Typically being bored isn’t actually a result of having nothing to do, but of not being interested in what you’re supposed to be doing. Another reason we become bored is we just can’t decide what it is we want to be doing and feel helpless to make a decision. One way to break out of boredom is to work through a series of tasks until one grabs your interest and then run with it. Here are some of the top things you can do to triumph over boredom.
1. Think about your emotions
Are you upset about something? Has an issue at work or in your personal life made it hard for you to focus? Many times we manifest our emotions in different ways and being bored or uninterested in activities you once enjoyed can be a symptom of something bigger. Think about if you feel bad and why and then start taking steps to address it.
2. Pick up clutter
We are susceptible to our surroundings and if there is a lot of clutter around you then you may have a harder time focusing on the task at hand. If you’re bored take a look around and start to pick up the clutter. Put books away, throw away papers you don’t need, delete apps off your phone you don’t use, there are many ways to declutter your life which will allow you to focus on things that are important.
3. Read some non-fiction
Find a magazine or blog article about an interesting topic and start reading. You might now be interested in reading something at first but by stimulating your mind with history or an analysis of current events you can kick yourself out of a rut of boredom and back into something that interests you.
4. Go for a walk
By taking a short walk you can not only help your physical health but can feel great mental benefits too. Exerting a moderate amount of effort for 10-15 minutes can change your brain chemistry by releasing serotonin which will make you feel better and can help you to think creatively.
5. Learn something
Take something you don’t know and look for an article about it. Pick something you can do, a hobby or skill and watch a short video or read a how to and think about ways you can get started doing this new thing. Envisioning yourself taking the actions that you are learning about can inspire you to get out and do more so give it a shot!
6. Get back to work!
Whether you’re at your desk daydreaming or sitting at home struggling to think of something to do, there is probably a work task you can tackle that will bring you out of your boredom. If you are at home and don’t have any extra work to do, now is a great time to bust out your resume and make some updates.
7. Get rid of distractions
Turn off the television, put your phone on airplane mode, close those extra internet windows, and dig back into the task at hand. I’m particularly guilty of having 5 or 6 tabs open on my internet browser and getting sucked into other tasks so when I really need to focus on something because it’s not interesting to me I shut off the distraction and work through the problem at hand.
8. Remove stressors
Do you have a ton of laundry to do? Are you daunted by the thought of cleaning up the bathroom? Maybe you’re worried about something at work? Think about what might be stressing you out and choose one to address right now. When stress piles up we can become distracted easily and fall into a trap where nothing is actually getting done. Take this opportunity to pick something you can fix right away and work on it until its complete.
9. Get some culture
Whether you’re an artist yourself or are just looking for something to do, the arts can help get you out of your boredom and into something interesting. Play some music, draw or paint something, or if you aren’t artistic you can look to your community to try something. Check out the local art museum or look for a play to go see.
10. Take care of easy to do’s
We all have a list of things that we need to get done that we keep putting off for later. Well, now is the time to start kicking off those small items that won’t take much time. Do you need to schedule a doctor’s appointment or fix that squeaky doorknob? There is probably something you can do that would only take a few minutes.
){kind=link}