WASHINGTON — Oh, winter. It’s cold, the sun’s out less and it always seems significantly harder to get out of bed than during any other season.
When you’re snowed in for the weekend or it’s just too cold to go anywhere, boredom can quickly hit. Next thing you know, you haven’t changed out of your pajamas and Netflix has already asked you three times if you’re still watching “Grey’s Anatomy.” And you’re not.
If you’re sick of moping around and wasting the day away, here are some ideas to stop boredom right in its tracks.
At-home exercises
You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to release endorphins. YouTube alone has plenty of free workout videos ranging from relaxing yoga stretches, high intensity interval training, pilates, no-equipment strength training and more. Turn up the music, follow along with the online exercise instructors and pause and start to fit your own pace. Everything you need to break a sweat and boost your energy is right in your own space.
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Thinkstock
Look in your pantry and get cooking
A day spent inside trying to shield yourself from the winter weather is the perfect time to turn up the heat in the kitchen. Dust off your cookbook or look through recipes online to create new flavors that will warm up your home and your taste buds.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Read
What was the last book you read? From avid readers to people who haven’t cracked open a book in years, all of us can benefit from making reading more of a habit.
With tools, such as Goodreads, you can find novels that friends would recommend to you, that meet your specific tastes or that are similar to other books you’ve read.
Audio books have also gained popularity, enabling listeners to be engaged in another task while listening to a narrated version of the book. If you can’t commit to an extensive novel, there are plenty of longform written pieces that are just as engaging, but at a fraction of the length.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Rearrange furniture
When you first moved in, you probably spent hours deliberating on the best way to feng shui your space. If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t moved your furniture since that very day. But even moving around one or two pieces of furniture in the room of your choice (or all over your home) can make a big difference. It’s likely you’ll find a new favorite arrangement with better access to natural lighting or more room to move around.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Perfect your resume/personal website
Even if you’re not actively seeking a job, it’s always good to highlight your career milestones on your resume. If that seems like a tall task, you can simply clean up your online presence on LinkedIn or update your personal website.
When you are on the lookout for a new job in the future, you’ll really appreciate the small updates in increments instead of having to use a lot of brain power to remember how many new projects you brought to the table at your current workplace.
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Thinkstock
Clean your closets/junk drawers
Take a look inside the closets and drawers that are often neglected. You may be surprised to find that the skis you only used once are still right where you left them. Sorting through and getting rid of unused items — be it clothing, tools or sports equipment — can be a great way to relieve stress.
Donating your unused knickknacks is the no-hassle way to part ways with things you no longer use or need. Need some extra cash? You can sell your items on various apps, such as OfferUp, LetGo, Trove and even on Facebook.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Delete your old, unused files on your digital devices
Cellphones and laptops do much of the grunt work when it comes to storing important documents. And while technology can be reliable in many instances, it’s always best to have all important content safely backed up.
Get rid of old pictures, downloads and apps that you don’t need or use anymore and make sure the digital files you do need are safeguarded in a hard drive, as well as the cloud. The cleared-up space on your laptop and/or phone may even make your devices work a lot faster.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Plan a summer vacation
The cold weather probably has you dreaming about sun bathing and sand between your toes, so why not make that dream a reality? Start planning a summer vacation, making an agenda for where you want to go and what you want to see while there.
Scoping out hotels and flight prices early on will help ease unnecessary stress that would’ve come shortly before you actually go on vacation.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Spa day
Sometimes pampering yourself is the most productive, yet relaxing task you can assign yourself when you’re snowed in. The rough, frigid winter can definitely take a toll on your skin, many times making it dry and itchy.
Taking a warm bath with moisturizing bath oils and slathering on moisture-locking face masks and body lotions can make your skin feel quenched and brand-new.
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