28 PRODUCTIVE THINGS TO DO TO HAVE A REWARDING DAY

Keeping ourselves productive is the cornerstone of a more rewarding and gratifying life. Whether you are a student, a worker, a full-time mom, or someone currently in between jobs, there are other ways to make the most out of your life.

When you think you have a lot of spare time and clueless about what to do, no worries – we have gathered some productive things to do. Oscar Wilde once said, “the only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on”. Allow us to walk you through the process. Are you ready? Alright, let’s go!

Here are 28 productive things to do when bored

1. Read books

 Probably one of the common yet most compelling productive things to do, reading has become a part of my daily routine. Most of us nowadays often feel lost for some reasons which are beyond our comprehension. Reading books about the lives of successful people with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Mark Manson, or Tony Robins can help us put everything into perspective.

According to Yale researchers, reading does magic as it helps in prolonging our life up to an average of 23 months. This is so because, in reading, we get to exercise our cognitive skills such as critical thinking and analytical, preventing us from acquiring memory loss or worse, dementia; hence, longevity. So, exercise your cognitive skills and broaden your horizons with the best nonfiction books of all time.

2. Plan your week or month

Nothing beats a person who plans ahead. Let’s admit it – not every one of us is a time management ninja. Every day, we are faced with several tasks to carry out. However, we seem to struggle as to which task to do first. Planning ahead saves us a great deal of time as we get to set our priorities. It guarantees that our day will go smooth-sailing.

Thus, if you want to enjoy a stress-free day, then, by all means, start your daily planning as early as now. If you’re new at planning, start with my Life planner that is included in the freebie library. But if you’re ready to slay your goals, check out Nadalie’s goal slayer planner. It is a 75+ printable with everything you need to plan and achieve your goals. If you prefer taking the course, you can too.

3. Listen to a productivity podcast

The advent of advanced technology made everything virtually possible. Everything seems to be just at our fingertips. Productivity podcasts are one of them. Listening to one productivity podcast at least once a day can boost your efficiency and energy level.

It also widens your perspective in various areas – from school to careers to self-improvement while refining your listening skill.

4. Take online courses

Living in a digital world comes with a lot of benefits. As we are drawn to the convenience it brings, taking online courses has now become a norm. Suppose you take an online course on financial independence, investment, or any career-related courses.

Just imagine the perks you benefit from it. You get to advance in and further your career; you get to learn how to negotiate in terms of salary increases and benefits at work. Thus, giving you an opportunity to land yourself a more fulfilling job and a possible promotion. 

5. Declutter your closet

Minimalism is flourishing and is now becoming a trend of today’s generation. I am quite grateful that I came to know of this while in my twenties. The concept of minimalism relates to keeping life simple or simpler even.

It is done by way of decluttering or putting those unnecessary items out of the way or even donating them, making it easier for you to move around.

A clutter-free closet means so much as it makes you less distracted and may even save you energy. As you are only left with a few options, it would be a lot easier for you to choose what to use or wear.

ALSO READ: HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR CLOSET

6. Journal

Studies show that journaling helps us sort things out. Even mental health professionals recommend this as it helps us release those mental blockades.

Our minds can only handle so much. Writing down those thoughts helps us think more clearly. We can even have a better understanding of our priorities, desires as well as worries. 

7. Join or start a book club

Not later this year, I have made up my mind to join a local book club online. I have this firm belief that this will keep me going with my reading hobby. Most members therein are driven.

By becoming a member of a book club of our choice, we get to experience a whole new level of inspiration. It helps us keep our feet on the ground – focusing on our reading goals.

8. Meal plan

May it be for having a fitter body or looking good physically, having our meals planned comes highly recommended. Not only does it help us save time but it also makes us prioritize a healthy diet.

Having a well-planned diet allows us to see just how much we are consuming and prevents us from stockpiling food waste. What is more? It saves money!

9. Brush up your skills

Competition in today’s society has been characterized as cut-throat, may it be at school, in applying for a job, or vying for a promotional opportunity. All of these things demand a lot from us. Having a degree is apparently not enough.

