Boredom doesn’t exist.
Laziness is another word for boredom
This morning I woke up and realized something. I was bored. Bored with how life is going, not really having an interest in anything, and just having a overwhelming sense of hopelessness, and fear. I started to fear that it was my chronic depression creeping in, but I realized something else. I wasn’t really bored, but I just needed some sort of change. A new outfit? New shoes? Steak? I decided to go binge shopping, but in the midst of it, asked myself what the real benefit of spending money on some stuff that makes me look fabulous would have…
It was hard to really talk about this to my friends, because they see me as having all that I need for the recipe of happiness, but I just can’t see it. Sure, I am a Director of UX at a pretty prestigious company, and have a flexible schedule, but I still feel like I’m missing out on something in life. What could I do to come alive? Why did I feel I was bored?
What is boredom?
Great.. so I was bored. I’ve always been taught that boredom was a BAD thing. After reading this definition, I could see how it could be bad, but it doesn’t have to be shunned. It’s almost like the quote of pain being inevitable, but suffering being optional. I think boredom has a similar characteristic:
Stagnation/exhaustion CAN be inevitable, but boredom is optional.
Why? Because if one is lacking interest, the immediate answer is to change it. The only thing constant in this world is change, but it’s the heart center of a lot of fears that we have. So how do we change? How can we “become alive”?
- One small change at a time — It’s intimidating to try to change your life overnight. Start by coming up with some things about yourself that you want to change, and act on it.
- Learn a new skill — Whenever I start to feel like this, I think about what it would be like to pick up a new skill. Not just a new software to learn, but a skill in a completely different field, or a different area in my field. I’m a designer, and I’m thinking about joining Treehouse to learn how to code mobile apps to completely switch up my work day.
- Read a book — When is the last time you’ve read a book? I am always reading new books regarding skillsets and other non-fiction books, but I’m challenging myself to pick up a fiction book to move my mind into something a little bit more light. Something that will allow me to be in a fantasy world.
- Mentor someone — The best way to feel more alive, is to give to those who don’t. It’s the circle of life.
- Start a business — This one requires a bit more effort, but the benefits are amazing. It’s not be as hard as it sounds, and you can find that starting business becomes a very engaging hobby.
- Eat your vegetables — The benefits of a healthy diet outweigh the exterior benefit, but can actually change your mood, allow you think more clearly, and up your cooking game.
- Relax — Need I say more? Ok maybe I do. Relaxing is actually harder for some. The best way to do is it to actually plan it in your schedule, and then do it.
What other ways do you beat ‘boredom’?
