Boredom as a Self-Awareness Tool
Today, I was reading a blog entry about boredom- it was titled “Boredom Is Our Enemy.” I found myself completely disagreeing with this concept, so much that I had to comment. That wasn’t enough, though. Now I must make my own blog entry about what can be learned from our boredom.
Boredom is one of those uncomfortable states of being. It is not in itself an emotion, but often there are emotions underneath the boredom that are usually uncomfortable in nature. One of the first responses many of us have to being bored is to try find an activity to engage in. In doing so, we might be running from an opportunity to learn something about ourselves.
Instead of rushing to fill our boredom with activity, why not explore that boredom a bit, to see if there’s something beneath it that needs attending? In my past, I often would discover that my “boredom” was covering up feelings of loneliness. Allowing myself to feel that loneliness was not pleasant, but it was also not boring! If I hadn’t allowed myself to sit with the boredom and feel what was underneath, I might have filled my time with activity that would not solve the underlying problem. Instead, the boredom dissipated, the hard feelings were felt and attended to, and I was able to address a real problem I had.
The next time you feel bored, try this experiment. First, notice what your reaction to being bored is: Are you looking for something to do? Are you feeling panicked? Do you want to just go to bed, even though you aren’t feeling tired? For a few minutes, resist the urge to do any of the things you think you should. Next, notice what sort of things you are telling yourself about being bored. Are you judging yourself in some way? Are you comparing yourself to someone who you imagine does not get bored? Are you feeling scared that the boredom will lead you to a bad place? Now, see what happens if you write the answers to these questions down. Start by writing what your initial reaction was, then start writing down the thoughts that are coming up about the boredom. The feelings will naturally start to make themselves known as you go. As you are feeling them, do your best to be kind to your feeling self. I’m willing to bet that by then, you will no longer be bored, but you will have gained a new awareness about yourself that needs your attention.