After yesterday's column on the Gift of Boredom, I decided to delve a little more on the benefits of being bored:
Enhanced creativity: Boredom can force your mind to wander and explore new ideas. When you’re not focused on specific tasks, your brain has the opportunity to come up with innovative solutions or creative projects. This mental wandering can allow you to connect different ideas in new and interesting ways.
Increased self-awareness: Periods of boredom can offer opportunities for introspection. With fewer external distractions, you can reflect on your personal goals, desires, and behaviors. This can lead to a better understanding of who you are and what you truly want, helping you make more informed decisions about your life.
Opportunity for new interests and passions: Feeling bored can be a sign that your current activities aren’t fulfilling you, and this can prompt you to explore new pursuits that spark excitement and joy.
Improved mental health: Taking breaks from a constant state of busyness can allow your mind to rest, reducing feelings of stress and overload. This can help maintain mental balance and prevent burnout.
Motivation for goal reassessment: Boredom can prompt you to think about your current situation and goals. This can lead you to make changes that align more closely with your personal aspirations and values, setting the stage for more satisfying and meaningful connections.
Additional problem-solving skills: When your mind is more relaxed, it can approach problems from new angles and develop better strategies for overcoming challenges.
What to do when you're bored
Feeling bored can be an opportunity for reevaluating your life, reassessing your goals, and creating an action plan for rediscovering happiness and redirecting your energy to a pursuit of life that fulfills you.
Practice acceptance: Acknowledge your boredom. It's a common emotion and not necessarily something that needs to be fixed immediately, so sit with the feeling without judgment. It’s perfectly okay to do nothing at times. Often, these quiet moments can lead you to some of your best insights and ideas.
Take a few moments to let yourself do nothing and give yourself Permission Just to Be.
Get curious: Ask yourself why you might be feeling this way. Is it the task at hand? Or is it a deeper feeling of dissatisfaction with certain aspects of your life? This can provide insights into what might be lacking or what needs to change.
Reconnect with yourself through this grounding Loving-Kindness Meditation.
Get creative: Think creatively about how to address your boredom. What might fulfill you in that moment? Maybe it's tackling a problem from a new angle, brainstorming ideas for a new project, or allowing yourself to daydream without a goal.
Did I see you yawn?
Good, you’re well on your way to enjoy being bored, enjoy it..!
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and author. He blogs at www.bobsbanter.com and can be reached at bobsbanter@gmail.com
