What is the role of boredom?

Alexis Rae Baker

 Dear Lexis,

What really is boredom, and why does it matter?

Sincerely,

           - Turned off in Tenino 

Dear TO in T90,

It's an interesting question and one that doesn't come up very often.

Boredom is a form of mild anxiety, very similar to loneliness. Instead of feeling like you'd be better off with someone else, boredom is the feeling that you'd be better off doing something else.

Much like loneliness, the thoughts running through your head are directly responsible for the feeling. Boredom is generally considered a modern-day scourge, a lack of desire, or a desire for desire. However, boredom has likely existed since the dawn of humanity, albeit in a different form.

Boredom is not something I often experience now, but in the past, it primarily showed up when I felt like I wasn't being productive. Lately, when I feel bored, it's more of an antsy desire to be doing something else and comes when I'm doing something I feel like I should be doing instead of what I want to be doing.

Young children tend to feel boredom in these same circumstances, although they tend to have an easier time releasing their boredom than adults tend to. This difference between children and adults primarily comes down to the purpose of boredom which is to present us with an opportunity to change and reassess.

Boredom only appears when we a) haven't clarified our vision or b) feel like we aren't doing what we "should" be doing. Both require a shift in thinking; the former indicates a need for more focused thought or a behavior change, while the latter suggests a feeling of priority or guilt. Children don't tend to suffer too much from guilt, so they are rarely bored due to "should"s.

An emotion on the negative end of the emotion spectrum, boredom is a mild reminder that our thoughts don't match our desired outcomes. It's a mild emotion, an unfocused negative that can be easily changed and shifted in a more positive, useful direction.

Thankfully, escaping boredom can be a fairly simple process. By shifting your thinking or behavior toward something you want, you can quickly find a new level of motivation and inspiration to get you moving. This article on controlling your thoughts has some good ideas on how to go about changing your thoughts.

If you're struggling to figure out what you should focus on, consider the 6 avenues of desire: financial, physical, relational, mental, spiritual, or emotional. Given that this is an emotional problem, it's likely that the avenue you'll want to focus on is one of the other five, but if one doesn't immediately pop out, take a moment and list each category in order of importance to you. From there, dig into the top category and figure out what you want most in that part of your life. Now ask yourself what you can do right now to move in the direction of your desire.

Once you figure out what you want and how you can go about getting it, boredom will quickly disappear.

I hope this answers your question and gives you some direction in how to combat boredom when you are dealing with it.

Best of luck,

          ~ Lexis

Lexis is Alexis Rae Baker. She writes from her home in Olympia.   Got a question about life, relationships, spirit? Write to Lexis at  Lexis@theJOLTnews.com