To ask what you do when you have nothing to do

[Notthatbusy]

Very strange question...but what do you do when you have nothing to do?!

For context, I am relatively busy. I work 4 days, have 2 year old, have a relatively large house to keep on top of. Don't have a cleaner, cook from scratch 80% of time. I recently gave up some bad habits - social media, scrolling on the Internet and...vaping! I never did the latter anywhere near my child but wfh full time meant it had reached epic proportions. Usually, when I had nothing to do, I would sit down for 10 minutes, scroll and vape. This is no longer an option. Similarly, when child is entertaining themselves for 10 minutes and you have nothing to clean/cook....what do you do?!

I already read a lot. I guess I'm struggling to remember what I used to do back in the day when there were no smart phones (I'm 35) to constantly divert my attention. And I really mean those pockets of 10 minutes here and there, not time to have a bath/go out to do a hobby etc.

Also, giving up these habits has made me realise I'm not quite as busy as I thought I was.....

I do a bit of the language I’m learning on Duolingo or text my friends.

Mostly tidy, sort stuff out like kitchen cupboards, or clothes in wardrobe. Potter about 🤷‍♀️

Practice my piano.

Daydream.

Stare out of the window.

I thought I was great at 'Pottering', seems not so much. Scary when you realise how addicted we've become to looking at our phones during 'dead' time..... and there is lot of dead time when looking after young children!

Message mates
Make a to do list
Have a cuppa in garden
Meditate
Look for a new book or new recipie as like to cook
A ten min strech vid on you tube
Clear some e mails
De junk a drawer
Do my nails.
De fuzz my face!
Slap a conditioner on
Prep an overnight oats thing.
Tidy my w robe.
Look on you tube re hair styles or watch a dance vid
Plan a social event
Sort my wool out
One of my fave things is to tidy my pantry!

The other things is

File my nails

Have a bath . Watch the birds - I have a lot of bird feeders in my garden .

I genuinely never have nothing to do - but my procrastination techniques are reading, crafting or organising things…plus the bad habit of the phone.

TikTok
Message friends on WhatsApp
Come on here
Eat something I shouldn't, at the moment it's ice cream and lollies, before that it was hot cross buns
Have a tea
Day dream
Google random stuff that pops into my head or things like fantasy holiday 😂
Learn something. I also do duolingo. Trying to learn to crochet. Do some short courses. Read. Listen to podcast.

Healthier ones...
Do my pelvic floor exercises.
Floss my teeth
Dance to the radio
Do a mini meditation.
Have a good stretch.
Been neglecting those ones a bit!

I don't seem to have a problem filling time, I seem to have a problem finding time to do the things I need to but not the ones I don't

I literally never don't have something to clean though, but then I have more kids and am a single parent.

I like to find time to potter in the garden. I turn over soil to look neat, pull up any weeds, plant a few plants and in summer do hanging baskets and thinking of trying a few veg this year, runner beans, tomatoes. I already have raspberries and apple trees. I like to watch Netflix. I like baking so cookies, cheese scones, a cake or cheesecake type of thing every week. Take dogs around lake for longer walk. Go for a swim. Meet a friend for coffee in town. Meet son for lunch if he is on certain shift. I read and do puzzles too. Plus the off not of Mums Netting. I am never bored.

Isn't that what mumsnet is for?

Ideal for when you have a small amount of time on your hands.
I'm currently waiting for our spuds to boil.

If I have 5 mins I will do some extra duolingo or roll out my yoga mat and do a few stretches. Sometimes I just have a cup of tea and watch my bird feeder.

crochet
reading
sewing
gardening
rearranging bits and bobs
sitting and starring

im also trying to learn SQL so do that in pockets of 10-20 mins

Scrolling... here... obvs!

I am very good at doing nothing. Staring vacantly into space. Looking out of the window at the garden, birds. Chatting to the pets. Making energetic and organised mental lists of Things I Will Do As Soon As I Get Off My Arse (spoiler alert: I dont).

If you want to Do Something when you're doing nothing then my 2p's worth:

• greenery and wildlife is good for the soul. Potter around the garden, look at and touch plants. Or just look thru the window
• breathing exercises are also good for a restorative time out
• simple exercises like push-ups against a wall or calf stretches. Standing on one leg is good for your foot arch as well as balance
• become an Archers addict, just 15 mins a day. Or another podcast of choice

Sorry about the stupid bolding. Was meant to be bullet points

Masturbate?

Do a lesson on Duolingo
Message friends
Wordle, Globle, or Semantle
Boggle or a bit of a jigsaw
Read a few pages of a book
Do a bit of hand weights
Play with the dog and cat
Listen to a podcast or watch a YouTube vid

Are you creative or crafty? I've always done art in some form or another so thats always something to do.

I'm writing a book...or I should say I'm learning to write a book while writing it. sometimes that means watching lessons on writing online (free) but also informs other hobbies. I have done a book cover and map for my book.

If you want to keep your hands busy then I recommend crochet. Its very satisfying.

Hmm just realised my hobby seems to be learning new things...

Do you exercise op?
see friends?

I listen to audible
go for a run
call or message friend

and tidy and sort and clean and eBay

Zentangle.

Mumsnet
Wordle
Sudoku
Decluttering a bit at a time
Netflix
Weeding
Mindlessly scrolling through the crap Google posts on my phone
Fb

I like to daydream
sing a song
write notes
read a page or two
go and smirk at something I own that I like
fold something
pull up a weed
make or draw lists and plans, eg for the house renovation or garden or for my craft hobby
do some stuff with the dogs, eg the biscuit hunt

This is omitting all the online stuff, like Pinterest, Mumsnet, YouTube, emails, online shopping or browsing, looking up definitions or people, playing solitaire, scrabble, etc.