35 Aesthetic Things to do When Bored by Yourself or With Friends

Skip those boring hobbies and mindless scrolling; here are 35 aesthetic things to do when you are bored by yourself or with friends.

A woman in braids enjoying a glass of red wine - an image for a blog post about aesthetic things to do when bored

Feeling bored is a part of life, at least a few times a month — no one can truly run away from it.

Whether you’re like me, who enjoys spending time alone, or you’re a people person. But today, your friends and everyone bailed out at the last minute.

No party, no extra event, it’s just you at home with nothing else to do -there’s no leftover office work to indulge yourself with.

Today is your day off, and a few hours in, you feel super bored after scrolling mindlessly on social media, and nothing seems to work.

When boredom and burnout strike, throwing in some new activities and hobbies to do when bored can help you enjoy your time alone.

However, instead of engaging in another boring activity, hobby, or routine that adds to your boredom, you can switch things up to these aesthetic things to do when you are bored.

There’s no manual for finding joy in simple things and activities, as this is personal — what you enjoy doing for fun may not work for the next person.

However, engaging in aesthetic hobbies sparks creativity and excitement, helps you be in the present and mindful, reduces stress, and allows you to enjoy the moment.

Plus, they’re social media worthy, not like this is important, but if you’re a social media girly, you can film and share these activities with others.

So keep reading to find the 35 best Aesthetic things to do by yourself at home and outside. It also includes fun aesthetic things to do with friends for days when you’re not alone.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Kindly read the full disclosure here.

35 Aesthetic Things to Do When Bored

1. Read a Novel While Sipping Wine

Reading a book will always be my favorite personal development and self-care activity.

But when bored, you want to avoid reading books that bore you out; instead, opt for novels and fictional books in genres you enjoy.

It could be romance, thrillers, and even animations if you find them interesting.

So, get a book and your favorite wine, light scented candles, and set the mood.

PS: When reading a book as part of aesthetic things to do when bored at home, I like to go creative by setting up props and taking pictures of my “current read.”

Take pictures or film a little video of setting up your space for reading.

You may be thinking, “Uh, faith, social media? — doing this makes it more fun and keeps you busy.

Credit: Sydnie Todd @dupe

2. Try Rock Painting

If you enjoy creating art or want to try painting something nice, even if you are bad at it, rock painting is a fun yet aesthetic thing to do when bored at home.

Hours could go by without you realizing it.

After painting, you can use the rocks you paint as decor, adding your personality to your apartment.

Or you can hide them around your neighborhood for others to find — it’s called kindness stone.

Plus, you can share them on your socials; they’re Pinterest-worthy.

Hand-painted owl illustrations on rocks, displayed on a wooden surface. These are called Kindness rocks and it's an aesthetic thing to do by yourself

by olga_rocks

3. Paint Your Nails

If you’re a nail girly, you know every holiday, new month, and season is literally an excuse to switch up your manicure.

First, go on Pinterest, Instagram, or NailTok and gather ideas; grab your favorite polish colors, and try to recreate nail designs and colors you like.

You don’t have to be a pro. A few practices will help you achieve neater nails.

Besides doing it because you’re bored, it also helps you throw self-care activities into your day.

4. Have a Creative Photoshoot at Home

Recreating photoshoots at home is another fun aesthetic thing to do by yourself when bored at home.

First, decide what you want to recreate — do you want to recreate flat lay images, food, or home decor settings? Do you love your home decor or enjoy looking at an aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed?

Another fun idea is to piece together fashion styles from your wardrobe or recreate styles of your favorite influencers and celebrities.

You’ll find fun ideas on Pinterest and Instagram about this.

Having a photoshoot at home is super creative and one of the fastest ways to kill boredom, especially if you’re having a photoshoot of things that interest you.

PS: doing something you love is the absolute hack for getting out of boredom faster. Having a photoshoot is also an aesthetic thing to do with friends.

You can team up with your best friend or partner.

5. Watch RomCom

I’m an avid Kdrama girly — at least when it’s a good rom-com.

Watch romantic comedies on Netflix and other streaming platforms when everything fails.

You can transform it into a self-care day by grabbing your favorite snacks, setting them on a tray, wrapping yourself in a fluffy blanket, wearing a face mask, putting on scented candles, and enjoying extra self-care vibes.

Lately, I have been bringing the extra mattress to the living room with lots of pillows and dimmer lights to enjoy my movie time alone.

6. Go Stargazing

Watch the stars from your balcony or garden, or even stroll to the nearest park, sit for a minute, and stargaze.

If you find the solar system and constellation intriguing, you can download apps like Stellarium to observe the stars and try to identify each star in the night sky.

