15-minute activities to do when you’re bored and distracted

Do you ever have to wait in a long line or sit out in the parking lot while there’s still a few minutes left until your dentist appointment? Or maybe you’re working from home and there’s some time before the next meeting but not enough to start on a new task. Well, even fifteen minutes can bore you out of your mind! For this exact reason, it’s good to have a few ideas up your sleeve for quick and fun activities on the go.

1. Doodle in a sketchbook. Sketch up an idea for something that you can later make into a big painting. Draw a quick silhouette of people passing by. Or simply drag the pen around the page without really giving it any thought and see what comes out. This can be quite a meditative activity! Is that what they call zen doodles? Give it a try and share your experience in the comments!
2. Read a chapter of a book… or maybe even a few pages. A few minutes of downtime throughout the day may be just what you were missing to get back into reading. You know, how you keep saying… Oh, if only I had the time to read more! But you can never find the time to sit back and relax with a book. Well, it’s not necessary to read half a book in one sitting every time you want to dive into a new story. Read through a few pages here and there, and before you know it, you will have finished another book. And then another one. And another.
3. Take candid photos of your family! Today taking pictures has become as easy as taking out your phone. However, when you look at your social media feed, you’ll notice how everything looks almost staged. Everything has to be picture perfect for all the strangers on the internet to judge your life. Right? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Whenever you pull out an old photo album and flip through your precious memories, you’ll notice one thing. All those pictures once captured random moments with your friends and family. You never bothered to use a filter or edit the picture. It was perfect with all its flaws and bad lighting. And we simply don’t do that anymore! This is one thing that we should go back to doing. And not just taking the pictures, but also making the small effort to print them out and maybe starting a new album to store your memories.
4. Make a paper crane. All you need is a square piece of paper (it doesn’t need to be fancy!) and a little dexterity. There are plenty of tutorials and even video instructions that you can find online. And once you teach yourself how to make a paper crane, you won’t be able to stop!
5. Solve a sudoku puzzle. Fifteen minutes should be just enough, if you know your way around a sudoku puzzle. If you’ve never done one before, then it’s just the time to learn. It’s as easy as counting to ten!
6. Drink a glass of water! You may still be bored, but at least you’ll be hydrated.
7. Take a deep breath, especially if you just so happen to be outside in a park. Notice how the air is fresh and cool. Can you smell flowers or freshly cut grass? A few deep breaths may be just enough to help you unwind and refresh your mind.
8. Do a plank! Okay, so you won’t be able to actually hold a plank for fifteen minutes. But you know, how you keep saying that you’ll start going to the gym and get in shape? Or that you just need to get the right gear to stay on top of your health? You don’t need any of that to do a simple plank. And it can be an easy way to add a little exercise in your everyday life. You could say, it’s almost effortless.
9. Listen to a song you’ve never heard before. If you’re anything like me, you probably listen to the same five songs over and over again. And yet, you may wonder… What if you’re missing out on a cool new beat? Or you keep hearing about this one popular singer or band, but you can’t remember any of their songs. In fact, you’re not sure if you’ve ever heard any of their music. Yet, you know all about their personal drama from those celebrity gossip websites. You can spare a few minutes to look up that artist you've been wondering about all this time, and see if you actually like their music. Maybe it will be just okay, or maybe you’ll discover your new favorite artist.
10. Try out a new hairstyle. Do you always keep your hair down or only ever do a single ponytail? Use your down time to fix it up into pigtails or try out a French braid! Half up, half down is another hairstyle that is easy to do and will make you feel like a princess. If your hair is long enough, you can try to braid a thin long plait and wrap it around your head like a headband. Just don’t cut your bangs!

Here are just a few simple ideas, but you can do so much more! Use your imagination and curiosity to discover a new hobby, explore a topic of interest, or simply distract yourself from the daily grind. Life doesn’t have to be serious and productive all the time, all of the time.