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Boredom is one of the biggest problems of today. Never before did we have so many options to have fun, yet, with so many options comes the paradox of choice. It’s hard to make up your mind what to do. Now, as long as you have your phone on you, you have infinite options. Here are the top seven ways you can approach this topic.
1. Read e-books (or listen to an audiobook)
The biggest problem with books is that they aren’t always around. At least they weren’t until someone invented e-book readers like Kindle and mobile reading apps. Today, you can pick a book, download it on your phone and read it wherever you are.
Sure, the screens are a bit smaller, but you can always zoom in to magnify the font and keep reading. Accept that the device in your pocket contains more books than the Library of Alexandria ever did.
It’s also important that you take into consideration the concept of audiobooks. You can just put your headphones into your ears and play the book while working out while driving (although we suggest you put it on speaker in these scenarios) or while taking your dog for a walk. Some people prefer to read; others love for books to be read to them. Either way, literature is the only art whose every copy is the same as the original.
2. Watch videos or listen to podcasts
As long as you have a connection to the internet, you can watch a YouTube or social media video. This should occupy all your senses (or at least some, since 70% of people watch videos on their phones without sound).
Still, another format is gaining popularity, opposite to what we’ve just discussed (watching videos without sound).
Listening to podcasts is great; it allows you to listen passively to an interesting topic discussed by interesting guests while doing something menial. You can use this to have fun while driving to work, handling menial tasks (like opening emails or data entry), or just chilling at home.
These podcasts can be quite educational, but their primary purpose is entertainment. They’re better than many other mediums because you can never really run out of podcast episodes. Currently, there are about five million podcasts with more than 70 million episodes between them.
Just remember that you won’t always have access to the internet. Luckily, you can download an episode and play it offline.
3. Download a game
The best way to kill some time is to download a video game. The best thing about mobile gaming is that it’s always accessible and available. Just think about it, you can play a game in the waiting room, on public transportation, or even at school.
Mobile gaming has a bad reputation because most games are freemium, paid to win, and contain too many microtransactions. If this bothers you, you can always just buy a game. Most cost just a few dollars, and you can enjoy the full game without any ads or disadvantages.
Also, while ads plague these games, they’re not all equally annoying. For instance, games like Vampire Survivor incentivize you to watch an ad to get an extra revive or double your gold after each run. In other words, while you’re heavily incentivized to watch the ad, you aren’t obliged to do so to enjoy the game. Of course, the incentive is still so good that you’ll do it either way, and you won’t even feel too bad for it because the value you’ve received back is so great.
4. Buy something fun
Sometimes, you can break boredom by doing some e-commerce research. Let’s say you want to buy a new gaming monitor. Monitor for Full HD gaming, 2K gaming, and 4K gaming are different. Just researching this topic can be incredibly fun.
However, a word of warning, sometimes, e-commerce sites that you’ll browse (and you’ll visit a lot of them because you want to be thorough when shopping around) will not be as safe. Just as you would look for robust Mac antivirus systems or those for Windows, you need the right iOS and Android antivirus software.
Just keep in mind that buying to kill boredom is not the healthiest of coping mechanisms, but it’s quite effective. Also, not all of these purchases are luxury buys or impulse purchases. People browse catalogs to plan for strategic purchases. A toilet paper on sale is a great way to save since this item has no expiration date. So many people are couponing for fun, and shopping can provide quite a bit of entertainment.
5. Consider the importance of microlearning
With a phone in your pocket, nothing prevents you from learning a new skill every day. Skill in a day, how is that possible? Well, you can’t learn carpentry in a day or how to make a great pizza dough, but you can learn how to make a Windsor knot for your tie, use Vaseline to make your perfume last longer, etc.
The bottom line is that, with access to the phone, you have access to unlimited knowledge. There are so many ideas out there, from 5-minute hacks to things you’re doing daily, which could use some improvement.
Take this guide on how to fold T-shirts to avoid wrinkles – via a step-by-step guide. This is undeniably a useful and useful skill that will benefit you regularly. It takes just a few minutes to master, and you could do it today (just after you finish reading the article). This will give you a significant quality of life boost when packing for travel, an amazing payoff for such a low investment.
6. Engage in social media
What are you using your phone for the most? Chances are that the answer to this question is – social media. After all, and we say this without any disrespect, it’s more than clear that all the big social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) are made for mobile use. Sure, their browser versions are usable, but it is so clear that this is not the intended social media experience.
Chances are that you’re already doing this to kill the boredom. You’re scrolling down the Instagram feed, arguing with people on Twitter, and chatting up people on Messenger.
Remember that the world of social media is dynamic, and the only way to get ahead of it is to keep track of these matters. You can also set your favorite users and accounts; this way, you’ll be notified as soon as they do something on social media and can track it in real time.
7. Download a habit-developing/breaking app
Habits require consistency, which an app can help you do. Through a series of notifications and gamified user experiences, some apps are especially effective at helping people develop or break a habit (depending on their intentions).
While most people are downloading fitness apps (like an abs program) or nutrition apps (like the one that tracks your daily caloric intake), others are going for apps that will help them drop nicotine. Going to the app to check your progress, perhaps even contributing, is a good immediate objective.
Your phone is a portal to a world of infinite possibilities
The best thing about our list is that it doesn’t add to the paradox of choice. These are just some of the options that you can and will use at the same time. At least give them a shot and keep the most promising ones.