Brushing up on our skills is then required to be on a par with others. Mastering our soft skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time-management, decision-making, and organization skills helps us ace a job or promotional interview and land a more lucrative career. 

10. Learn a new language

A bunch of motivational articles online highlighted the benefits that come with learning a new language. I could not agree more with them. Learning a new language requires time, relentlessness, and focus.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that it can improve our cognitive abilities such as memory, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. It even enhances our concentration skills and our ability to multi-task. Although this is easier said than done, it will not harm you to try.

11. Read productivity blogs

If you are more of a verbal learner/ person, then this one is for you. I understand that most of us are more likely to get caught up with our daily hectic schedules. But that does not mean we cannot have time to read.

Blogs have made reading in a short span of time possible. Several blogs out there like James Clear only require five to fifteen minutes of our time to finish. So, who would say that we are too busy to even have spare time for reading? 

12. Answer Sudoku or Crossword puzzle on a newspaper

If you are not a fan of reading the newspaper, probably answering some Sudoku or crossword puzzle therein might get you interested. Playing Sudoku is known for fostering our memory and logical skills.

We utilize our memory to memorize the numbers while we use our logic to figure out the next blank. It is almost the same as playing crossword puzzles. The latter just provides you the opportunity to boost your vocabulary skill. 

13. Meditate

Meditating has been one of those mental and non-cost medicines that we can avail ourselves of. Its growing popularity is rooted in its therapeutic effects such as reduction of stress, controlling anxiety, and the enhancement of self-awareness. This makes you more mindful of the things around you.

Meditating does not necessarily require you to do the traditional positions such as the lotus and kneeling positions. You can actually meditate by merely looking for a place you are comfortable with and sitting there. Look ahead for at least 100 meters away. Just remember, meditation is all about relaxation and feeling more at ease.

14. Start an exercise/ keep moving

You might have heard of “mens sana in corpore sano”. It is a Latin phrase for “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. Indeed, our body needs our undivided attention from time to time. Most of us are often too focused on working that sometimes, we neglect our bodies. Starting an exercise program helps us achieve physical health.

It helps in cutting down those fats while boosting our mental and psychological wellbeing. If we wish to save ourselves time going to an actual gym or fitness center, we might as well do a home training program. Thus, there is nothing that can stop us from exercising. We just need to set 20 to 30 minutes every day for this. 

15. Reconnect with old friends

Catching up with old friends takes us on a delightful trip down memory lane. It brings back old but gold memories. We will most likely feel nostalgic by just being with them.

At the same time, we get to reconnect with our past and realize how we have improved over the years. Since most of us have chosen different paths, reconnecting with old chums allows us to see the world from a new perspective.

16. Visit a café 

There are times when staying in our room or house seems to bore us to death. Changing our environment by visiting a café and probably, reading there, can bring us a new adventure.

We get to enjoy the sweet aroma of coffee brewing and the mellow music filling in the place. Such experience stimulates our endorphins which are responsible for enhancing our mood and increasing our pleasure; hence, causing us to feel happy. We may even chance upon some old teachers or friends.

They may even spare a seat for us and catch up on things. Visiting a café indeed can do so much magic to us.

17. Gardening

Gardening seems to have boomed drastically since the imposition of lockdown nationwide in mid-2020. This apparently helps people get through tough times. They find fulfillment and satisfaction by just merely taking care of tiny plants, grooming them every day until their full bloom. Our mind has truly an affinity for green things.

According to some people, by purely looking at some plants, they feel a much more improved mood. Gardening does not need to be fancy by the way. It just needs pots and some extra time from you.

18. Go and take pictures at the park

Going to a park for a quick stroll is a remarkable experience. What I do to make it even more worthwhile is to document beautiful sceneries around me. By doing this, I get to heighten my creativity as I try on different angles in taking pictures.

By also simply watching and getting ourselves attuned to our surroundings, we feel so much peaceful and tranquil. 

ALSO READ: PRODUCTIVITY SECRETS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE

19. Recycle 

It is time to get that garbage out of the house. But hold on, there are things we can do about it first. Segregating our trash and picking out those things we can still use are some things we can do to make use of our time. Not only do we help preserve Mother Nature, but we can also save our house some space and money. By reusing some recyclables, we save resources. 