I enjoy watching the stars while taking slow breaths in and out; this helps me relax, especially on days when I feel anxious.

7. Go On a Solo Coffee Date

Every human should go on a solo date at least a few times yearly. Solo dates are one of my favorite aesthetic things to do when bored.

Because sometimes, the best company is yourself — spending time with yourself reinforces self-love.

Pick your favorite book or a journal, and go to a cozy coffee shop. Order that fancy latte, and take your time to savor every sip.

Enjoy the scenery, and It’s not about drinking coffee; it’s about the scenery, the scents of freshly brewed coffee, and watching others go about their lives.

PS: A simple trick is sitting close to the window.

8. Spend a Day at the Beach Swimming

Swimming is fun, especially in the summertime.

Going to the beach makes you feel connected to nature and, most of the time can help you clear your thoughts.

Even if you dislike swimming, just dipping your legs in the water is enough.

At the beach, try letting yourself go and be in the moment.

You can do simple things like lying on the sand, letting the sun warm your skin, and listening to the sounds of waves crashing against the shore.

Take pictures of yourself and the scenery, run around, and live like today is your last.

These moments are aesthetically pleasing and can help you connect to your core and raise your vibrations.

9. Recreate Old Photos

Do you have childhood memories that you’d like to recreate? It could be photos of you or of you with your parents and friends.

If you have others at home with you — you can drag them into the fun and recreate your favorite special memories.

Fun right? Recreate and put them on a frame, side by side, in your home.

10. Take pictures on Polaroid

Polaroid pictures are charming.

When you’re alone, consider all the beautiful memories you can create and take pictures to document these moments.

Capturing beautiful Polaroid shots can be creative and aesthetically pleasing.

Look around you and capture those little moments and details that stand out for you.

It could be a cozy corner in your room, your pet, a sunset, even birds chirping outside your home, a coffee, and maybe your new manicure.

You could use these pictures for decor or create a self-care time journal and stick them in.

This image shows two Polaroid-style photographs placed on a textured, neutral-colored surface. The left photo features a woman in a black dress posing indoors with a soft smile, while the right photo shows a man standing casually in what appears to be a modern, minimalist room with white floors and slanted ceilings. Both images evoke a cozy, personal, and nostalgic vibe.

11. Curate a New Playlist

What is your mood right now? What songs instantly make you happy?

Whenever I’m bored at home, creating a new playlist and listening to songs is one of the first things I do, and it works like a charm.

The first thing to consider is what makes you happy.

For instance, yesterday we had a power blackout, and I spent the day and evening curating two new playlists — a playlist of my favorite “old school songs” and cool K-pop songs I love right now.

Most are OSTs from drama (Knight Flower’s My Love by My Side by Zenan, Joy and the Secret Royal Inspector’s Need Your Heart, and Let’s Get It, Alchemy of Souls’ Love Letter by Big Naughty, lol.)

But do they make me happy? Heck, yes!

When curating a playlist, choose personal songs, and do so because you find little pockets of joy listening to them.

12. Enjoy a Self-care Bath

If you have a self-care menu, having a self-care shower at least 2–3 times monthly is fun — whether you’re bored or not.

But since you’re alone and need aesthetic things to do when bored, consider having a home spa day.

You can set the mood by taking extra steps to romanticize your bath session.

Use dim lights. I love red lights or a mix of scented candles, so turn on soft music. If you enjoy watching movies while you shower, you can bring your device to the bathroom — make sure to protect it.

Don’t forget your self-care products, e.g., bath salts, bubbles, or essential oils, to make it extra soothing.

One of my favorite things to do when having a self-care bath is trying different scents, but my favorite is vanilla or chocolate; I love using products that layer in these scents.

13. Journal

Journaling is one of my favorite things to do.

Although it may seem simple, perhaps you’ve read how journaling can change your life, especially on this blog.

Journaling can shift your mood and help you find simple things that make you happy.

You can journal anything, from making a list of things to writing about your goals, dreams, relationships, life, job, etc, to doing self-assessment.

Another fun idea is to set goals or create a manifest list and use colored pens and stickers to decorate your pages. It’ll look so aesthetic!

You can also try manifestation journaling to attract the life you desire.

A close-up of the Five-Minute Journal, for journaling, and prompts for daily reflection- an image in a blog post about aesthetic things to do when bored

14. Listen and Dance to your Favorite songs

Listening and dancing to good music will uplift your mood. It’s one aesthetic thing to do when bored that literally shakes off boredom.

First, create a playlist of your favorite songs that make you move your body and dance.

Apart from dancing being a good mood booster, you also exercise and burn off calories. A win-win, right?

