I was browsing Pinterest late one evening, looking for some ideas for an infographic I wanted to design, and I saw something strange come across my screen. Things to Do When You Are Bored.
Bored? Really? I don’t think I’ve been bored since some time in the 1980s. In fact, as each year goes by, there are more and more things I want to do, more to accomplish. I can’t imagine ever waking up some morning and saying to myself, “Well, that’s it. I’m done. Nothing else to do. Gee, I’m bored.”
To prove that I’m not bored, I have 50 Pinterest Boards filled with things I want to see or do (I know, that’s probably a bit much), two blogs, several social media accounts, five current writing projects for work, three personal writing projects, at least 15 Kindle books I’m reading in various stages of completion, a family, laundry, a messy house, a cat, and a dog. And that’s just for starters.
Is boredom a real thing?
Aside from the fact that I can’t imagine being bored, there were a couple of other things that were strange about the boredom infographic. First, most of the things noted on the graphic are things on my To Do list, including:
- Watch some TED talks
- Practice a musical instrument (my violin has been lonely for too long)
- Workout
- Call old friends (and some new ones)
- Try creative writing (the second novel in the Love in the Ballpark series needs attention)
The other thing that was strange about the items on the list was that the last item was “Take a nap.” That sounds a lot like, “Just surrender to the boredom.”
Don’t get me wrong. I think doing nothing is incredibly valuable sometimes. We all need rest. In fact, I often find that when I’m stuck in a creative funk (a.k.a. writer’s block) doing nothing is the best prescription. For me, doing nothing usually means meditating. It’s like a mental, emotional, and spiritual re-boot.
Wait. Meditating is actually doing something.
In fact, meditation is in the top five of things I do, in terms of priority and value.
As long as my mind is active or resting in meditation, I’m never bored.
And I’m truly blessed because my life is full.
What about you? When was the last time you were bored? And is boredom really a thing?
If you’re bored (or even if you aren’t), take a look at some of my previous posts: