I'm SO Bored!

I’m SO Bored!
By Amanda Pasciucco, Marriage and Family Therapist at Therapy by Amanda LLC

Three hours to kill in the middle of the day. I’m not particularly hungry, I have nothing to do, and I am too tired to exercise. I close my office door and lay my head on the desk. The thoughts in my mind to “be productive” won’t stop. I tell them to go away. I enjoy the silence for about five minutes. Then, I begin to hear the negative thoughts screaming into my ear “find something to do!” I lift my head up and scan the room. It’s clean which means I can’t mindlessly tidy up. I go to my computer and spend a few minutes perusing the latest headlines. No emails are in my inbox. There’s no one to text or call. I notice the time and I realize that there is no work that needs to be done in this moment. It takes me a minute to realize it, but I notice that I am suffering from a case of “boredom.”
Within 2 minutes, I made a marvelous discover. Instantly, my boredom disappeared and I began writing this article. I quickly analyzed the fascinating thing that had just occurred. I was able to take my bored state and turn it into productivity. I was absolutely mesmerized!

The conclusion that I came to is that boredom isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Although it may seem tedious when we are within it, those “bored” spaces allow the mind to wander. When you allow yourself the time to mentally wander (without the judgment), you are giving yourself the potential to create and come up with something new and possibly creative. The boredom allows the mind to desire more. Through that desire for more, the mind begins to bloom with ideas to be productive and motivates itself to achieve more and to continue growing.

Child Boredom. This can work for both adults and children. My mother tells me that I used to complain of being “bored” as a child. It’s interesting that I have a completely different perception and I rarely recall being bored when I was younger. It’s fascinating that the mind can forget the state of being that sparks the creativity. All I seem to remember is playing outside, the forts we made within the house, the games of “teacher/student” with friends, and the creative stories I used to write when I was alone. I guess letting your kids be “bored” isn’t too bad… because the boredom that comes from not having a cell phone or playing a video game actually can foster their personal growth and better their mental well-being.

Never bored again. Now, I’m not saying that I will never be bored again. I think it’s important to notice that there is space for the boredom to enter in our lives and have its place. As long as we continue to ignite the fire within us to be creative and open to growing mentally and physically, boredom could be the stepping stone to creating a better version of our current selves.