I don’t know of anyone that likes feeling bored. I most certainly don’t. The feeling is brought on for numerous reasons, namely when one week in your life is indistinguishable than the ones that came before it. While we have a million technological devices, such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets to keep us entertained at all times, we still feel bored. Let’s take a closer look at boredom:
What is boredom?
Boredom is the desire to be doing something or to be entertained, and usually arises from a lack of focus. In fact, indecision plays a big part in boredom arising. When your mind is focused on what you want to achieve, it’s pretty hard to be bored.
When you feel bored, it evokes an emotional state that creates frustration and feeds procrastination.
Are there any other things that make us feel bored?
Yes. Routines do. At the most basic level, a routine is an act that you repeat on regular basis. This basis can be daily, multiple times a day, or weekly. Routines are actions that become so ingrained into your life that you don’t even have to think about doing them anymore.
Why do we follow routines?
We all follow routines because they give structure to our lives, giving us a sense of order and calm. They’re a simple way of making our lives less chaotic and complicated, and allow us to take control.
As you can see from the point outlined above, routines aren’t necessarily evil, because they allow us to function normally every day. Imagine starting your day without brushing your teeth or having a cup of coffee, for example.
The thing is that most of us have the tendency to incorporate far too many routines into our lives. At this point, we should all take a long, hard look at ourselves and realize that we may be overdoing it a little.
Can it be good to be bored sometimes?
Yes. Boredom is a desire for sensory stimulation, so therefore the opposite of that is no stimulation. Boredom-related frustration doesn’t arise from the boredom itself – rather it’s the resistance to doing nothing that makes feelings of anxiety and frustration arise.
Imagine what would happen if you just let go of the desire to be “stimulated” in some way. You wouldn’t be bored anymore – you’d just be relaxing!
Instead of trying to occupy your time when you feel bored, try savoring the feeling of having nothing to do for a moment.
How do I change my routines?
Simply make changes in your life that will serve to break any cycles (routines) that you don't like and/or are wearing you down. Go on a holiday with no plan or itinerary in mind. Just book a ticket and go. Move somewhere new. Hang out with different people. Change jobs. Change what you do at specific times of the day. Basically, the whole idea is to break up what you do normally and create new shapes and patterns in your life.
Figure out what’s really important to you in life, and set about attaining or being close to those things.
2. Put a Stop to Procrastination
When you’re feeling the urge to do something as a result of being bored, us it as an opportunity to do something you’ve been meaning to do for ages, but always keep putting off. Some ideas are to do exercise, read a book or learn something new.
3. Enjoy Boredom
Don’t worry if the two steps above don’t work – simply try a different approach. In life, we’re always told that we constantly need to be doing something with our time in order for us to be productive and make the most of it. This is a fallacy. In fact, those who take the time to have proper rest and relaxation are more productive when they’re actually applying themselves to something.
Content Source: Lifehack, A Life of Blue
Images by Deposit Photos
