Cure for Boredom

Are you looking for a cure for boredom? Do I hear the silent scream? “I’m bored, help!”

Confession Time: I will profess that there have been moments in my life when I am bored to death. I find myself wearing the boredom cloak, its soothingly familiar feel on my skin often makes me want to curl up on the bed, yawning and determined not to do anything about it. I moan and complain, “I’m bored.” When my best friend begins to suggest the things we can do together, I would reply: “But I’m bored. I don’t like to do anything.” “You’re bored or tired?” She would ask exasperatedly. She decides to leave me alone. It’s hopeless talking to a bored person who doesn’t want to remove the boredom cloak.

Are you feeling this way right now? If you are, then you must decide. Will you remove your boredom cloak so you can be open enough to see what exciting things there are in store for you? If yes, read on. If no, just bookmark this page and come back when you are ready. Deal?

If your answer is yes, then you’ve come to the right place and the right time. Here are different ways to help you cure your boredom.

• Is your boredom caused by the fact that everything that you are doing has become a routine? A boring routine that is making life seemingly dull and monotonous?
• Is your relationship with your significant other dry and unexciting? Romance has seem to have fled out of the window?
• Are you feeling lonely and alone?
• Is your life without meaning and passion? Do you feel empty and restless, looking for something more?

Day in, day out, we do the things we need to do –doing household chores, taking care of the family, doing the stuff in our workplace, and suddenly we find ourselves feeling bored.

Learn something new. It is human nature to be constantly growing. If you feel that you have stopped growing, your internal clock flashes out a signal. Bored…bored…bored! It’s time to learn something new.

Find a hobby. A hobby can be defined as “an activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.” Who says mommy can’t learn ballroom dancing or sky diving right? And daddy can learn cooking or scrapbooking too. The most important thing is that you are doing this activity with pleasure. And if it brings you pleasure, you will be out of your boredom soon enough.

Do things differently. Well, if you are not in a mood to learn something new or take up a hobby, I would suggest just doing the routine, mundane things differently and it will zest up your life. I remember a story of a bagger in a grocery store who wanted to brighten up their customers. He began typing on small pieces of paper inspirational quotes. When he would place your stuff inside a bag, he’d stuff a piece of quote too. He was a hit. The customers began lining up on their counter because they wanted that paper too. Be creative. Try to do something differently today.

Here are some of the hobby ideas you can choose from:

• Outdoor recreation - engaging in games like billiards, card games, chess, table tennis, poker; or sports such as hiking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing, sky diving, fishing, ice skating, biking, swimming, other watersports and snowsports
• Creative hobbies - photography, jewelry making, arts and crafts, moving making, singing, juggling, performing or acting, doing magic tricks
• Learn to play a musical instrument - guitar, piano or keyboard, flute, harmonica, drums or even composing songs
• Get moving to the beat - learn to dance the cha cha, boogie, tango, waltz, swing, break dancing or your native dance
  
• Kitchen Stuff - cooking, baking, decorating a cake, making of chocolates, concocting meals and drinks, bartending, making sushi
  
• Collecting -- stamps, comic books, antiques, coins
  

So you’ve been married for what seems like ages or you find yourself bored with the company you keep. Get out of the rut and boredom by doing the following things.

• Surprise each other.
• Find something new to do together.
• Show your appreciation.
• Express your love in a unique way.

Do you know a simple gesture of preparing a lovely, romantic meal or going on a date can change the mood drastically? And when you express your appreciation with a surprise?  I tell you it will bring the good feelings right away. Friends can also decide to do new things together instead of the usual activity that you are engaged in. 

Maybe you are saying you are bored when in reality you are actually feeling lonely. If you are feeling this way...

• Reconnect with friends
• Have a small reunion
• Go out of your way to help someone
• Reach out to someone

I discover that when I'm feeling lonely, reaching out to another soul helps me a lot. I attend a prayer meeting, join a club, or have a heart to heart talk with another and it lifts me up a lot. Giving of yourself can definitely cure boredom most esp. when the reason is loneliness.

I remember there was a certain point in my life, when I wanted to scream at the papers that I needed to do for the school. I recognized that I was bored but the feelings of boredom were becoming chronic, so to speak. It was then I discovered that underneath the boredom was the feeling of restlessness. I didn’t like doing paper works. I miss interacting with people. The discovery of my healing gift and passion for the performing arts helped me get out of the rut into a much better place.

• Meditate and do soul searching. What do you want out of your life?
• Find your passion, if you still don’t know what you want.
• Rekindle your passion. We have to nurture and nourish our passion to keep the fires burning.
• Laugh your way out of boredom. Laughter is still the best medicine. Joy for life and for the things you do brings you into a happier space where boredom cannot help but flee.

If you are bored, see it as an opportunity to discover where you are at this point in your life.  It may just be what you need to take the necessary steps to moving forward and onward.  It may be a time for you to pause and add spice to whatever you are doing or to nourish yourself and your relationships.  The cure for boredom lies within you.  Keep allowing the beauty in you to shine. 

Michelle Simtoco