What to Do if You’re Bored (Instead of Scrolling) 🎨

Hey y'all,

Did you know that the average person scrolls for 4.8 hours a day? That’s 20% of their life.

But what if we could get that screen time down to 3 hours a day? 2 hours? Or even just 1 hour? Suddenly, we could do and achieve so much more.

Here are a few things you can do instead of mindlessly scrolling:

Create Subject-Specific Study Playlists 🎵

I'm sure you have normal music playlists, but try crafting subject-specific ones.

Every subject has a different vibe, and while lo-fi beats work for most situations, there's something about matching the music to what you're studying. Consider classical music for English or history and electronic or cinematic tracks for math or science.

If you’d rather rock with an all-around study playlist, however, check out mine on Spotify!

Learn a Practical Skill 🔧

When our parents and grandparents were growing up, they were much more hands-on. They learned the basics of cooking, cleaning, DIY, and car maintenance at a pretty young age. Unfortunately today, most of us don't.

So if you're bored and really want to use social media, use it to learn a practical skill you'll need to know one day. Here are some examples:

• How to change your car's oil

• How to check tire pressure and add air

• How to tie a tie

• How to iron a shirt

• How to calculate tip without a calculator

Bother Your Siblings 👪

I'm not joking. One of my absolute favorite pastimes is to walk outside and bother my brother Mahad whenever I get bored.

The neat part about siblings, especially as you get older, is that they go from these annoying people who constantly irritate you to these annoying people who constantly irritate you… but are also some of your closest friends.

Create Something Artistic 🎨

Simple enough! And look, it doesn't matter if you're not artsy. There are tons of beginner-friendly tutorials on YouTube.

I tried this with a landscape piece a while back, and it was genuinely much more fun than I expected.

Ultimately, the goal here is to do something artsy because in the pursuit of STEM degrees and high-paying jobs, many of us lose touch with our creative side, which is an important and fulfilling part of being human.

Try Your Hand at a New Language 🗣️

I met a high school freshman recently who speaks five languages, and another student who speaks seven.

It was honestly a wake-up call about my own language skills. I took Spanish for years in high school, but I've forgotten most of it from lack of use.

When it comes to language learning, there are the usual apps that make it gamified and fun, but there's also content immersion—watching shows, reading articles, and listening to podcasts in your target language. This second approach helps you pick up cultural nuances you'd miss with just vocabulary drills.

Try a "Puzzle Run" 🧩

Whenever I'm bored or have a few extra minutes, I'll go on what I like to call a "puzzle run."

Here's what I do:

• The NYT mini-crossword

• Wordle

• The Daily Set Puzzle

• A round of ZetaMac

These puzzles serve a dual purpose—they offer a bit of competitive fun while also keeping my mind engaged in a way scrolling doesn’t.

Vlog for Yourself 📱

I saw someone mention this idea recently, and it's stuck with me: make one-to-two minute daily vlogs that only you will see.

It could be a compilation of clips from your day or just you talking to the camera about what happened. The point isn't to create content for others—it's to bring yourself into the present moment and appreciate your day.

Time moves quickly. I'm not even that old, but I already feel like certain periods of my life are blurring together. Having these small personal records helps you remember the small moments that actually make up most of your life.

Sorry if I sounded all sappy right there. But it’s true—while we're all chasing big accomplishments, it's often these small daily activities that actually bring consistent meaning to our lives.

If you want study help, come join my Discord! We have a global community of students helping each other succeed in school. I’d love to see you there.

If you’re a junior who wants college essay help, check out Next Admit! You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.

I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar