I often hear "boredom" as a reason people engage in behaviors they do not like, or are trying to change. Synonyms for "boredom" include: frustration, dissatisfaction, restlessness, tedium, dullness, monotony. So many people have developed an intense dislike for these types of feelings and will do almost anything to avoid them. In fact, the very idea of embracing boredom is tantamount to a deadly sin. Life must be exciting and we must be happy and vibrantly engaged all the time! Nice idea, but reality has a different theory. At times, life is boring. People are boring. Circumstances are boring. We are boring.
Those dealing with addiction seem especially prone to the anti-boredom mythology. At the first hint of boredom, out comes the alcohol, the drugs, the credit card, the food, anything to bring a bit of "zing" back to the staid mind. Unfortunately, boredom is always lurking about when the high wears off, the food is finished, or the shiny whatever purchased on the credit card loses its "newness". I'm not sure how long "boredom" has been a problem for people, but being still and quiet with nothing to do in the modern world is a rarity, for sure.
Lots has been made recently of "mindfulness" and the benefits that come from quieting one's self and letting our thoughts in and out like a spring breeze. Our brain chemistry seems to change, our mood can alter and our overall wellbeing improves.
I remember as a small child, boredom was to be avoided at all costs - nobody liked or wanted to be bored. But, as adults, I think boredom - or better yet, quietness and nothingness - is essential. We all need to be comfortable with doing nothing, being nothing, accomplishing nothing and remembering that our thoughts are just thoughts. They are not to be feared, over-analyzed, dissected, or even avoided. They just are. So, the next time you find yourself bored or on the verge of boredom - celebrate it as just another state of being - an essential state of being human. Thank goodness. For to be busy all the time and our minds constantly engaged is a roller coaster few people can survive. Better to be bored.
Those dealing with addiction seem especially prone to the anti-boredom mythology. At the first hint of boredom, out comes the alcohol, the drugs, the credit card, the food, anything to bring a bit of "zing" back to the staid mind. Unfortunately, boredom is always lurking about when the high wears off, the food is finished, or the shiny whatever purchased on the credit card loses its "newness". I'm not sure how long "boredom" has been a problem for people, but being still and quiet with nothing to do in the modern world is a rarity, for sure.
Lots has been made recently of "mindfulness" and the benefits that come from quieting one's self and letting our thoughts in and out like a spring breeze. Our brain chemistry seems to change, our mood can alter and our overall wellbeing improves.
I remember as a small child, boredom was to be avoided at all costs - nobody liked or wanted to be bored. But, as adults, I think boredom - or better yet, quietness and nothingness - is essential. We all need to be comfortable with doing nothing, being nothing, accomplishing nothing and remembering that our thoughts are just thoughts. They are not to be feared, over-analyzed, dissected, or even avoided. They just are. So, the next time you find yourself bored or on the verge of boredom - celebrate it as just another state of being - an essential state of being human. Thank goodness. For to be busy all the time and our minds constantly engaged is a roller coaster few people can survive. Better to be bored.
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