{"id":118664,"date":"2020-04-21T11:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T10:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=118664"},"modified":"2023-03-09T18:51:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T18:51:55","slug":"i-am-bored-lockdown-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/i-am-bored-lockdown-covid.htm","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI am Bored\u201d – What Boredom Can Hide and How to Get Excited Again"},"content":{"rendered":"
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photo by: Houcine Ncib<\/p><\/div>\n

by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

Has your life changed lately? Moved to the countryside, just graduated<\/a>, working less or not at all<\/a>, and finding yourself feeling… blah? Find yourself constantly thinking, \u201cI am bored\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is boredom?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The way one person feels when saying<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m bored\u201d might be entirely different from what another person feels when they say the same thing. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Psychology itself has not nailed down an exact definition. But a 2012 survey of prior boredom research<\/a><\/span> has led to the current concept that the two main ingredients of boredom are 1) something unpleasant and 2) something \u2018low-arousal\u2019, meaning we don\u2019t feel stimulated or interested by it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The good and bad of dealing with boredom <\/span><\/h2>\n

If “I’m bored” always translates into a day spent bingeing on snacks<\/a>,\u00a0 social media<\/a>, and Netflix<\/a>? Not so great. BUT\u00a0<\/span>there are ways to make boredom a win\u00a0<\/em>instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Turn boredom into a <\/span>trigger for creativity.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The first impulse many of us have when bored is to seek distraction through the <\/strong>creativity<\/a> of others. We binge on films or books<\/a>. But we are missing an opportunity to embrace our own<\/em>\u00a0ideas. <\/span><\/p>\n

Psychologist Sandi Mann feels boredom can give our minds necessary space to daydream and create<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She<\/span>\u00a0led a study<\/a> at the University of Central Lancashire and found that when asked come up with as many uses for plastic cups as possible? It was a group that had first experienced the boredom of copying out numbers from a phone book that then came up with <\/span>the best answers<\/a>. Boredom created the fertile ground for great creativity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Allow yourself to be nostalgic. <\/span><\/h3>\n

Find yourself going through old photos and pining for<\/strong> a life you once had before everything felt endlessly boring? It\u2019s actually not a bad tactic. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Researchers at the University of Limerick<\/span><\/a> led by Wijnand Van Tilburg and Eric Igou found a positive link exists between nostalgia<\/a> and boredom. When we are bored we think of the past, and that nostalgia then has us longing for meaning. This longing in turn pushes us to take actions to find meaning<\/a>, to counteract the boredom.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

3. Do something for someone else.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the things van Tilburg and Igou found was that when people were driven by nostalgia to seek meaning, they then showed a tendency towards caring acts, such as blood donation, to replace their feelings of emptiness<\/a>. So now might be the time to shop for a bedridden neighbour, or volunteer<\/a> for a mental health helpline<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Get some “God”.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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By: nasrul ekram<\/p><\/div>\n

The same researchers then did another study<\/a> that looked at whether already having a sense of meaning and purpose<\/a> would make us less likely to experience boredom in the first place<\/strong>. They found that religious people <\/span>\u201creported higher perceived meaning in life, which was associated with a reduced tendency to feel bored.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course you don\u2019t have to join a religion to feel a sense of meaning! <\/strong>You can explore your own ideas of spirituality and life purpose<\/a>. Need help with this? Both existential therapy<\/a> and transpersonal therapy<\/a> focus on helping you find your unique sense of purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Try mindfulness. <\/span><\/h3>\n

Sometimes we say we are bored when really we are uncomfortable. <\/i>Not filling our time with \u2018busy tasks\u2019 means all our unprocessed experiences<\/a> can start niggling to the surface, in a mess of emotions and strange thoughts<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

It can help to see boredom as an opportunity and <\/strong>turn to the tool of mindfulness<\/a>. Instead of reaching for the nearest distraction, sit quietly, breathe, and simply observe, without judgement, the thoughts and feelings<\/a> that come up. What are they trying to tell you? What might you need to face and heal?<\/p>\n

[Read our free “Guide to Mindfulness<\/a>” if you need clear instructions.]<\/p>\n

Why do I get bored so easily? <\/span><\/h2>\n

Being bored more easily that others can be a<\/strong> personality trait<\/a>, a way of being we are born prone to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it can sometimes be a sign of<\/strong> mental health issues<\/a>. The obvious one is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)<\/a>. And there is also a strong link with depression<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Boredom and depression <\/span><\/h2>\n

Boredom and depression\u00a0<\/strong>can seem similar. Both feel unpleasant, and like we are ‘flatlining’.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Boredom leaves us feeling<\/strong> trapped or annoyed, but we don\u2019t feel that we can\u2019t do the task, or that there will be no escape from the situation. We are left annoyed with the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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By: Sean MacEntee<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Depression<\/a>, on the other hand, is internal looking.<\/strong> We feel not good enough<\/a>, worthless, or even like we don\u2019t deserve to exist<\/a>. And depression involves a feeling of hopelessness<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Feelings of boredom can, however, be a sign of depression<\/a>\u00a0if they come alongside feelings of hopelessness and cycles of negative, ‘doom and gloom’ thinking<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So if you are saying, \u201cI am bored because of this lockdown\u201d, but then feel<\/strong> better imaging all you will do when it ends? It\u2019s just boredom. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you are thinking, \u201cI am bored with this lockdown and the world will never<\/strong> be the same and what\u2019s the point?\u201d You might have depression<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boredom and poor parenting<\/h2>\n

Again, always feeling “I’m bored” can again also be your brain\u2019s way of avoiding facing and processing difficult emotions.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

But where are those uncomfortable thoughts and emotions from?<\/strong> They can be a product of difficult childhoods<\/a>, or even unresolved childhood trauma<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Part of your difficult childhood might have involved undue punishment for small things, or <\/strong>only being given love if you were ‘good’.\u00a0 The ‘Boredom Lab’, an incentive committed to understanding boredom at York University, explains that:<\/p>\n

“Individuals who are very sensitive<\/a> to reward<\/a> or punishment are more likely to experience boredom. High punishment sensitivity people often withdraw from activities because they find the environment threatening. In contrast, high reward sensitivity people need more and more exciting activities to fulfil their need for pleasure, and thus find many environments under-stimulating.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Can boredom be a sign I need therapy?<\/h2>\n