Life’s business feels never-ending, and it can get stressful and overwhelming. On the other side of things, sometimes things fall apart, and the tough job of picking up the pieces begins.

Not everything goes as planned. I have heard many stories of events or seasons ending, and leaving the participant unsure of what to do next. I sure wasn’t planning on taking the next few months off of dance classes due to injuries, and it is hard to find out what to do with my newfound free time, resulting in boredom. Lots of boredom. After a month of experimenting, I found a few things that are fun, useful time-crunchers and worth a try.

1. Trips to the movie theater

For Christmas I received a MoviePass, a credit card like deal which lets the user see one movie in theaters every day for free for the set amount of time. I strongly recommend this as it only costs ten dollars a month, which is a great deal if someone visits the theater often. I used to rarely ever go to the theater, but I now go frequently. The pass is a huge money saver, and works really well.

2. Visit the library

Libraries are often underappreciated with today’s technology, however they offer wonderful resources. I have been there to read magazines, and books, something that I would have never pictured myself doing before now.

Reading has always been frustrating for me because I can’t remember anything that happened and my comprehension is very poor. With the right book, however, I have improved my reading skills and it is more enjoyable now. For me, taking a unique circumstance to go out of a comfort zone was frustrating, but with time and persistence it felt very rewarding to complete this challenge.

3. Cook

While spending a great deal of time on the couch, I have watched many cooking and baking shows that were so motivating, besides making me hungry, all I wanted to do was get up and try to make something. I now make dinner two to three times a week, and I look forward to the challenge. Cooking is a fun thing to experiment with, as well as a good life skill to have.

4. Pick up an old skill

Along with learning new skills, it’s good to keep up with some old ones as well to rediscover old hobbies. As a child, I loved sewing. I always enjoyed the challenge, but as things got busy it was hard to continue. Now I’m dusting off the sewing machine once more to start some new projects. I sewed a new apron to replace an old one, and I am currently starting to sew a quilt for a group that is donating them to areas in poverty.

5. Exercise

This one has by far been the toughest one for me. When I wasn’t injured, I naturally got exercise through dance, but without it it has been hard to find the motivation to do anything. It took me weeks to finally get up and do something, which has been also tough with a boot on my foot. I have taken the time to do some research, and I found some things that looked doable and fun, and that has made all the difference. I still struggle with actually getting up and doing it, but finding things that were interesting makes the all-dreaded exercise easier.

6. Journal

Journaling is not only a neat way to capture a moment in someone’s life, but it is also a helpful way to rant out frustrated feelings and work through tough days. It is a unique form of self expression with no rules, no judgement, and no expectations. It feels freeing to get thoughts, ideas, and just about everything else down on paper.

Although I’m still figuring out more ways to keep busy, I encourage anyone who needs to find something new to explore their interests. When everything feels like it is falling apart, it may be the opportunity for something new; as hard as it may be initially. It gets easier. Although it may take time to figure out how to abolish boredom, the results are fascinating and worth the effort.