What to do when you are bored

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What is boredom?

Boredom is a common feeling, which can be generated by dissatisfaction with an activity or a lack of interest in what is happening. Normally when you are bored, you feel full of energy, but you don’t find a way to express it and vent it. It can also happen to get bored when you can’t concentrate on a task that needs to be done.

Boredom is common among children and adolescents, who are the most energetic age groups, but it can also be common among adults. Boredom isn’t necessarily a negative feeling, it can be a moment of pause that prompts us to reflect or a moment to recharge. If it’s a recurring feeling, it could be the first symptom of forms of apathy or depression.

Let’s take a closer look at what to do when bored

We have seen that very often when asked what to do when bored, the best answer would be “nothing”.

Considering boredom as a common feeling, the latter can be the bearer of benefits and creativity: a break from all the stimuli of the frenetic daily life, which never stops (and in case it stops, we always have a smartphone at hand not to think).

Boredom should therefore be lived peacefully and then let go, to devote oneself to other issues. However, it is true that in some situations, such as in eating habits or lifestyle, some changes that help fight boredom could prove useful. Let’s see some advice, in some typical situations, that could help us overcome boredom, in moments when we feel most vulnerable.

1. When you are bored at home

The house can bring so many ideas and possibilities to fight boredom while taking advantage of its benefits.

We have seen how boredom stimulates creativity: for this reason, a valid activity to express this feeling is to dedicate yourself to something … creative.

Here are some tips:

Start learning a musical instrument
Spend time doing some manual activity: such as taking care of your plants, or dedicating yourself to some creation such as a necklace or bracelet. Learn to sew or make some household items. Or discover new recipes and cook something for yourself and your loved ones.
Draw and express what you feel. In the best-case scenario, you can have an extra picture to hang at home.
Search for new music and create a new playlist for your day
If you are feeling more contemplative try reading or writing to reflect on these moments.
Even physical activity and a varied and balanced diet help fight boredom and feel fit and full of energy.

2. How to fill the days without work

In case you find yourself out of work and feeling bored and anxious, there are many variables that come into play.

Because very often when we find ourselves waiting for or looking for a job, the feelings we experience are a mix of boredom, anxiety, fear, happiness, etc. When we find ourselves in a moment of professional stalemate, we could consider some things, such as example improve our attitudes and skills through a course or looking for alternatives to pass the time in a pleasant and constructive way, such as making a trip.

Even focusing on small daily activities or short-term goals or things we never had time to do could be a way to cheer up the wait.

However, in cases where we find ourselves too emotionally involved waiting for an answer from a job, it is always better to ask for help from an expert in the sector.

3. I’m bored if you’re not around

The sentence I’m bored if you’re not here is not always to be considered a positive sentence. In the early stages of falling in love, it is normal to feel completely involved in the couple’s relationship, so much so that even being apart for a moment can make you immediately miss the other.

In the long run, however, it is important that the two individuals in the couple learn to live with love and intimacy while maintaining their independence and individuality. If not, we could be faced witha case of love addiction, which can be a symptom of a toxic relationship.

4. Cultivate friendships

Cultivating friendships is important for a balanced and happy life. A good friend will always have a kind word or an idea to get you out of even the saddest and most boring moments.

There are so many things to do with friends to have fun or improve your mood. Planning a trip or a trip, carrying out some activity together (from sport to painting to music to cooking to the creation of objects) are all alternatives to the moments of stalemate that can be generated in our lives. Very often even just chatting with a friend can help us understand some things about life and maybe give us that extra motivation to fight boredom.

5. Boredom in married life

Even in married life, boredom can have multiple facets and it is important to understand where we are in our relationship.

For example, freedom and transgression are not always the remedy for living a relationship: very often you have to learn to live monotony and boredom, to create moments of creativity and share together with your partner (just as for children moments of boredom can lead to better development of the imagination). Similarly, if you were to find yourself in stagnant and boring relationships for a long time, you could possibly consider reviving the couple with new experiences to share together through couples therapy.

Fight boredom (or take advantage of it?)

So does it make sense to talk about fighting boredom? We have seen how boredom can appear in different contexts throughout life or in specific cases of emotionality and malaise:

Moments when the feeling of boredom appears in a healthy and beneficial way as a break from today’s hectic life.
Moments in which boredom occurs, and although there is no pathological problem, it could be the case to think about making some changes. Perhaps by reviving the situation you are experiencing with something new or changing your lifestyle or not taking what you have for granted.
Prolonged boredom, accompanied by demotivation, apathy, and isolation, could instead be a symptom of something else such as depression.
the fear of boredom on the other hand, or to avoid this feeling at all costs, could be a symptom of an addiction to emotions deriving from a hyper-stimulated childhood or without waiting for one’s desires.

All these facets related to boredom make us understand the importance of this feeling and how important it is to stop and reflect on what we feel and what we want in our lives, always remembering that if some situations cause us pain and upset it can be useful consult a professional.