15. Visit a Botanical Garden

Visit a botanical garden if you love and enjoy nature.

When bored out of your mind, dress up, put on simple makeup, visit a botanical garden, and appreciate nature, the scenery, and the scent of plants.

Also, find someone to take stunning pictures of you — these memories will last a lifetime.

16. Watch Sunrise and Sunset

Watching sunset and sunrise is another fun yet aesthetic thing to do at home when bored.

I love capturing sunsets when out for my evening walks with my partner.

Set your alarm for sunrise or sunset — it’s worth it.

Find a comfy spot by your window or balcony, or go to a park or beach.

But if you’re watching from home, relax by drinking a cup of coffee or your favorite drink when watching the sun set or rise.

Also, you can include watching the sunrise in your self-care morning routine if you spend the day alone alone.

17. Make Ice Cream at Home

Go on YouTube, watch, and learn to make ice cream at home — try recreating your favorite flavors.

Plenty of ice cream recipes don’t require an ice cream maker.

Plus, making ice cream from scratch is fun.

18. Make a Gratitude List

A gratitude list is both fun and a tool for self-reflection.

Plus, if you’re feeling bored, tell yourself that your life sucks right now, but you have things you’re grateful for.

Making a list of things you’re thankful for will help shift your mind from negative thinking to positive.

In your journal or notebook, create your gratitude list.

First, take a minute to reflect on all the beautiful things in life, it doesn’t have to be grand; it could be something as simple as a hug, waking up to a new day, or having a pet.

There’s always something to be grateful for when you have the right mindset and outlook.

19. Write New Powerful Affirmations

Think about the areas in which you need a little help. What do you struggle with? What negative mindset do you need to let go of?

What are your hopes, desires, and dreams you want to manifest?

Writing affirmations is an aesthetic thing to do when bored at home — it helps you change your mindset and take you out of a rut.

It could be affirmations of love, money, success, and the ability to manifest your dreams and desires.

If you’re unsure how to start affirming beautiful things in your life, here’s a list of my favorite affirmations, and you can download my free mindset booster affirmation cards.

20. Snuggle with your Pet

If you have a pet at home, they always want attention and can keep you busy, lol.

Find a cozy spot, and let your pet snuggle beside you while giving it a belly rub, scratches, and gentle pats.

21. Learn a New Language

Learning a new language is fun and challenging. People find those who can speak more than one language intriguing, especially a foreign language — it’s fancy.

I started learning Spanish for fun because I was bored.

Eventually, this helped me pick up a few Spanish words. Use apps like Duolingo, YouTube, and other study materials.

However, if you want to learn a new language outside “formal” lingo, look for YouTube channels and study materials instead of Duolingo.

22. Learn to Crochet

Do you love crochets or find them fascinating?

Crocheting is also an aesthetic thing to do by yourself.

You can recreate a scarf, cute hat, bag, or anything you desire.

It also helps relieve stress. Plus, you can pair crocheting with another aesthetic thing to do when bored at home, like watching a movie, listening to podcasts, singing, or chatting with your friends.

23. Cook and Film New Recipes

Do you enjoy cocking, or do you enjoy saving recipes from your favorite social media accounts, hoping to try them later? Well, today is the perfect excuse to do that.

Consider the meals you’ve been craving or hoping to try; you can share this on your Instagram or TikTok live if you enjoy social media.

Otherwise, enjoy your time alone trying new recipes.

Whenever I try new recipes, I invite my friends to enjoy them.

Cooking and trying new recipes are also fun yet bonding aesthetic things to do with friends when bored.

24. Change your hairstyle

Play dress up with your hair.

Go on YouTube and search for gorgeous hairstyles you want to try and recreate.

It could be styling your hair to look a certain way or braiding it from scratch if you love braids.

25. Create a Vision Board

Creating a vision board is one aesthetic thing to do by yourself that will always make a list.

Vision boards are fun to make -they are a tool for motivation to achieve your goals and achieve the life you desire.

Plus, the process of creating a vision board is enjoyable.

Start by gathering images; it could be a Pinterest board if you’re creating a digital video board in Canva, or you can download and print these images.

Another fun place to find inspo for your vision boards is magazines.

You can create a vision board about anything; it doesn’t have to be your yearly goals alone — creating vision boards for your yearly goals alone is a misconception I often see with people.

Your vision board can be about your health, weekly goals, self-care goals, relationships, a new business, and even your home.

A vision board is a visual representation of the life you desire.

Person arranging aesthetic photos of nature and textures on a white wall, exploring images for vision board, as one of the most soothing aesthetic things to do when bored.

26. Make Paper Craft

Paper crafts are fun to make. So much time could pass by without you knowing when trying to piece together your ideas.

