CURING BOREDOM

CURING BOREDOM

Did you ever meet people so boring they put your feet to sleep? They complain about living, “I have to breathe all day, even when I sleep. It's so boring!” One guy remarked that he fell asleep while reading a dull book and had a dream that he was still reading it; finally, he woke up from sheer boredom.

Boredom may be a boring subject, but it's an important one because it is the source of much misery. You see, it is accompanied by, or leads to feelings of loneliness, emptiness, helplessness, inadequacy, sadness, despair, or even depression. When allowed to spin out of control, there can be serious repercussions. For example some may try to escape boredom by turning to drugs, sex, and alcohol. Yet, all they succeed in doing is compounding their problem.

When someone is bored, they don't like what they're doing, but don't know what else to do. The missing element is a good idea. So, when you feel the pang of boredom, it is a signal to stop and THINK. If you don't like what you're doing, shouldn't you STOP doing it? Boredom is a state of passivity and its opposite is a state of activity and creativity.

If we are not bored when we are busy, we should be happy when we are bored. Why? Because boredom tells us that we have free time.

And free time is a valuable resource that can be used to enrich our lives. It's time that can be devoted to friends, family or personal development.

Our source of boredom may be the endless pursuit of pleasure, for pleasure cannot be endless. Therefore, in seeking it, we are bound to be disappointed. Life is not about a quest for pleasure, but about a reason that we create. Our reason for living is a personal one, and one that we create. If we create it and live up to doing it during our free time, we won't experience boredom.

Just in case you have occasional bouts of boredom, here is a list of additional things you can do. Accept responsibility for your own happiness. It's okay to feel lazy and bored, but choose an activity.

And do it anyway. Refresh your body by taking a walk or exercising.

Set goals. They give you something to plan, tasks to do, and the pleasure of looking forward to achieving them. Find out what you like to do, and do it! Get a pet; visit the library; attend an outdoor concert, carnival, or festival.