5 Solutions to Boredom

Summer is not the only season we see boredom set in. However, it is the easiest to notice. People are usually out of a routine like they have during the school year.

Boredom

Boredom and emotional discomfort are normal experiences, but how you respond to them can make a big difference in your mental health. In the last post found here, some contributions to people feeling bored included lack of novelty, escape from emotional discomfort, lack of challenge, the inability to self-regulate, and the search for meaning or purpose in your life. By cultivating self-awareness, self-compassion, and healthy coping mechanisms, you can navigate these feelings more effectively. By doing so you will find greater fulfillment in your daily life.

5 Solutions to Overcome Boredom

How to handle lack of novelty

Try to find things that shake up your normal patterns or routines. This might include keeping a list of things you want to do in each season. Teaching yourself a new hobby depending on the weather and where you live. Other ideas include reading a book about something that you normally wouldn’t read. Try new recipes or restaurants. Take a class that’s outside of your comfort zone. Do something creative. Creativity is a great way to give your brain a new problem to solve or a new challenge.

How to handle wanting to escape discomfort

This one is going to be self-improvement and helping you to learn to tolerate discomfort rather than escaping it. This might include reading through a self-help book, or a memoir of someone who has overcome a similar challenge that you’re facing. Other ideas include figuring out your core values, identifying your wants/needs, practicing sharing these with a trusted friend or spouse.

How to handle lack of challenge

This can be similar to how to handle lack of novelty. This one requires more self-reflection because your lack of challenge might not necessarily be due to the fact that you need a new hobby. It could be that your work is mundane, or that your evenings or weekends seem to be too repetitive. Taking the time to figure out where you’re not feeling challenged can help guide your next steps. After self-reflection you might realize that you need to acquire new skills, start a degree that you’ve been putting off, taking on more responsibilities at work, home or church. Adding self-imposed challenges such as these can help you rekindle engagement with others.

How to handle inability to self-regulate

While there are many practices, such as mindfulness that can teach you to self-regulate, it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Here is a 3-step process:

1. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do this 3-5 times. This is one of the best and quickest ways to get your nervous back “on-line.”
2. Notice where you’re feeling discomfort or distress in your body.
3. Ask yourself what you’re feeling.

Once you master these 3 steps, you can add more coping skills, like meditation, grounding or visualization.

How to handle your search for meaning

Research is showing that even though we are more connected through online communities and social media, we are lonelier than any previous generation. One of the reasons is that we are spending more and more time indoors, or on our phones when we are with others. One of the best ways to create community is being face to face with other people, with as few distractions as possible.

One way to find your meaning and purpose, especially if you believe this is a reason you’re bored, is to find others in a similar stage of life to connect with. As counselors, one of the biggest complaints we hear from our clients is that they lack a good support system. This is partly due to the reasons above. But it is also due to the fact that we keep our schedules so full that when we do have some down time, we need time to rest and recover.

If you’re finding a lack of purpose or meaning is contributing to your boredom, it might be time to assess your calendar. See where you can add in some time to just be with friends and truly connect with another human.

Summary

This is not a comprehensive list of things to do if boredom is the root cause.  It is a starting point for figuring out what you need. It might be more social connection or a creative outlet. You might need activities that stimulate you intellectually or realign with your deepest values. Instead of mindlessly filling boredom’s void, it’s important to have the courage to listen.  What is your restlessness trying to communicate. Only then can we take proactive steps to reshape our circumstances and create a habits and routines that energize you rather than drain you.