Plus, you can use these crafts to decorate your apartment and give to the kids around.

If you’re unsure what to make, check out the paper craft tutorials on YouTube.

Gigi’s channel is one of my favorites for finding compilations of paper crafts to try when bored.

27. Give your Room a Makeover

Decorating and organizing your home is another aesthetic thing to do when bored at home that will lift your mood and make your living space feel like your sanctuary.

Recently, I changed the color of the walls of my room from orange to white and moved things around a little without spending much, which changed the vibe of my apartment.

Also, consider decluttering your home before organizing and decorating it again.

Adding little things like a houseplant, changing the color of your bedding, and switching the color of items in your home can refresh and transform the aesthetics of your living space.

Still, trying to figure out where to start? Read 100 tiny things to organize your whole life.

28. Read and listen to Your Favorite Blogs and Podcasts

Read your favorite blogs and listen to your favorite podcast when bored. Listening to podcasts is fun because they are hands-off activities, and you can listen to them on the go.

You can pair this activity with other aesthetic things to do with boredom, like going for a walk in your neighborhood, cooking, having a self-care shower, reading a book, and sipping wine.

I love listening to podcasts about areas of life I want to improve or my interests at the moment.

This way, I don’t feel bored, and pairing it with other activities does the magic.

Fun Aesthetic Things to Do with Friends

If you’re not alone and need aesthetic things to do with friends, keep reading to find a few of my favorites right now.

28. Go on a Picnic

A picnic is your best bet if you’re looking for aesthetic things to do outside when bored with friends.

Plan and execute a color and style-themed picnic.

You and your friends will wear different colors that match the color of the fruits each person is bringing along.

Plus, you can play games like crosswords, puzzles, truth or dare (I’m not too fond of this game, lol), and names of things (this looks simple but becomes fun when people start generating weird names on the spot).

When out for a picnic, take a lot of pictures.

My friends and I would love to add a no-phone rule for at least an hour to allow everyone to enjoy their time without distractions.

29. Host a Backyard BBQ Party

Invite your friends for a great party, play music, enjoy food and drinks, and have good conversation, games, and laughter.

Another option is making it themed as a couple’s BBQ party, where everyone is required to come with their plus one.

The goal is to make new connections and find new hobbies and areas of interest.

30. Go on a Movie Date with your Partner

If your partner is available, consider going on a date to the movies to see a new movie you’ve been dying to see.

And if they’re not, it’s okay to go to the movies by yourself — there’s so much fun in enjoying a solo movie date. It doesn’t mean you’re lonely.

31. Host Paint and Sip with Friends

Whether or not you’re a good artist, attending a sip and paint can be therapeutic and fun.

So invite a couple of your friends to your place or a park, and have a sip and paint.

Whatever you make, take it home and place it in the corner of your home.

Crafting table with painted rocks, acrylic paints, palette, and a paintbrush.

credit: Alexis Charles @dupe

33. Do a Tour of Fancy Places and Picturesque Sites in Your City

Find aesthetic places in your city and enjoy a whole day of the tour with your friends—places like museums, parks, historic sites, picturesque buildings, and sites in your city.

A few times a year, my best friends and I go on a tour of our city in search of new restaurants, fine dining, and good meals.

34. Go to a Winery

Most wineries have beautiful scenery and vineyards, which is the perfect aesthetic thing to do with friends outside when bored.

Visit a winery with friends, taste different wines, you can chat about your favorites, and learn a bit about the winemaking process.

35. Enjoy a Netflix watch Party

Hosting a Netflix watch party is another way to hang out with friends when bored at home, even if you’re all in different places.

First, you all decide on a movie or show everyone’s excited to watch— a binge-worthy series, a nostalgic favorite, or the latest rom-com.

Then, set up the Netflix Watch Party so you can all watch together in sync.

To make this fun, I usually look for a new series we’re all excited about. For instance, this year, my friends and I watched the latest season of Bridgerton together.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t join the watch party for Emily in Paris, and I’m yet to find time to binge-watch the new season.

A living room setup with a TV displaying a scene from Netflix Bridgerton drama. A wooden stand holds books, candles, a model, and an orange lamp.

Credit: Larissa @dupe

Final Thoughts on Aesthetic Things To Do When Bored

Okay, there you have it!!! A bunch of cute and aesthetic things to do when you’re bored and tired of scrolling all day!

I firmly believe in doing things that make you happy and connect to your inner core.

While trying new things is okay, only do the things that bring you joy.

Kindly note that this list is not exhaustive; you can add yours in the comments. I’d love to see cute things you do yourself or with friends when bored.