20. Create a Vision Board

Let us not underestimate the power of creating a Vision Board. Since we aim for self-improvement and success, this is something I suspect we should do. While you are having fun coming up and creating your own vision board, you get to be really acquainted with your desires and goals in life.

By having a concrete representation of your dream, you get motivated every day as you often see them right after you wake up. That is why it is also imperative if you hang your vision board where you can easily see it. You can get a lot of ideas on Etsy.

21. Redecorate your room

As our house or room is where our hearts are, enhancing its appearance is a must. We can add some plants to give it a touch of nature. We can also design it the classic way. What matters is that we give our room a new look. By redecorating our room, we can make it appear fresher and more modern.

Having a new and nice-looking environment comforts us and gives us contentment. Besides its other evident advantages, it can also add value and interest to it. As a result, we feel more enthused to do things. 

22. Sell some books

I assume we have some books hiding in the nook of our house, wanting to be read. However, it might be something you are not totally fond of. Well, there is one way to put it to use.

You could sell some of them which you do not intend to read. While ridding your room of some things, you are allowing others to enjoy. At the same time, you are adding some coins to your bank account. What a simple way to earn some money indeed!

23. Review some products

Reviews of products wield power among customers. It influences them in making better and wiser decisions. By doing this, you are helping them sort things out. You also get to promote the product.

There are so many websites online asking for feedback. By signing in to their site, you may even obtain some commission while sharing how you feel and how effective that certain merchandise is. 

ALSO READ: HOW TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

24. Accounting 

Accounting plays a vital role in our life. This should not be viewed as something only a professional such as an accountant can do. We should all incorporate this into our daily life. Accounting helps us track our regular expenses – how much do we spend in one day, and how much we earn.

It provides us the opportunity to better plan our future spending and budget our financial resources. Only through the practice of daily accounting can we better manage our money, making us debt-free. Who would not want that? Of course, no one!

25. Cooking

Should you wish to enhance your confidence in the kitchen or perhaps you want to make a good impression, you can start with cooking. Cooking is an art. You get to design your food and garnish it with whatever you prefer.

Thus, you can actually do away from the “step-by-step” process of cooking and do it your way. It is also an excellent way to bring the family together and relish some sumptuous food.

26. Painting

Painting does wonders to our souls. It is a way for us to pour out our emotions, and cleanse the negativities of our minds, helping us nurture our emotional intelligence. It further gives us the opportunity to express ourselves in a much more artistic way.

This may also help us discover a different side of us as we get to explore in painting. You do not need to have the expertise of a genuine artist to paint. I believe we have an artist in us; we just need to channel it.

27. Host a Clean-up Drive

I am a firm believer in volunteerism. To be of service means a lot to me. Hosting a Clean-Up Drive once in a while can do so much to us. This does not need to be grand; inviting your friends or families will do.

While cleaning our neighborhood gives us satisfaction and a fulfilled feeling, we are also ensuring our community’s cleanliness. Likewise, raising awareness to people of how imperative it is to go out there and clean our surroundings. 

28. Attend a webinar with a friend

The emergence of this pandemic has somewhat closed doors to physical interaction and social gathering among us. But fret not! Not all opportunities end there. We have the magical world we call the internet where we can all gather and learn from reputable and highly esteemed experts. Meetups are made possible through the net.

You can even take it to a whole new level by inviting your friend to attend a webinar with you – an event conducted online by a certain organization.

So many knowledge-thirsty individuals are putting up some online seminars and workshops that we can all partake in. Not only does it make people learn, but it also brings people much closer to one another and not feel left out.

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Can’t get enough of these productive things to do? Here’s more to the list

• Make a wishlist on amazon.
• Write a letter to your future self
• Go for a walk
• Update your resume
• Organize your phone and computer
• Discover new music preference

OVER TO YOU

Indeed, there are so many productive things that we can do to make our given free time more worthwhile than lazing around or being a couch potato. Thus, let us not limit ourselves to what is there. Time is a valuable commodity. Once not used properly, there is a tremendous price to pay. By integrating productive activities into our lives, we get to enjoy more, make time count, and feel proud of the productive things we can a