We all know the feeling: no matter how productive or busy our everyday lives are, whether we are unwinding on holiday, waiting in the doctor’s office or spending indoors on rainy weekends, boredom can creep in and drain us of motivation and creativity.

A good way to fight boredom is to understand why you are bored and then try to find a solution. The five main causes of boredom include:

  1. Procrastination. You are looking for things to distract you from doing the current task at hand. Set yourself small goals and rewards to stay focused, for example, “If I keep doing this for the next hour, I can watch my favourite TV show”.
  2. Change of energy. Boredom can set in when you are tired of concentrating on work and your mind starts wondering. You could change activities, for example, take a break and go for a short walk.
  3. Sudden change in schedule. You might go from being very busy to suddenly not have much on your plate anymore. This would be a good time to unwind or take on more tasks to keep you occupied.
  4. Environmental situations. This could be something that you can’t change at the time, for example, a rainy weekend day while you had outside activities planned. It might be a good idea to have a backup list of things to do until the situation changes.
  5. Motivation. You lack motivation to do anything, even something to get rid of boredom! You might need to set some goals and establish priorities.

Now that you understand what potentially causes you to feel bored, here are some tips on how to get out of the rut and fill your time in a positive way:

    • Identify your goals. This can be important in finding the right way for you to spend your time. By simply reviewing and setting new goals or interests you can be motivated again and identify useful things to do that will take you in the right direction.
    • Have a plan of action. Have a list of pleasant things that you like to do in your downtime, for example, stack up on books from the library, make a playlist for when you are walking or play a music instrument. Having your options ready will mean that you don’t have to come up with something to do – not being able to think of something to do is often a cause of boredom.
    • Do good. If you simply have too much time on your hands to keep yourself entertained, try getting involved in volunteering for a charity.
    • Spend time with productive people. Surround yourself with active, interesting people and the energy and enthusiasm will rub off on you.
    • Be spontaneous. Always planning and over-thinking on an everyday basis can become boring in itself. If you need more excitement, do something spontaneous that is not part of your planned, everyday life.
    • Connect with people. Catch up with old friends, or make new ones! Not only will spending time with people take away boring downtime, but they can also introduce you to new activities and a new way of thinking.
    • New challenges. Add a new hobby or activity to fill time; you might just need a new kind of mental stimulation.

By being prepared you will be able to fight boredom and fill your time with positive and enjoyable activities that will contribute to your overall mental as well as physical wellbeing.

 

Sources
http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2010/10/6-tips-for-fighting-boredom/

http://zenhabits.net/6-effective-ways-to-combat-boredom/