Occasionally I see a comment on Facebook that says, ‘I’m bored’.
With so many amazing things to do out in this big wide world, you would wonder how we can get bored.
In some cases, we may simply be using the wrong wording. Instead we could be frustrated, unmotivated, overwhelmed, tired or simply feeling lazy.
Here are some tips to deal with boredom if and when it strikes. I’ve broken this down into two sections, bored at home and bored at work. Let’s look at home first.
Embrace being by yourself
Sometimes when people say they are bored, what they mean is I am alone.
They automatically associate being alone with being bored.
It’s important to understand, there is a big difference between being bored and being on your own. Learn to enjoy your own company (in case you were wondering this is all about knowing and accepting yourself).
Become your own best friend. It will make a big difference.
Help someone else
Work with a charity or help someone in need. This doesn’t always have to be some grand gesture. Perhaps one of your neighbors could do with a hand.
Get out of the house
Chilling at home can be boring for some people. Get outside even if you choose a venue nearby. You don’t have to go on a massive adventure. I think we can get too caught up in having to do something fabulous all the time.
Get the hell out of the house first and see what happens. Be flexible and open to possibility.
Try something new
Try new restaurants, bars and coffee shops with friends and family. If you tend to go to the same place all of the time, mix it up and try somewhere different. Food can be a great way to shake things up. Experiment with lots of different cuisines.
Read a good book
As a passionate reader, it’s hard to be bored when I have a good book in my hand. I can sit in a comfy chair and read for hours. Even if you aren’t much of a reader, give it a try, just make sure you pick reading material that you are interested in.
Turn off the television
Nothing can bore you more quickly than watching rubbish on television and let’s face it; there is a lot of rubbish. Head out to see a good movie instead (and yes you might have to go alone, but that’s okay you can do it!)
Listen to music
Don’t just listen, sing along. Get up and have a dance around your living room.
If you are feeling bored, the type of music you listen to matters. It certainly helps if it’s upbeat and uplifting. For you that could mean heavy metal, classical, country, dance music or heaps others. There are no rules. Play what makes you feel good.
Learn something
Join a class or online course. Online courses are all the rage right now! Start learning a language via an app. There are a lot of options to choose from.
Get on the Internet
I am rarely bored with all the amazing websites and blogs on offer (not to mention there is always something to do right here on Write Change Grow).
Of course if you are writing on Facebook that you are bored, you are already online. The key is to get out of your comfort zone. It is probably more a case of discovering some different material that appeals to your interests or finding new interests altogether. If you only read your friend’s feeds and don’t venture off to explore any blogs or websites, then you might get a bit bored.
Just a quick note about being online (whether it’s using a laptop, mobile, tablet or even a television). What you might be experiencing isn’t boredom but over-stimulation. You might be suffering from information overload – too much content consumption and time online.
If this is the case, it’s time to disconnect. It’s time to get offline.
Depending on your personality type you might need to either spend some time completely quiet or you may need to spend time around people (real actual breathing walking, talking people – not online ones).
You might be either craving solitude or craving connection. Whatever the case, get offline and give yourself a chance to recharge.
Exercise
Get off the couch and move. Go for a walk to the local park or head to the gym if that is more your thing. Take the dog for a walk. Head to the local pool for a swim. The options are endless, just get moving.
If you can connect being out in nature and moving your body, even better.
Get creative
Discover your creative side whether it’s writing, painting, craft work etc. If you don’t already have a creative hobby, try a few different things to find out what you like and what you are good at.
Plan your next holiday
It is always fun doing the research and some day dreaming for your next overseas trip. Jump onto Pinterest and take your holiday day dreaming to the next level.
Be careful throwing money at boredom
Though it might be tempting to go shopping to relieve boredom, more likely it will have a negative effect.
Besides maxing out your credit cards, you could be setting a dangerous precedent of always having to buy something when you are bored. The rush you get will greatly diminish over time, leaving you in debt and surprise, surprise still bored.
Spend quality time with your partner
This one is important. Sometimes people stray when their relationship is stuck in a rut. I know boredom is a lame excuse for cheating but it happens, so make sure you are spending enough quality time with your partner.
The emphasis being on the quality.
Bored at work
Personally, I find this sort of boredom the hardest to deal with. Employees should not be bored at work (yet so many of us are).
If you are bored at work you might fit into one of these scenarios. You either don’t have enough work or you have stacks of work but none of it interests you.
If you don’t have enough work, than you need to speak to your manager, supervisor or co-workers. Take the initiate and seek out projects you can work on that will benefit the company (make sure they are fine with this, of course).
The second form of boredom at work is having no work that interests you. While a complete job change might be what you need, this may not be a viable option.
Your boredom could be coming from too many routine tasks that you repeat over and over again. Perhaps you can speak to your manager about diversifying your role?
Have a clear picture of what work is available in your team/company and what work you would like to be doing. Maybe some cross training could put you in a position to take on more challenging (read less boring) work. Be careful, you want to avoid anyone else dumping their boring work onto you. Having a clear picture of what direction you want to head in should help with that.
Don’t tell your boss you are bored, certainly not in those words – that won’t go down well.
It’s important to point out that most jobs have some element of routine administrative work that can sometimes be a tad boring. Every job has them to some degree.
Life may have the odd boring moment but make sure you have a damn fine time with all the other wonderful moments!
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