No matter where you are – at school, work, or at home – you would rather tire yourself senseless than be bored. Boredom, technically speaking, is a psychological state in which you will feel an unpleasant lack of interest plus a difficulty in concentrating. In other words, boredom is when you can’t find anything else to do.

Getting bored cannot be avoided. It may be due to a lot of stress or fatigue, or you just don’t like what you are doing. As experts say, boredom is not the lack of sensory stimulation (something that stimulates the senses): it is just a lack of imagination or creative thinking. Though it is impossible to avoid boredom, there are a lot of things that can be done to get rid of it. Actually, anything can be done to become “un-bored,” but finding that thing to do can be quite a task.

Getting bored is not a problem when you have someone to pester, but it can really be a problem when you are alone. Surprisingly, you always find yourself bored when you are alone, literally or figuratively. Here are some ideas to that you may want to try when you are annoyingly bored.

Bored at Home

When you are tired of sitting in front of your television watching reruns or listening to music on the radio, here are some things you can do:

• Inspect your House – If you are really desperate, then this will keep you busy for several hours. Check pipes and the roof for leaks, windows and doors for cracks, or clean your house. You might want to clean the air conditioner, repair electrical wiring, or anything else that needs attention in your home.
• Engage in a Hobby - A lot of people today engage in hobbies, especially the DIY-types. You can create simple items that can either be practical or for display purposes. There are many sources and ideas for home projects you can do by yourself. Just decide what interests you. If you are the handyman around the house, look for DIY projects on making furniture or home accessories. If you love electronics, build yourself a computer rig out of some spare parts. There are countless things you can do. Of course, the project you will do will take some time to complete, keeping you busy for several boring weekends. When you are finally done, go find another thing to do.
• Get a Pet or Play with your Pet – This is the main purpose of a pet: to provide you with company and entertainment. If you have a dog, go out and play fetch or go for a nice long walk. If you are a cat person, get a ball of yarn or your laser pointer and play with your cat. If you notice your pet is smelly, you might as well give it a nice bath. Chasing your pet to give it a bath might even get rid of your boredom instantly.
• Invite Friends Over – Now, if nothing above appeals to you, then pick up that phone and call some of your friends to come over. Who knows? They might be dead bored too. Tell your friends to bring some movies, music, or anything that can keep you guys busy the whole day.

Bored at School

We all know how boring school can be, especially any class that involves a lot of lectures and quizzes that you often flunk. When your teacher keeps yakking about stuff you hardly understand, you just can’t doze off and risk the humiliation. It is better to lay low to avoid getting caught not listening. Just make sure you are ready if your teacher suddenly calls on you. Here are some things you can do:

• Excuse Yourself – Inform your teacher you will be going out, or just do a quiet exit if you do not need to tell, and do something out of the room. You can go to the washroom and wash your face, touch up your makeup, or fix your hair. Do something that can wake up your senses. Jog for a while or slap yourself several times – whatever does the trick.
• Pull out your Notebook – This is not about promoting laziness or not listening to your teacher, but sometimes boredom can really tick you off. Pull out your notebook and doodle. Write a poem or draw a caricature of your teacher. You might want to draft a letter to that classmate you want to ask to the dance.
• Silent Picking – Everybody hates bullies, even the bullies themselves. If you are one of the unfortunate students who gets picked on by the school bully, this is your chance to get even, at least in your head. Think of the many things you could do to that bully if you were given the chance. Write down some nasty things about the bully or notice how ugly his or her get-up is. You can even imagine how the bully will get caught by your scary principal and get detention.
• Ask Silly Questions – If you are brave enough, or if your teacher is the kind yet boring type, then bombard him or her with silly yet related questions. Use your wit and creativity. Chances are, a lot of students are bored to death too, so do them a favor by making the whole class roar with laughter.

Bored at Work

When you have done all your tasks assigned to you, or none have been given, and it is still hours before five o’clock, you surely can’t help getting bored. Of course, sleeping is not also an option unless you want a change in your status of employment. Here are some of the things you can do to keep yourself busy.

• Review your Work – You may be done your work ahead of schedule, so use your extra time to check your work for possible errors you may have missed. Check your spelling and grammar, the data you presented, or anything that you may have failed to include.
• Go Online – If you have Internet access in your office and you are allowed to use it, then spend those boring hours surfing the Internet. Your office IT department may have blocked some websites you are not allowed to visit, like those addictive social networking and video sharing sites. Make sure you know which sites are allowed to be visited and which ones are not. Play some online games if they don’t forbid it or join a forum that shares your interests.
• Be a Good Samaritan – Want to be a “hero” or a good guy in the eyes of your officemates? Offer some help with their work and you will surely put a smile on their faces. Just make sure you can do the work properly; otherwise, don’t offer at all. Who knows? Maybe when you are chasing a deadline and it seems like you will not make it, a colleague you helped previously might approach you and help you out.
• Get a New Hobby – Think of something you are allowed to do in the office to waste your time. Bring a crossword puzzle, engage in writing, put up a blog, or even think of possible reasons why you can tell your boss why you need a raise. Just make sure that the reason is something that you can back up.
• Make New Friends – Make use of your idle time to go around and look for other bored officemates. Since you often spend a lot of time working to meet deadlines, you usually don’t have time to make friends. Walk around your office and look for someone who doesn’t seem to be busy and approach him or her. Start with small talk about work and stuff. If everything goes alright, you may have someone to talk to the next time you get bored.