How to deal with boredom?
Intro:
Have you guys been feeling quite bored lately? Personally, I feel like there’s something about this time of the year when the summers are coming to an end and we’re headed towards the fall, our daily routines just get a bit dull.
The biggest misconception people have about boredom is that only children get bored and that’s simply not true. Many adults including myself also get bored. And while you might not get bored, you maybe a parent whose kids are always complaining to them about being bored. While being “bored” is taken lightly, the reason behind a person being bored or the effects boredom causes can overtime stack up to become a major problem. So, let’s explore what the word “bored” actually entails, Shall we?
Boredom is when a person feels unfulfilled and impatient by performing a task or an activity. (Giorgi Boredom: Causes and treatment)
To overcome a problem, it is important to understand why this problem occurs in the first place.
Causes:
Well, the biggest cause of boredom comes from repetitiveness, doing something over and over again. We’ve all been through this and can relate to how “boring” repetitiveness can be. Our brains tend to give a negative reaction to performing actions which are tedious, repetitive and too predictable (basically tasks which don’t prove to be challenging for us). A little bit of unpredictableness is good for us and promotes stimulation of the brain, which ultimately keeps us engaged during the day.
For me personally, the predictability that came with the days during quarantine sucked the life out of me. It was one of the most boring times of my life (as I’m sure it was for you guys too!), there was nothing to do and it felt as if I was living the same day again and again.
Moving on, another cause for boredom can be the lack of self-awareness. I’m guilty of this too! This occurs when the people who are bored can’t seem to figure out what they want to do or what they desire which would ultimately eliminate their boredom. They struggle to identify and describe what they’re feeling. They lack the ability to set goals to engage with the world. Due to this, they sit and just think about what they want to do, and never actually do it! (Eight reasons why we get bored)
Another reason for boredom to have become so common nowadays is due to technology. Yes! I know it sounds irrelevant, but these two topics are more closely linked than you think! Back in the days, our ancestors spent their entire days surviving (finding food, shelter, water etc.). But nowadays, all these bare necessities are available to us only one click away. Literally! Take for instance ordering food, we can sort out our lunch within a matter of seconds! (Eight reasons why we get bored)
The feeling of boredom is also triggered when a person feels as if they are restricted/trapped and have no freedom. This is more common for teenagers and children as they are not in complete control of what they wish to do, but this also applies to adults. Imagine, you are waiting in line for your turn at the dentist and become bored in the meantime, because the situation is out of your hands (you can do nothing else, but to wait.) (Eight reasons why we get bored)
So there do genuinely exists a lot of reasons to be bored in today’s era. But now let’s talk about how to get rid of this boredom!
Tips:
To get started, I would recommend everyone to socialize! I personally use this tip and it helps a ton. In my experience, meeting up with your friends just instantly gives you a refreshing feeling, it’s like a reset button. Eating, talking, or doing some activity with your friends can eliminate your boredom instantly. Even just talking about your interests with someone such as your family or friends can divert all your energy from an empty void to something that is actually fulfilling. (Young Eliminate boredom with these 12 tips)
Another tip which is a no-brainer in my opinion is to join societies or clubs related to nurture your hobbies and interests. Investing your time and effort into doing something which you are passionate about or is aligned with your future goals makes you fulfilled. Giving a healthy amount of time to your interests can also help you boost productivity through your boring work-life. For example, you would be more motivated to complete your office work if you have a football match to play after work!
Another key tip is to plan ahead. You can make a schedule to plan all the work/activities you have to do in the week, and when you are left with extensive breaks you can use them to do something you’re really passionate about. So, planning ahead will not only help you advance your interests, but it will also remove the need to take separate time out for your hobbies. (Brian LeeEx-chief of product management at Lifehack Read full profile and Lee I'm feeling bored: 10 ways to conquer boredom (and busyness))
If you’re feeling like your day-to-day routine has been the same, and will continue to be the same, try planning out something out of routine like for example going for a date, going to the museum, the park, get a good drink and things like that. This will help you break your everyday monotonous pattern and prove to be a stimulating experience as the day won’t go as predicted.
Outro:
That brings us to the end of this episode! Thank you guys for tuning in to this week’s episode! As always, I hope the tips discussed during this podcast were beneficial to you. And please let me know your thoughts on this episode in the comments down below! Also, if you have any interesting topics you want me to discuss in the future episodes, let me know!
If you enjoy my show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts/Google Podcasts/Spotify—and be sure to come back next week for a discussion of [next episode’s topic]. Until then, take care and See you later!
Works Cited:
Giorgi, Anna. “Boredom: Causes and Treatment.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 19 Dec. 2017, https://www.healthline.com/health/boredom.
“Eight Reasons Why We Get Bored.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201706/eight-reasons-why-we-get-bored.
Young, Scott. “Eliminate Boredom with These 12 Tips.” Scott H Young, 6 May 2019, https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/05/29/eliminate-boredom-with-these-12-tips/.
Brian LeeEx-chief of product management at Lifehack Read full profile, and Brian Lee. “I'm Feeling Bored: 10 Ways to Conquer Boredom (and Busyness).” Lifehack, 17 Feb. 2021, https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/10-ways-to-conquer-boredom-and-feeling-too-busy.html).