s good at making, not just consuming.
31. Light incense or burn herbs
Sage, rosemary, palo santo, or even a stick of Nag Champa you bought in college and never lit. Watch the smoke curl in the air.
Breathe deeper. Let your space feel a little more sacred for a while.
32. Create a new ritual
It can be simple. A cup of tea every morning on the porch.
Stretching before bed. Lighting a candle before dinner. These tiny repeated actions slowly become anchors—and they’re especially comforting on hard days.
33. Watch the shadows move on your walls
No, really. Lie back, pick a spot, and notice how the light changes.
The slow drift. The soft fade. It’s meditative and weirdly hypnotic. A whole show playing across your ceiling.
34. Make a “comfort list”
Write down things that always help when you feel off—like “put on a hoodie,” “eat something warm,” “listen to that one sad girl song that always hits,” or “watch a baking video.”
Next time you’re too tired to think, you’ll already have a cheat sheet.
35. Hand-wash something slowly
Like a delicate shirt. Or that mug with the weird stain.
I chose my sneakers because they’re pastel and they were so dirty!
Fill the sink with warm water and soap. Let your hands soak.
Let your thoughts slow. Let it be less about cleaning and more about calming.
36. Learn to fold something beautifully
Like napkins. Or letters. Or little origami hearts.
There’s something meditative about precise movements. It’s like a puzzle but gentler.
37. Rearrange your books, records, or journals
Alphabetical. By vibe. By color. Or complete chaos.
Touch each one. Let memories come up. Reconnect with what you already own.
Since I read a lot, touching my books, smelling them and reading inscriptions (from my mother) give me so much peace and joy.
38. Create your own slow morning or evening routine
Write it down.
Light candles, wash your face, breathe, stretch, tea, journal, and music. Let it be flexible but intentional.
Even 10 minutes can change how you feel about the whole day.
39. Lay on the floor and listen to rain sounds
If it’s raining, open a window. If it’s not, play rain from a white noise machine or speaker. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself in a cozy cabin with nothing to do. You are safe.
You are still. You are exactly where you need to be.
