What do you do when you've got nothing to do?

Your not staying at the Mortonhall site by any chance are you Bug ?

Well I have this afternoon done something unusual for me, had a nap, but I was up 5 times last night with poorly GS.
But to answer OPs question, I always can find something, often I can be found with iPad in hand, but i do a lot of crafts, my dolls house is finished bar the attic which I have been trying to finish for 18months, I never seem to find the time! Cooking, gardening, Pilates, childcare fills most of my time, and we spend a lot of time away pottering around in our motorhome, off to Edinburgh tomorrow

In fact, I have thought about my last sentence and think that it is ungrammatical

There is not such thing as nothing to do in my life. This is because standing and staring is doing something

That's so true. And thinking is very hard work too. Sometimes it is even productive.

Always plenty of decluttering to do round here, otherwise reading and crosswords.

'What is life if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?'

As rosesarered reminds us "Sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits" - I believe it was Brer Rabbit - now widely discredited.

i had to learn to be on my own and quiet but the skill proved invaluable for replenishing the batteries. Walking is a good compromise and I do a lot of my best thinking then. It's help me rediscover the things I am passionate about and I'm usually raring to go when I get back.......then life gets in the way again!

I am in the U3A so when I have a free day, get my little booklet out and see if there is anything of interest I fancy. My membership covers two other areas. So by the time I have decided and got distracted by ie researching my family tree or decluttering a cupboard its 5oclock and my working day is over.

Oh dear, I go on Gransnet or FaceBook even when I've LOTS to do! Or catch up with phone calls. Occasionally do a Sudoku.
Far too rarely I refocus myself by meditating, by far the best remedy for me.

I spend spare time entering online competitions. Have a look at Martin Lewis's moneysavingexpert website. There are hundreds of free to enter competitions there with all sorts of prizes. The downside is it does lead to some junk email but the upside is you might win. Last year my DD won a Harrods Christmas hamper worth £475! Between us we've also won lots of small prizes throughout the year.

I agree with others about reading-if novels aren't your thing,why not try a non-fiction book on a subject that interests you? I am also addicted to zendoodling.You don't need to be arty,zendoodling is basically filling in shapes with patterns and there are lots of ideas on the internet.There is also a great range of books to start you off,I bought some on Amazon.
Another time filler that can lead to new interests is simply setting yourself a topic and finding out all you can about it on the internet-maybe research your local area's history,look up a bird or flower you have seen or find out about planet.Endless possibilities and it's amazing how much you can learn!

Like so many others I was brought up to always be busy and if the cleaning was up to date then, cook, bake, iron etc and I lived my own life in much the same way until I wised up and having been retired for 12 years now I love doing all the things that were frowned upon by that older generation. Reading, laptopping, seeing friends the list is endless but enjoying my home and being content is a major factor. Then of course when the clock strikes 4.00pm time

As poor health limits everything, its TV(previously recorded) reading and PC + coffee!

Get a keyboard and learn how to play music,you won't want to do anything esle after that

Have you tried Adult Colouring? I bought myself a set of Christmas cards to colour in,they are detailed designs and not child level. Have done 3 so far in quiet moments and its very relaxing.

Put some apps on like Peak brain games or Headspace meditation. You can then make a cup of tea and sit down for half an hour while improving yourself at the same time!

dorset, you are a woman after my own heart. You can never have too much to read.

There us never 'nothing to do' , if I've done everything I'm supposed to do, I read . Simple as that . There us never nothing to read, I have always got something to read.

Good point Thatbags...

There is not such thing as nothing to do in my life. This is because standing and staring is doing something

Algeswife even if I had a bus pass I couldn't do that as the busses around here are only local I'd need to get a train first.
Lucky you

I go swimming several times a week and play badminton. These are my favourite hobbies. I have a list of fun things but even some days i am not in the mood to do sporty stuff. I think you must get out of the house every day even for a couple of hours. One of the things I do especially in the summer is get on any bus that takes my fancy using my bus pass, browse around the shops in the town I ended up in, then get the bus back a few hours later. You don't need to do this with anybody. Sometimes it is nice to do things on your own. Try it.

ajanela, actually DH and I laugh a lot. I am not a stressy person and don't need to relax. I just can't cope with having nothing to do! Out of practice I guess!

Rosesarererd - "sit and think" - or just "sit."
But I sit and worry - how am I going to manage to do so&so? And when the time comes I cope ok ( usually.)
Seriously, I do some cooking or baking. Made some nice soup this pm.
Also ring friends.

I wasn't counting the knitting, as that's 'doing something' and being productive
Anyone that photocopies Times crosswords and does them whist eating a sandwich could get indigestion