Bored To Death?

Boredom can be boring. Boredom can also be dangerous. Too much boredom, extended boredom, can lead to depression, isolation, physical ailments, weight gain, weight loss, loss of libido, drug and alcohol abuse and even suicide.

How can you prevent boredom?
You can’t. Everyone will occasionally find themselves with nothing to do. That’s normal. Usually, it passes. Something comes along that takes away the boredom. If that does not happen, and you find yourself serious bored for an extended period of time, i.e. more than several days in a row, then it's time to fight boredom.

How can you fight boredom?

1. Try not to become too bored for too long.

2. If boredom does set in, and lingers for more than a few days, find something to do. Find an activity that appeals to you … and do it. If you have to, force yourself to become active and involved in an activity that appeals to you.

3. In the absence of an activity that appeals to you, any activity that gets you moving, and gets your mind off your self, is valuable in fighting boredom. Just do something. Take a walk, take a drive, whatever. Just get off the couch, get out of bed and m-o-v-e. If you have to, force yourself.

4. Make sure that, in fighting boredom, whatever activity you become involved in is good for you. If it’s not good for you do not do it! (and, yes, if you listen to the little voice in your head you'll know what‘s good for you and what's not good for you).

The objective in fighting boredom is to overcome the inertia of boredom.

Being productive
The real value of work is not only is it a way to make a living it also gives you something to do that keeps you busy so you don't have time to negatively dwell on yourself. This is one of the reasons so many people have difficulty when they retire; they suddenly find themselves with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Many retired people don't plan ahead for their retirement. They do not replace the structure and productivity of working with retirement activities such as hobbies, a new career or activities that provide involvement, purpose and satisfaction in being alive. Once a retired person decompresses from a lifetime of working it is important to continue to feel productive, connected and to be of serice to others. Individuals who have a purpose, who are involved in things they are interested in or passionate about, are seldom bored for long.

Avoiding boredom
The best way to avoid being bored to death is to find something you are interested in ... and do it!

It's also important to have a good positive outlook and a purpose in life. It;s important to have a good reason to get out of bed in the morning. Are you bored? Do you have that "boxed in" feeling? The world is not a box. The world is an enormous, interesting, wondrous, ever-changing place, full of interesting people and things, things you never imagined existed. Interesting, fascinating things just waiting for YOU. Leave your boredom behind and go find one of them!