Boredom is not tragic. It helps us understand time, and ourself. Boredom is a clean slate. Being bored is escapism — it’s a mental state that we choose to avoid self-reflection and it is a powerful tool that invites us to rethink the relationship with world. Now-a-days we all live in a digital world, rushing into technology, and depend more on technology which is again built by us. The instinct everyone gets, be it an adult or a kid when they are bored is to grab that gadget to either browse through current affairs or binge watch the shows/movies or what’s app/Snapchat or FB/Insta. But, ‘Thinking is the best antidote to boredom’. Yes, you heard it right! Don’t always replace boredom with work or fun or habits or don’t always pull out a screen at every idle moment. There will be a time we get bored of doing something or a hobby as well. Boredom is a privilege of free mind. Always trust when boredom speaks to you. Instead of avoiding it, heed its messages as they will keep you true to yourself. What did parents in the ’70s do when kids were bored in the way-back? Nothing! They let them breathe in gas fumes. Torture their siblings. And figure out what to do – playing with broken seat belts, arranging things, building their own games, making something out of little/nothing etc etc. Because things happen when you’re bored. Embrace the pain of unused potential. Boredom teaches us that life isn’t a parade of amusements. More important, it spawns creativity and self-sufficiency. The sooner we learn, it’s on us to make life interesting, you embrace change.
Researches found two distinct types of personalities suffering from boredom. The first type of people have an impulsive mindset and are continually looking for new experiences. The world isn’t enough of a rollercoaster — it’s chronically under-stimulating. The second kind has the opposite problem: the world is a fearful place. They try not to step outside their comfort zone. Their high-sensitivity to pain makes them withdraw. However, they don’t feel satisfied with being comfortable, and chronic boredom takes over.
The more entertained we are, the more entertainment we need to feel satisfied. The more we fill our world with fast-moving, high-intensity, ever-changing stimulation, the more we get used to that and the less tolerant we become of lower levels. – Dr. Sandi Mann
In ancient times, when people were busy trying to survive, boredom wasn’t a choice. They spent all their time securing food or shelter; they didn’t have time to get bored. We are now overstimulated — easy access to infinite entertainment options is feeding boredom rather than discouraging it. We crave for more time. However, when we have free time, we don’t know what to do with it. Nothing seems exciting enough to deserve our valuable time. Sometimes we get to a situation of having hard time having fun with our own company. We always depend on external stimuli – means doing something with someone. We need Netflix, a device, a company, or an object to rescue us from boredom. To defeat boredom, you need less, not more – stimulation and novelty.
He who fortifies himself completely against boredom fortifies himself against himself too. He will never drink the most powerful elixir from his own innermost spring – Friedrich Nietzsche
Everyone needs a pause – Enjoy it. Boredom feeds creativity – Avoid technology for a while when you feel bored. Recover the joy in doing mundane tasks. Train your mind to realize that boredom is not about what you do, but how you do it. Reconnect with your self. Monotony lies within your mind – Embrace the privilege of free mind!
PS I am not here to give you gyaan or tell how to overcome boredom. Just live the moments and embrace change. Life is all about to experience whether its good or bad – we learn and grow with each experience. All I can say is never ever shut down the mind and thoughts with an urge to make a survival. Ask yourself, when was the last time you did nothing? When we look back, there should be loads of memories to cherish and the footprints to look for. Live the length and width of life. Think more, reconnect, expand your horizons and use less of technology 🙂
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