Boomers get bored like every other generation. However, unlike the younger crowd, they refuse to look at a screen, choosing instead to fall back on some familiar habits that help them fill their time. These habits have a way of actually feeling like they’ve achieved something when there’s nothing going on. Here are nine ways boomers handle boredom without a screen.
Doing some cursive
Lots of boomers learned cursive in school, and they often still believe that handwriting is a skill that’s worth keeping sharp. It’s why they’ll grab some paper whenever they’re bored. It doesn’t matter whether they’re writing out quotes or grocery lists because staying in practice is the goal, and some boomers keep some favorite pens only for cursive practice.
Others will rewrite old notes with the goal of making them neater. Such a habit gives you a sense of personal pride that you certainly can’t get from writing on a phone, and filling a few pages by hand can easily take up an hour. But it never feels forced.
Watching the bird feeder
You won’t be able to build the habit of bird watching through a feeder in a few days. No, it’s a hobby that develops over the years, and many boomers set up feeders whenever they have a quieter morning at home. They soon start recognizing patterns. They’ll notice which birds show up at certain hours & identify seasonal changes without necessarily having to write anything down.
It’s completely normal for it to become a part of their daily routine. Whether it’s with a morning coffee or only when they’re near the window, it’s a nice way to use up a couple of minutes without needing a lot of effort.
The one-drawer reset
One thing quite a few boomers like to do is pick one tiny & annoying spot in their house, like a junk drawer or a stack of unopened mail. Then they’ll clean only that place. It’s a great boredom killer, emptying everything out and putting everything back into a neat order. What makes it so helpful is making sure it’s only one place.
There’s no need to clean the entire room out, and that means you get a sense of completion from a few minutes’ work, without making the entire afternoon into a huge chore. That’s quite a good feeling.
Dial-surfing on the radio
Sometimes, boomers want to simply see what’s going on. They’ll try dial-surfing to do that, and they’ll often keep a small radio in the kitchen or garage for that purpose, then spin the dial. Boomers know that listening to AM talk shows & local news can turn out to be quite informative. As such, they’ll spend some time finding out what’s happening.
You might even see some boomers writing down station numbers that they like on scrap paper. This way, they’re able to find the same stations again later when they’re bored. Don’t underestimate how much you can learn from merely turning on the radio.
The hardware-can organizer session
One of the best low-effort ways to pass some time is by organizing small hardware & tools. It usually involves sorting screws into labeled jars and matching loose keys to key rings. Boomers may also try untangling extension cords. Sure, it might seem like nothing, but it actually helps to use up a few extra minutes or so.
It’s also not a fully DIY project. Instead, it’s simply a little bit of light maintenance that helps to make idle time into something that’s actually worthwhile, with results that you can see at the end.
Writing a long letter
Boredom often turns into sitting down with a pen & real paper for quite a few boomers. They don’t rush the process of writing a letter. Nope, they’ll take the time to think about who they’re writing to and sketch out their thoughts in the margins, then rewrite a few sections when the tone feels off. They don’t forget to pay attention to how the page looks when it’s all done.
In fact, some boomers keep a box of all the old letters they’ve sent or received over the years, and then look through them when they’re bored. Simply taking the time to choose stamps and stack finished letters is a great way to pass the time.
Word puzzle marathon
So many boomers solved printed puzzles as kids, and they’ve kept that habit as adults. They’re completely fine with solving newspaper crosswords at the kitchen table & flipping through word search books they’ve bought from drugstores. That’s not to say that they’ll solve all the puzzles in one go.
Sometimes, they’ll save the more difficult puzzles for the afternoon as a kind of routine. It’s quite a focused way of staying mentally busy. Best of all, they learn something without turning on a screen to do so, and they don’t run the risk of hurting their eyes.
Playing with puzzles
That’s not all for puzzles. Boomers understand that a puzzle is something that can stay on their tables for weeks, rather than something they need to rush to complete in a single setting. They’ll start in the morning when they’re bored. Then, after lunch, they’ll sit down for a few minutes to put a few pieces into place before wandering off again.
It’s really not that hard. After all, many boomers grew up doing puzzles as children before streaming or gaming existed, so it’s quite a familiar habit for them. You don’t even need any planning to get started with a puzzle.
Driving the long way
An easy way to fill a few hours is by going on a slow, aimless drive. Boomers know how fun it can be. They associate driving with freedom long before smartphones were a thing, mostly because gas was cheaper & road trips were common for them. It was a time when driving was a much bigger part of daily life.
Today, when there’s nothing to do, they’ll hop in the car and drive down side streets or revisit some old routes that they used to travel alone. It’s nice to see how things have changed. They also might stop for a coffee, but usually, the drive itself is enough.
17 Things Boomers Got Right (and Millennials Secretly Admire)
From handwritten notes to rock-solid relationships, their “old-school” ways often remind us that not everything needs an app or shortcut. Whether we like it or not, there are those moments when you cannot help but say, “Okay, that’s actually kind of brilliant.”
17 Things Boomers Got Right (and Millennials Secretly Admire)