Defeating Boredom
When was the last time you felt bored? 5 minutes ago? Last week? Last year? You’re not alone. Most of us feel bored from time to time. We feel uninterested in the things that are going on around us. We feel like doing nothing at all because we lack the passion for it. Several inventors will tell you that some of their most brilliant ideas were stimulated when they were feeling bored. Therefore, a little bit of boredom is not all that bad, as it can drive you into creativity.
However, if you feel bored often, it can negatively impact the quality of your life. Not being able to do the things you’re expected to do can lead to hopelessness, depression and unhappiness in the long term. If this is not what you want for yourself, then the time to act is now. So, how do you defeat boredom and reclaim your old, happy and productive life back? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Identify The Cause
You need to identify what is making you bored in order to know how to overcome it. Most of the times, being idle for a long period of time often leads to boredom. Also, when you lack passion for what you’re doing, the possibility of boredom is extremely high, especially when those activities are repetitive. So, what is making you bored? Identify it and nip it at the bud.
7 Ways To Overcome Boredom
1. Follow Your Passion
There’s no doubt that many people are stuck doing the things they absolutely have no passion for. If you feel bored with your career, relationship, household chores, or the course you take at the university, it is highly likely that you don’t have passion for it. It is never too late to follow your passion. It may seem initially like a waste of time and money, but in the end, you’ll be happier and more fulfilled in life. When you do what you love, the problem of boredom will never arise.
2. Change Your Thoughts
Another key to defeating boredom is changing your thoughts. Your life is a reflection of your thoughts and overall attitude towards life. Therefore, if you can put a positive spin on all you do and make your thoughts more constructive and positive, your outlook towards life will also be positive.
For instance, if you find walking to work everyday boring, trying finding interest in the things around you. Pay more attention to the rising sun or the beautiful architecture of that building across the streets that you never give a second look. There’s beauty all around us; you just have to be more positive and open minded, and you’ll be able to see and appreciate the little things that make life meaningful. Life is truly beautiful and much more enjoyable when you go through it with a positive attitude.
3. Create Achievable Goals
Most of the times, when we have something to do, but lack proper direction on how to go about it, our minds will begin to wander excessively and we’ll feel bored. Because of this, it is very important that each and every one of us have goals to keep us focused and give our lives direction. Ask yourself what you would like to achieve in your life. Go ahead and right down your goals and the expected time frame for attaining them. Make sure you divide them into small, manageable and achievable pieces, so you’ll feel motivated as you work on them.
Note that there are times that you’ll feel bored despite having goals. More often that not, this is usually due to feeling unmotivated when you don’t see any significant progress in whatever you’re trying to accomplish. So, make sure you record the progress of your achievements daily however small they are. This way, you’ll feel inspired to continue working on your project when you see that you’re heading in the right direction.
