6 Ways to Fight Boredom!
Who’s blue and bored all over?
You?
If you’re bored out of your mind, try these tips to get back on track!
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6. Make a bucket list. What are 100 things you want to do before you kick the bucket? Make a list. Fill it up with all the ideas that come to mind–don’t censor yourself. If you pass 100, keep going!
Even if the idea sounds crazy, unachievable, or something you wouldn’t even tell your best friend, that’s ok! Just making this list will (1) make you realize that you HAVE interests and (2) make all those cool ideas and dreams that have been circulating in your head start to feel real. Getting ideas down on paper has a powerful effect. You’ll probably recover dreams and goals you’d forgotten you had!
5. Change your scene. Sometimes we get stuck because our environments–home, office, etc.–feel stagnant. Shift things around. Add something new that stimulates your interest. This change doesn’t have to be dramatic, though it can be. Even something as simple as adding some artwork or putting some pictures or your favorite poem on the fridge will make you stop and see things in a new way.
4. Get up & get out. Start moving. Go for a walk. Go explore that neighborhood you’ve always meant to visit. Eat at that restaurant you’ve been planning to try for the longest. Visit the museum you’ve always ignored. Stop making excuses & just do it. You deserve it.
3. Pick up a new hobby. Have you always wanted to learn how to take photographs? To knit? To cook? Fly a plane? Learn a new language? What’s kept you from doing it? Whether your excuse has been your budget or time, you can find a way to pursue your hobby in a way that fits your needs.
2. Become an intern at any age. Internships aren’t just for college kids or recent grads desperate to get some hands-on work experience and references. So many businesses in a number of industries are always looking for interns, and someone with professional and life experience is an attractive intern candidate. What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn more about? Check craigslist for local internship opportunities or make a cold call and offer your services.
1. Get back in touch. With all of the technology we have to connect us, many people feel more disconnected than ever. When was the last time you flipped through your address book (if you still have one!) and got in touch with an old friend? Make a call or write a letter. You’ll make someone else’s day and you’ll probably feel better, too!
Boredom Photo: riot jane
Walking Photo: Pensiero
Letter Photo: carf
July 7th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
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July 8th, 2008 at 5:27 am
I just completed #2. It was a humbling, but really great experience at 27. I’d totally recommend it for anyone who’s interested in making a field change.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
You can just as physically easily get through boredom by just sitting through it
July 8th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I love that top pic… I think I’ve seen it before on Flickr.
I need a Top 10 list of how to not spend so much time playing in spain and how to settle down and get some work done.
July 8th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Christine- Ha! You know, I have never been bored in my life, but I was talking with a friend who’s always bored, so that sparked the idea. I have the same problem you do… maybe I’ll work on a list for that one next!
I was thinking about your post this morning and saying to myself: the big problem Christine will have now that she’s a full-time freelancer is trying to decide what NOT to do… because there’s so much out there TO do! It’s a great problem to have though, right? Certainly better than the alternative!
July 9th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Good tips! I’d also recommend learning a musical instrument as part of #3. Don’t let people tell you you have to be young or have fingers of a certain length or that you have to have “music in you.”
Unless you’re a corpse, it’s in you.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Emon-
Yes– definitely agree with you about learning a new instrument. Thanks for adding that to the list!
July 9th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Great list!
Just recently watched “The Bucket List” too!
July 9th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Hi, Lola! I haven’t seen the bucket list, but I did love the name for the to-do list that I’ve always had. My friend and I made a bucket list in college and we immediately started working on experiencing as much as we could!
July 10th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Hey Julie,
Thanks for this post! Yes, even Americans living in Paris can feel bored sometimes. This list is a good kick-start for those rainy days.
July 10th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Tanya- Ha! Yes, it’s funny that with all the stimulation of a great city it’s easy to wake up some days and twiddle your thumbs and think, “Ok? What’s next?” That’s when you pull out the old bucket list!
July 18th, 2008 at 5:40 am
#1 works for me! I’ve tried doing that before, calling up friends I haven’t talked to in a while and wadayaknow, my day gets so short because of all the talk my friends and I do over the phone. No more boring day!
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 am
Could not agee with you more..