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Nov 5 (edited) • Not all who wander are lost🏞️
I'm bored...😭
"Will you deny yourself your own greatness because the easy life was a higher priority?" ( , An Arsenal of Gratitude)
"Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them" (Joseph Heller, Catch-22)
What does this have to do with boredom? Maybe nothing...but maybe part of these have to do with how we decide to "fill the void" that boredom signals. And maybe that makes all the difference.
I was reading this morning (see Gratitude book above) and the topic of boredom came up and that got my mind going. I like books that make me think. I also OFTEN tell my clients "Sit in the boredom and see what it has to say (be curious). Perhaps on the other side of boredom ends up being peace". Boredom is a very real thing (in this society at least) and it's an interesting phenomenon.
✨ Let’s Talk About Boredom ✨
Boredom is kind of new in human history. For most of our existence, daily life was filled with survival tasks, community interaction, and meaningful physical engagement. We hunted, cooked, gathered, built shelters, raised children....our time was accounted for with very real things that needed tending to. There was little space for the modern “nothing to do” phenomenon. Ever thought of being grateful for boredom? I haven't, but it DOES signal that there are some things in life that we have pretty comfortable and that's kind of amazing..
So what does boredom signal today? Psychologically, boredom is a signal that our brain is seeking engagement, novelty, or meaning. It’s not a flaw, it’s information. Boredom shows up when we’re overstimulated by screens, under-stimulated by real-life connection, or disconnected from purpose. It’s the mind’s little nudge saying: “Hey, this isn’t fulfilling.” Sometimes this comes with a sense of restlessness that is overwheling... (what a gift it is to be bored--to get signals that tell us that perhaps there is something that is unsatisfying...) (side note--sometimes we are overstimulated by activity and we've gotten TOO used to 'always being on the go' that sitting calmly feels unsafe...In this case, we may benefit from NOT filling that time. Maybe. Sometimes we distract ourselves and fill the voids with things that end up being unsatisfying down the line.
Anyways, I've digressed...here's something kinda neat: research suggests boredom can boost creativity, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. When we let our mind wander, the default mode network activates, helping us process emotions, form ideas, and deepen self-awareness. BUT, we gotta be intentional with this. It's tooo easy to try to 'fill the silence' and distract ourselves with things that are not meaningful or that will give us temporary dopamine hits but then end up leaving us emptier than we felt before...This is where the quotes above come in....do we want to fill these spaces with things that will make us live a life of mediocrity and complacency or do we want to see what we can really really do with the gifts/skills/talents that we have?
Instead of rushing to fill the silence, try sitting with boredom.
Ask yourself:
What is my mind craving?
Am I overstimulated or under-challenged?
What would feel meaningful, even in a small way?
Then experiment: journaling, movement, mindful rest, art, real connection, nature… or simply letting stillness exist for a few minutes. Boredom can be a doorway back to presence, creativity, and purpose--but we have to let it...
Have you ever had a breakthrough during a “boring” moment? How do you deal with boredom? Share your experience. :)
Video is pretty good! :)
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I'm bored...😭
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