20 Things You Can Do Instead of Eating When Bored

Search results that relate eating habits to mood states show that eating when you are not actually hungry, especially unhealthy foods, is a escape from boredom🇧🇷

People exposed to fun stimuli choose a healthier mealwhile guinea pigs induced to tedious situations choose foods with more sugar, salt and fat🇧🇷

The experiments demonstrate, therefore, that the desire to eat “crap” comes from the lack of better ideas. It’s not an overwhelming craving for Doritos: it’s the impulse to carry some active emotion to the brain🇧🇷

Read more: Interview with Sheryl Sandberg: “And so began the rest of my life”

We prepared a list of 22 ideas of what to do to bring satisfaction for mind, body and soulwithout dyes or trans fat:

1. Call your mother (or your dad, your friend, someone who will be excited – and maybe surprised – to get a call from you).

2. Dance. You haven’t done that in a while, haven’t you? On the radio, on CD, vinyl, Spotify or Youtube: the important thing is to give your body a chance to play along with the music. Don’t worry, no one is watching.

3. Go for a walk. Your body may look tired, but taking a walk – even around the block – won’t tire you out anymore. On the contrary: the outdoors refreshes the mind, re-energizing the body.

4. Clean out a junk drawer. Everyone has one, and you’re probably avoiding it. After a few minutes, you’ll have an organized drawer and a healthy dose of peace of mind.

5. Do exercises that work the mind, such as crosswords, sudoku or a nice jigsaw puzzle🇧🇷 In addition to filling time, activities like these stimulate the brain and can prevent Alzheimer’s.

6. Dedicate time to your spiritual side. it can mean pray, meditate, elevate your thoughts, light a candle or connect with nature – the important thing is to touch your soul.

7. start that collage what you’ve been thinking about for a while.

8. Listen to a podcast of your preference. It can inform you, entertain you, or do both while you are doing some other activity with your hands.

9. Identify a cause that matters to you and spend time researching what can you do to collaborate🇧🇷

10. go out for one “photo safari”🇧🇷 This can be done in your garden, on your street, at the nearest bakery or anywhere else. Seeing the world through lenses is a great way to slow down and appreciate your surroundings🇧🇷

11. Start learning a new language. Never is too late. There are free apps with short lessons for all skill levels.

12. Fill a donation bag. Look around and notice items that are not being used – clothes, dishes, electronics, cosmetics. They might be useful to someone. After sorting them out, don’t get discouraged and look for a place where you can donate them🇧🇷

13. Take off your clothes and look at your body. Enjoy your naked company. Focus on the parts of yourself that you love – and we’re hoping that means your entire body.

14. give yourself a home treatment on face, hair, feet or hands🇧🇷 It’s a good time to take care of yourself and use the products you buy.

15. Start planning your next trip. It doesn’t matter if it will be next month, next year or still without a set date; nor whether it’s going to the nearest beach, a waterfall or India. Look for the routes, the foods, the landscapes that you crave. Some believe that half the fun of travel is the planning!

16. Write a letter. When was the last time you did this? In times of digital, instantaneous and brief communication, handwritten letters sent by mail carry a lot of uniqueness and affection.

17. Download photos from your cell phone and organize them in folders on your computer🇧🇷 You capture important moments, don’t let them get lost in endless camera rolls.

18. Sign up for a race. Everything has a first time – and they are delicious!

19. Reread a book that marked you a while ago. Now you’ll enjoy it in a whole new light.

20. Knife something🇧🇷 It could be a crochet, a painting, a poem – just something that did not exist before today🇧🇷