The weekend is approaching and you’re happy to get some rest, but at the same time, you have this gnawing feeling that you’ll be alone….again!   It seems like only work gives your life some excitement.

What should you do? You don’t have to be bored to death with your life. In fact, the single years can be the most fun and exciting time of your life filled with purpose and adventure.

However, we need to be careful what kind of fun we have. God has given us free choice, but some choices will be unprofitable in the long run. They will leave you with a “whole heap” of headaches (literal and figurative).  

“Variety is the spice of life” (An old adage)

Here are 10 fun ideas to kill boredom:

1) Socializing.

My number one suggestion is hanging out with friends and/or family.  In Trinidad & Tobago, it is fondly referred to as ‘liming’… eating, talking, and laughing.  It might be good to gather a few single friends and form a hang-out ‘crew’.  There are so many options, but here are a few to consider:

Some ideas:

• Plan a picnic;
• Have a potluck feast where everyone brings a dish;
• Go to a restaurant (no cooking required).
• Visit friends.  
• Go to the movies, show, theatre, theme park, etc.
• Try a fun sport together;
• Organise a monthly games night (and while you’re at it, invite some single Christian guys! *smile*).
  

For example, my housemates and I started having themed “Games Nite” once per month. It became quite popular as a Friday night social event and people began attending from all over the country!

Choose people who you enjoy. It should be a time of enjoyment and not punishment:). Socializing can surely kill boredom.

2) Reading or listening to books.

For some of you, this might not sound like fun, but give it a try.  This is my personal favorite hobby. Are there books that you’ve been ‘dying’ to read but it just has not happening?  You can use your free time to just sit back, get your favorite beverage and read or listen to a book.  Here are a few suggested books:

Fiction

• “Blessed Child“ by Bill Bright and Ted Dekker
• “Chronicles of Narnia” (series) by C.S. Lewis
• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

Biographies or Autobiographies

• ”Death of a Guru: A Remarkable True Story of One Man’s Search For Truth” by Rabí R. Maharaj
• “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom
• ”Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People” by Sarah H. Bradford, Jim Hodges, et. al.
• ”William Tyndale”

Relationship with God

• The Holy Bible
• The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
• The Incomparable Christ by J. Oswald Sanders
• More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

Inspirational

• Strong Women, Soft Hearts by Paula Rhinehart
• Brokenness, Surrender and Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye by Carolyn McCulley
• The Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund

Relationship with men

• Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
• 10 Things Every Woman Needs to Know About Men by Sabrina Alexis and Eric Charles
• Finding the Love of Your Life by Neil Clark Warren
• Building a Relationship That Lasts by Dick Purnell

Growth and Wholeness

• Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
• Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson
• Margins by Richard Swenson

Sex-related

• The Bare Facts: 39 Questions Your Parents Hope You Never Ask About Sex by Josh McDowell
• Sex and the Soul of a Woman by Paula Rhinehart
• The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn
• Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot

Money-related

• Five Wealth Secrets by Craig Hill
• The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
• The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
• Living Large: How to Live Well Even on a Little by J. Raymond Albrektson

Leadership

• Leadership Coaching by Tony Stoltzfus
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey
• The Performance Factor: Unlocking the Secrets of Teamwork by MacMillan

Passing your time with a good book will surely help to kill boredom.

3) A Weekend Get-Away.

This sounds like paradise!  You don’t necessarily have to leave the country, but try to leave your home. At least once a year, it’s healthy to set aside time to get away from all the busyness of life.  

You can use it to invest in your relationship with God and/or to de-stress. Also, you can also try a ‘Silence & Solitude’ retreat and unplug from all distractions.  If you’re like me and you don’t feel comfortable going to a strange place by yourself, then take along a friend or relative who has the same agenda of ‘getting away’.  

4) Enjoy nature.

How about taking a trip to the mountains or the beach or a river or a nature reserve?  Hike, bike or walk and enjoy God’s creation. Or just stay at home and enjoy what you have around you. I love to sit in our porch, look at the trees, listen to the birds, and just think.  It’s very refreshing!

5) Traveling.

I have travelled to over thirty countries within the last nine years and it has been fabulous! Nine out of ten times, I was alone.

You can travel to visit family or friends or simply go site seeing on your own. Solo travel seems to be becoming more popular and companies are beginning to offer packages to meet the needs of the growing number of singles traveling alone.

6) Get in touch with your creative side.

You can rediscover that childhood creative streak that has been buried for some years.  I used to love doing crafts when I was younger.  Maybe this year, I will find a craft project to re-energize that creative part of me.  What about you? Are there any activities that you haven’t done in a while that gives you life?

Some suggestions:

• Craft Project
• Baking
• Painting
• Writing a song
• Coloring
• Playing a musical instrument

7) Volunteer.

One thing that is always in short supply is a good labourer. The world is ripe with opportunities to serve children, the elderly, the homeless, or refugees.  Without a doubt, you have gifts that you can use to bless someone.

The need to alleviate human suffering is great globally. Gather a few friends and have an outreach or join someone else who is actively involved in bringing love, hope and cheer. You’ll definitely kill every ounce of boredom in your life!

8) Create a bucket list.

What are some things that you’d absolutely love to do before you leave this earth?  Would you like to travel the world, help with the refugee crisis or go skydiving?

While you’re single, this is the time to try to accomplish those things.  One of my desires was to visit Australia and I did that a few years ago. It was worth the longgggggg flights.

9) Babysit.

There is never a dull moment with children in your life. Kill boredom instantly! Invite your nephews and nieces (biological or not) to your home for a day or two.  Their parents might be super grateful for the help.

You can give the children a time of their lives that they will remember for years to come.  “Susan” was babysitting my friends’ two children.  I was passing by and to my surprise, she made hot chocolate, baked chicken wings, pineapple chow, pizza and some other goodies.  

Furthermore, a tent was erected in the living room furnished with a sleeping bag, pillows, a plant (haha) and a projector for watching Netflix.  They also had a list of fun activities for the night. I was blown away. “Susan” was having just as much fun as the children! Lol

Here are some ideas for entertaining children:

• Play board games.
• Read books to them.
• Watch a movie together.
• Bake or cook with them.
• Take them to a park or zoo.

10) Learn a new skill or begin a new hobby.

There are countless online courses now.  Check out Youtube, Udemy, Teachable, SkillsShare or LinkedIn to name a few to learn a new skill.  There might also be free or cheap courses offered in your country.

Do some research and you never know what you might discover.  Join an art class, dance lessons, cooking course or photography course. You’ll kill boredom and you never know who you might meet in the process! Hmmmm:)

Related articles:

5 Compelling Reasons Why Singleness is Beautiful 

5 Crazy Things People Say to Single Women

10 Fantastic Ideas When You Are Stuck At Home

Summary

I’m sure you can come up with other ideas yourself.  The key to enjoying your singleness to the max is to be intentional. What are some activities that have helped you to enjoy this season?  Please comment below. Your ideas just might interest someone else.

Remember to subscribe, like and follow.  Get your copy of the FREE ‘Know Yourself’ questionnaire.  As you wrestle with some of the questions, you might discover the gem that you are and also areas in your life that may require some attention. I’ve been getting a LOT of good feedback from the 21-day journal challenge. It’s not too late. You can join today! Thanks for stopping by!

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With lots of love,

Kimberly Garth

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