Survive Boredom

You might only be reading this blog because you are bored. In my attempt to avoid boredom I am writing this to help us ALL survive boredom.

But oddly, I realize the more I try to avoid boredom the worst it gets. In search of ways to rid of my boredom, I got even more bored. What seems like minutes turn into hours as I linger in this eternal nightmare. My brain has gotten over-excitement, where my mind has too much energy – and so I feel I want to do something – but am finding it very difficult to focus my energy. Maybe it’s the lack of interest in what is around, or maybe because I’ve become over-passive and allowed my mind to run wherever it likes. To counter it, I just have to place my attention on something, and replace it when it moves, until my mind settles. Concentrate! You will finish this blog.

Strange though, there are always more things that I want to do than I have time to do. So why am I bored?
I found out from surfing the Internet that boredom is our second most suppress emotion – one that could cause us stress, infidelity, obesity, and even overspending. So what is boredom and how do we survive it?

There are two types of boredom: Situational and Repetitive.

Situational boredom is defined by the presence or absence of something in a situation. This can be listening to a boring lecture, or waiting for a plane in an airport.

Then there is repetitive boredom, where something that in it-self is fun becomes boring through mind numbing repetition. It is the lack of a challenge, the need for social interactivity.

A desire for instant or near-instant gratification is an obvious cause of boredom in many. I have this feeling that the more we limit our capacity to wait, to think, to anticipate, to discover, the greater is our propensity for boredom.

Now how does one survive boredom?

Have you already done everything and still felt unfulfilled? Does it seem that there is nothing else to do at home and in the office? Are you simply bored of life? Here are several interesting things you can do to kill boredom: One idea is to engage with each other – that’s where the blogs and the chatrooms came from. But here are others.

1. Watch LESS television. Too much of the tube feeds boredom and restlessness. Set aside evenings away from the television set to go to a movie, play tennis, or be with friends and family.
2. Take a break from daily routine. Go lunch with your friends or go shopping for bargains. Go out to dinner and leave your daily routine behind for a while.
3. Keep in touch with friends and relatives. Invite a neighbor of yours for coffee, or call up a friend whom you have not recently heard from. Who knows? Your friends or loved ones might have more interesting ideas for a fun weekend or summer vacation you can all attend.
4. Communicate. Find friends among co-workers and give yourself breaks to chat with them or invite them to your home for a social event.
5. Read and explore. If you enjoy reading, read more. You will find new attitudes and new possibilities for your life with different reading materials including magazines, encyclopedias, novels, newspapers and fan fictions.
6. Change your routines OFTEN. Do not be afraid to make changes. And while you are busy at your tasks, listen to music or dance around or even make faces. It will surely brighten up your day. Make routine your slave, be spontaneous.
7. Give yourself a “private hour” each day to do only what you want. Read, get a massage, polish your nails or simply sit quietly and relax, or play a brain challenge game.
8. Fun laughter and humor in life. See the funny side of life. Read comics, watch a live comedy show, or play with children or pets. Laughter is the best tonic for boredom. The more you laugh, the less bored you will be.